The polls are back open in New York City for early voting as the race for the next mayor hurtles toward Election Day. NBC New York’s Anjali Hemphill reports.
In the homestretch of the race for New York City mayor, Democratic nominee Eric Adams continues to dismiss Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa as a side show, calling him "a clown."
Starting on Saturday, voters will now get their say in the matter, as early voting begins and lasts until Oct. 31. Hours at poll sites change from day to day, and is likely to be different from where residents ordinarily vote.
Meanwhile, Adams insists that the Guardian Angels founder is not gaining ground, and that Sliwa's attacks are not getting to him at all.
"He's not under my skin. He’s not on my skin. He’s not near my skin," Adams said. He also denied that he refused to shake Sliwa’s hand before the mayoral debate Wednesday night, hosted by NBC New York. But he did make one note on what he would do with Sliwa.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
"I would give him an elbow bump, because he's against vaccines, so I don't know if he's vaccinated," Adams said. When told that Sliwa said he has been vaccinated, Adams responded, "he also said he was kidnapped."
Sliwa had a response of his own on Friday.
“Well Eric Adams needs to know I am vaccinated, I got my card, I'll prove it" he said. "If he doesn’t want to shake hands, I'll accept that, I’m bumping elbows all the time."
Adams staged a rally in Brooklyn on Friday, where he was surrounded and endorsed by fellow Democratic lawmakers in the city.
Several Brooklyn voters said they trust Adams, a former NYPD captain, to get the guns off the street. Getting crime down and streets safer seemed to still be two leading factors in many voters' minds.
Sliwa meanwhile was alone at a podium in the Bronx, talking about guns in schools, and later greeted New Yorkers at the Broadway reopening of Phantom of the Opera.
