Democratic Primary Debate for the 10th Congressional District | Full Debate

Good evening. Welcome to New York one's debate for the 10th Congressional District. Tonight kicks off our coverage of this year's Democratic congressional primary races, several of which are hotly contested. I'm Merrill Lewis, political anchor at New York one.

And I'm New York one's investigative reporter Courtney Gross. Tonight's broadcast is also streaming live on the Spectrum News app and on our YouTube channel. Early voting starts on Saturday, June 13 in both congressional and state legislative primaries across New York, including tonight's race. And the June twenty third primary is just three weeks away from tomorrow.

New York's tenth congressional district stretches from the West Village to the East Village. It includes Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, including all or part of Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, Park Slope, and Sunset Park.

Tonight, we're joined by the two leading Democratic candidates. Daniel Goldman is the incumbent congressman serving in the role since 2023. He's a former federal prosecutor who worked as the lead counsel for house Democrats in the first impeachment trial of president Trump. Brad Lander is a former city controller and 2025 mayoral candidate. He also served in a city council for twelve years.

The rules you see on your screen have been agreed to by both candidates. Each man will have sixty seconds for an opening statement, and then answers to our questions will generally be limited to sixty seconds with thirty seconds to answer rebuttals or for follow ups at our discretion.

And there will be both the cross examination round where the candidates get to ask one question to his opponent and a lightning round where their answers should be yes or no or something very short.

You can see this full debate on the Spectrum News app at any time. And for those of you at home, feel free to join the conversation online using the hashtag n y one debate. We begin now with one minute opening statements. The order was determined by a random drawing this morning on live television. Brandlander will go first.

Good evening.

Thank you, Arrow and Courtney. Our neighbors in New York 10 care about democracy and about each other, and it has been my honor to work alongside you shoulder to shoulder for thirty years to prevent evictions of seniors and families, to build thousands of affordable homes, to protect our retirees' healthcare. Now our values are under existential assault. Trump is abducting our neighbors and corrupting our government while the cost of living skyrockets and the gap between the rich and the rest of us has never been greater. But meanwhile, corporate Democrats like Dan Goldman, instead of taking on special interests, take money from them, from Wall Street, crypto, and APAC.

New York 10 voters want leaders who fight billionaires and deliver for working families who put their bodies on the line to protect our immigrant neighbors. That's why I'm proud to be endorsed by mayors around Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, the Working Families Party, and why it would be an honor to serve you in congress.

Thanks very much. Mister Goldman, good evening.

Thank you, Errol. These are serious times with serious challenges, and this is not a moment for career politicians desperately seeking another job. We have a fascist in the White House pulling strings with the secret police abducting our neighbors and a system rigged by his billionaire buddies. My life's work has prepared me for this exact moment. I prosecuted Wall Street cheats and mob bosses.

I impeached Donald Trump. And for the last three and a half years, it has been my honor and privilege to represent New York's 10th Congressional District. I'm not only a fighter. I am a fighter who knows how to win. And when we take back the majority, I will once again beat Donald Trump, and we will move forward with a bold progressive agenda that will make billionaires pay their fair share so that the working families can get access once again to the American dream with universal health care, free childcare, and affordable housing for all.

I humbly ask for your vote, and, of course, let's go Knicks.

Okay. Thanks very much, gentlemen. Let's start with our first topic. This district has been home for a long time to a large number of Jewish voters who make up about 20% of the district is one estimate. You are both self described liberal Zionists who support Israel as a Jewish and democratic state while also supporting Palestinian self determination and a two state solution.

While you are aligned on many broad policy positions, you also have meaningful differences, and I wanna explore those. And let's start with yesterday's Israel Day Parade. Mister Goldman marched. Mister Lander did not. For each of you, what symbolic statement were your actions intended to convey?

And we'll start with you, mister Goldman.

Well, I was proud to march in the Israel Day Parade to celebrate the nation and state of Israel, a Jewish and democratic state, that is distinct from its government. I strongly oppose this government of prime minister Netanyahu. And apparently, I was unaware that Bezalil Smotrich, one of the most radical extremists in that coalition government, also attended uninvited. I was unaware of that, and I am incredibly disappointed that that occurred because I have called for his removal. I have called for sanctions against him.

