NYC Mayoral Debate: Democrats Face Off One Month Ahead Of Primary

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — The Democratic candidates for New York City mayor are holding their first debate since Anthony Weiner's latest sexting scandal upended the race.

The Tuesday evening debate comes with less than a month remaining until the Sept. 10 primary.

Weiner was leading the field until he revealed last month that he continued to send sexually explicit online messages to women even after resigning from Congress in 2011 for similar behavior.

He is now polling fourth. He trails City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and ex-Comptroller Bill Thompson. Comptroller John Liu is fifth.

If no candidate reaches 40 percent of the vote at the primary, the top two advance to a runoff three weeks later.

Two more televised debates will follow in the coming weeks.