NY Rep. Pat Ryan and GOP challenger Alison Esposito square off in prime time congressional debate

New York Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan and his Republican challenger Alison Esposito squared off in a Wednesday night prime time debate — with both candidates laying out how they would help boost the economy and tackle inflation.

The face off between the two 18th Congressional District candidates touched on immigration, abortion, and the wars in Israel and Ukraine, but Ryan and Esposito particularly sparred over affordability.

Asked what she would do to help bring down prices, Esposito, a former NYPD deputy inspector and running mate to 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, said she would cut red tape, lower taxes and boost domestic energy production.

“What we have to do is roll back regulations. We have to have less taxes on the American people, get government’s hands out of their pockets. We can actually be energy independent in New York State alone, let alone the country,” Esposito said.

Ryan pointed to measures he’s pushed to reduce the costs of housing, pharmaceutical costs and groceries.

“Housing – number one driver of costs in our community. I proposed legislation to bring down interest rates and mortgage rates, also called on the Federal Reserve, which thankfully they in our call, to bring down those rates, which will relieve some of that pressure,” Ryan said.

He also brought up the state and local tax deduction cap, which was implemented as part of then-President Donald Trump’s tax cuts in 2017.

It caps the amount of state and local taxes high income earners can deduct from their federal taxes at $10,000.

“This is double taxation for New Yorkers, and as a reminder, it’s President Trump that actually put this in place,” Ryan said.

Esposito said she would also support scrapping the cap, but bashed Ryan for not getting it done in the last two years.

“Actions speak louder than words. The congressman had the ability to vote to raise the SALT cap, and he didn’t do it,” Esposito said.

Both candidates exchanged barbs over immigration policy, the first question posed by the moderators Wednesday night.

Ryan said he thinks President Biden needed to do more on border security and immigration policy, whereas Esposito repeated a regular accusation that the congressman is a “rubber stamp” for the administration.

“We need legal, lawful immigration, and we need proper immigration reform, but right now, what’s going on with our open border policy from President Biden and Harris’ administration that my counterpart has been a rubber stamp for, this is absolutely unsustainable,” Esposito said.

Esposito said she does not back a federal abortion ban, but that individual states should set their laws. She said she was “not aware” of any states that require people to carry out a pregnancy, even in the case of rape.

“I’m somebody who’s less government, not more. Local control. You vote for your elected officials in the states and that’s how the laws happen,” Esposito said.

Ryan, who supports the Women’s Equality Act that would restore abortion policies effectively similar to that under Roe v. Wade, said that eliminating the Senate’s filibuster rule should be “on the table.”

Vice President Harris recently said she’d support scrapping the 60-vote threshold in the 100-person chamber needed to pass policy in order to address abortion legislation.

In a lighter moment of the evening, the candidates were asked whether they support the Mets or Yankees ahead of a potential matchup in the World Series, to which the candidates delivered opposing responses.

“My Yankees are up 2 and 0, and hopefully they carry it over,” Ryan said.

“I’m a Mets fan, and it’s very difficult at times, but yes,” Esposito said.

The 18th District is one of New York’s most competitive seats. It’s rated by the non-partisan Cook Political Report as “Lean Democrat.”