And I think another area where Brad and I agree is that what is going on in the West Bank that is being led by Smotrich is absolutely unacceptable. I have been a leader on that from the beginning. I have, in congress in opposing the settlements and exposing, in opposing the expansion of the violence, and I will continue to lead in that so that Palestinians have human rights, self determination, and there can be peace and security in the region. Okay.

Thank you. Mister Lander.

We have some profound differences here. While Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, violating international law, violating Palestinian human rights, I believe we should not be sending additional US military aid to Israel, and I won't be marching in the Israel Day Parade alongside government ministers in Netanyahu's government like Betzal El Smotrich, a war criminal who called it moral and just to starve Palestinians. Representative Goldman has voted for every stand alone aid package to Israel for all the 2,000 pound bombs that destroyed all of the hospitals and schools and most of the homes in Gaza where Netanyahu and the IDF now occupy 70% of the territory. So, no, I won't send any additional US military aid to Israel. I will sign on to the Block the Bombs Act and the Ceasefire Compliance Act with representative which representative Goldman does not view what's happening there as a genocide.

I've been fighting against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza since 1990. I've never heard him say the word occupation in that context if you want a fighter for Palestinian human rights.

The Christian's fair. Just just to follow-up, what was it of those that those lists of complaints that you have with the actions of the Israeli government that led to you not participating in the parade?

I mean, I I'll go through it again. I mean, you know, Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. Israel is violating international law and Palestinian human rights. We shouldn't be sending unconditional military aid. We shouldn't be marching with war criminals.

Okay. What did each of you make of that recent vote at the Park Slope Food Co op, which, of course, is in the district to boycott the purchase of Israeli produce? I'll start with you, mister Landon.

Yeah. Look. This one, there were very strong feelings on both sides, and it's important to listen to them. Majority of the members the Park Slope Food Club abhor what is happening. Watch while they won't even allow bathrooms into Gaza right now.

I mean, the families there are it is really extraordinary how horrific it is. And so people wanna find some way to do something. They don't feel heard by their government because their congressman just keeps voting to send military aid there despite the atrocities they see with their own eyes. At the same time, of course, Jewish members of the coop who believe, as we do indeed both do, in a vision of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, don't wanna feel unwelcome in their own grocery store. So I don't support the global BDS movement, and I would have voted no on the resolution.

But to me, the answer is to end US complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza, in the apartheid that is imposed on Palestinians. Israelis will not be safe until Palestinians are free.

Well, look. I agree with rabbi Rachel Timonar, who is the esteemed rabbi of congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, who pointed out as she agrees with both of us that what has happened in Gaza is horrific and that there needs to be Palestinian self determination. But as she said, this is not the way. And the reason this is not the way is because the BDS movement, first of all, was founded on the premise that Israel should not exist. Second of all, what the Park Slope co op does in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in terms of whether or not it has products from Israel is not going to impact Israeli foreign policy.

But what it does do is it makes Jewish members of that coop and the community very uncomfortable. And it gets worse when in the conversations, there are discussions of and the use of a term Jewish supremacism. That is antisemitic, and that's where the line needs to be drawn. You can oppose the Israeli government, but you cannot espouse anti Semitic views, and that's why I opposed this resolution.

Mhmm. Did you wanna respond?

Look. I agree charges of Jewish supremacism in this context were anti Semitic, and we should not be leveling them. It is a time of rising antisemitism and hate. But the way to respond to it is to listen to the concerns that voters have and actually do something about it.

And, you know, and that's when I'm that's why a

big part of why I'm I'm running for congress. I want a representative who isn't gonna keep voting for unconditional US military aid who's gonna actually push for real

change. Let me let

but wait a minute. You don't I mean, don't understand how you say Jewish supremacism is antisemitism. You oppose BDS. That's what that resolution was. I know you like to talk about everything else, but why why do you not why do not think it was worth a resolution?

You don't think that resolution was antisemitic even though Jewish

supremacists Well,

there's a big difference between the one person who said Jewish supremacism in the debate and the 8,000 voters at the food court, quite a few of whom are Jewish, who are looking for some way to express their anger and frustration.

