Reigning Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer took the stage with his rival, Republican Joe Pinion, in a debate that aired last night on our sister network NY1.
The two candidates faced off at Union College, a university located in the city of Schenectady.
Schumer was first elected to the Senate in 1998 and became Senate Majority Leader in 2021. The senator is looking to win his fifth term, backed by his long experience in Congress.
For his part, Pinion, a former TV host who has never held political office, has called for changes in an effort to distance himself from other Republican leaders in Washington.
You can watch the entire debate on our Spectrum News app.
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Schumer and Pinion confronted each other in the exclusive Spectrum News 1 and NY1 debate, with the economy a top voter concern.
While Schumer has talked at length about how beneficial his leadership role is for New York, Pinion criticized the veteran lawmaker’s resume as falling short of New Yorkers.
“COVID did not cause inflation,” Pinion said. “The response to COVID caused inflation: printing money, worth 6 trillion dollars to oppose that virus of foreign origin and we have not yet held them responsible.”
Pinion, a former host for conservative cable channel Newsmax, is looking to become the first African American man to represent New York in the United States Senate. Schumer, who has held the position since 1999, focused primarily on his accomplishments and pointed to the power he wielded in Washington.
“Starting next year, the maximum a person can pay for prescription drugs is $ 2,000,” Schumer said.. “This is a real limitation, it will reduce inflation,” the senator said.
On the issue of abortion, the Supreme Court has finally overturned Roe v. Wade this summer. Pinion does not believe there should be a national abortion ban, as some Republicans have proposed.
However, Schumer reiterated that a return to abortion rights is needed under Roe.
“I support Roe and all the protections that were written to you and that were the law before the Supreme Court decision,” he said.
Schumer faces the prospect of losing the Democratic majority in the tightly divided US Senate this year, and with it the loss of the seat of majority leader.