Well, look. I agree with that. A congressman

And I would stop say voting for unconditional military aid, who could call it genocide, who could say the word occupation

Right.

Who didn't march with war criminals. The problem, though, focus on violence.

Let let let

let let The problem is that I know you like to accuse, you know, me personally of doing all this, but the reality is we have laws on the books that require any country that we give military and or security assistance to to follow international human rights law. They are called the Leahy laws. I work closely with the Biden administration to implement the Leahy laws in the West Bank and to withhold 2,000 pound bombs to Gaza. We don't need new laws. We need to Donald Trump to enforce the laws that we have as president Biden did.

Do you really think that president Biden was in enforcing international law and upholding

I actually know he was because I was there at the time having conversations with the administration where they were holding

back 2,000 Let me let is an area where we have a significant me just to to clear up something before we move on. We're gonna move on to a different topic. But, there were a couple of pieces of legislation. There was the Block the Bombs Act, the Ceasefire Compliance Act. I know that was a point of of difference between you.

You've said on those and other issues, mister Lander, that you support a a full scale restriction, not an outright halt, on the sale of arms to Israel, as a way, I guess, put pressure on them to comply with international law and do some other things policy wise.

US complicity.

And and you feel differently about that. I wanted to invite mister Goldman to explain what you think is the the right path to put pressure on the Israeli government.

Well, I can tell you what I think is not the right path, which is that when you are in office as a city controller and you have the opportunity to, either support or withhold support from something that you apparently believe in as Brad seems to believe so strongly against, the Israeli government. And then you go on Orthodox Radio and you brag about the investments in the city controller's office in four Israeli companies, including Elbit Systems, which is the largest Israeli arms manufacturer. It is one thing to speak out from the peanut gallery. It is another thing when you actually are in office and you have the ability to have an impact on something. And, ultimately, Brad had that chance and he failed even though he promised to do opposite.

And this is what you're gonna see because Israel Errol, with all due respect, we've now ten minutes into this, and we've only spoken about Israel. Israel is not the most important issue in this district. What is most important that I hear from the voters is Donald Trump in the White House tearing our immigrant neighbors away, destroying our democracy, corrupting everything from the White House, and taking away health care, food benefits, so many of the concerns. We we that's what we're

definitely gonna get to those He answered none of response.

He well, first, answered none of your questions, Errol. So you should know he doesn't support the Block the Bombs Act. He doesn't support the Ceasefire Compliance Act. He voted for every US military aid package to Israel. He won't recognize it as genocide.

He's never used the word occupation to describe Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. I'm proud of my record as city controller. We grew the pension funds over $300,000,000,000. I stopped buying Israel bonds because they did not news, individual publicly traded companies. Rep Goldman knows that you're probably gonna hear it again in another context tonight.

But if that's the most significant criticism he has when he's been in congress and failed so seriously on, yes, not the issues that matter most in people's daily lives, that's affordable housing and health care and Trump abducting our neighbors. But this is one of the significant moral and humanity challenges of our time

Okay.

And our representative failed

to If I may just say one thing, Errol. You say you can't that you don't pick and choose the investments, but you go on television and you tout specific investments. Okay. We gotta So we we You can't have it both ways.

We will come back to that. Britney has a question.

We are gonna move on to a different topic, and that is immigration enforcement. 26 Federal Pla Plaza, the city's immigration court and holding facility, is in this district. You both have been a name for yourselves outside of that site or inside of that site, Goldman, with unannounced inspections and a triage center for assistance in your off with your own arrests. With criticism of ICE mounting, some in the Democratic party have said ICE should be abolished. Do you agree?

If so, what is its replacement? And we will start with mister Goldman.

Yeah. I do think ICE should be abolished. What ICE has been doing over the last year, and we just had a a press conference this morning with some of the advocates and activists and, faith based leaders who have been helping us with this triage center is absolutely unconscionable. It is un American. It is unacceptable.

And ICE needs to be abolished because it cannot continue to violate the law this way. But you raise, I think, a very good point, and I would like our viewers to really analyze how the two of us have approached this immigration sit situation at twenty six Fed. We both have been active. I have not only been appearing at court preventing arrests from happening, But I've created a triage center in my district office with advocates, a coalition with lawyers, where we are helping over more than a 100 families, and we have freed 39 people. I also filed a lawsuit that we won to allow members of congress around the country to conduct oversight of those ICE facilities, and I have been there at least once a week.

I am the one who is going to do the work and to make a difference, and you'll hear Brad talk about putting his body on the line, but so he's getting arrested. Okay. But all he's doing with that is fundraising. He's not actually helping any immigrants.

Thank you. And, mister Landor, can you please respond to the question?

So I first called for abolishing ICE in 2018. Representative Goldman first called for it a month or two ago. He's a Danny come lately to the movement to abolish ICE. What they have been doing this last year is indeed especially egregious. They've known the entire year.

They don't have the authority to abduct immigrants in the hallways of immigration court. The US attorney for the Southern District even admitted it in court. What I have been part of for this entire year, I started going a couple of weeks before I got arrested. Joining Neighbors, it's a movement of thousands of people here at 26 Federal Plaza and 290 Broadway and 201 Barrack Street, accompanying young people, accompanying asylum seekers, being there to bear witness to, yes, absolutely, connect people to lawyers so they need to file habeas proceedings. That's an area where I will give some praise to the representative.

That movement is in Minneapolis. What enabled neighbors to push ICE and Bovino out of their cities. We've got a fascist in the White House. We've got a rogue ICE agents in our streets. But around here, neighbors showing up for each other.

And, yes, putting their bodies on the line is how we fight back and how we win. I'd like the hearings in congress on ICE oversight to start in Minneapolis to get justice for Renee Gooden and Alex Freddy.

May I

ask for question? Can Sure. Rebuild a better system.

Well, first of all, we've already done hearings in Minneapolis on this issue. And in 2018, when you called to abolish ICE, you were about ten years into your political career. I had not even thought about entering into politics. I was one of the first ones in in congress to call for it, and I have been leading the fight against it to protect and actually make a difference on the ground for our immigrant community members who are so wrongfully and illegally, taken away. I have introduced the bill to unmask ICE.

I introduced a bill to prohibit arrests at immigration court, which as Brad correctly said now, ICE has admitted that they should have never been able to do. I have been leading the charge from legislation to litigation to cross examining Christy Noem and making her admit that they are violating the law to the Triage Center and helping 39 individuals get out of detention.

Goldman. We'll go we'll go back to mister Lander. The the state legislature recently approved legislation to prohibit cooperation between ICE and federal law enforcement for civil matters. When should local police departments if do you believe local police departments should ever work with ICE to deport someone? And if so, when?

Yeah. First, let me praise the state legislature for this legislation, which prohibits collaboration, but also allows individual whose constitutional rights are violated by ICE officers to sue them in state court. That's something that we're gonna have to be doing around the country. And that congress can come together, those hearings we should have in Minneapolis to bring the killers of Renee Goode and Alex Freddy to justice. They'll be prosecuted in Minnesota, and folks who violate the law ICE officers who violate the constitutional rights of their neighbors can now be prosecuted here in terms of when collaboration should and should not take place.

The NYPD and other law enforcement should absolutely not be working with ICE to deport neighbors. Now if someone commits a crime, the NYPD investigates, arrests, and works with prosecutors to prosecute. But that is not what is happening right now, what ICE is doing right now. And I was down there this morning because ICE is now doing these mega master calendar hearings, calling people in in droves, ripping rights away from young people. We need all of our state and local jurisdictions on board showing up for our neighbors.

Thank you, mister Leonard. Mister Goldman.

Well, I think the way that it works right now is the proper way. And the misinformation that the Republicans use to say that sanctuary cities do not cooperate at all with ICE is preposterous. What New York City does, what New York State does is that when somebody has a criminal conviction that warrants removal from this country, the Department of Corrections in both city or state cooperates and coordinates with ICE to turn over that person when their sentence is finished. Anything short of a conviction and a completion of a sentence is not due process to turn them over. And we cannot have our law enforcement helping the federal government with civil immigration enforcement.