Governor Cuomo Agrees to Upstate and Downstate Debates

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will participate in two debates ahead of the November general election.

The Cuomo campaign has accepted an invitation to participate in a one-on-one debate in New York City against Republican candidate Rob Astorino, the Westchester County Executive. The debate would be co-sponsored by WNYC and the Wall Street Journal.

Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Party candidate Michael McDermott would join Cuomo and Astorino in an upstate debate in Buffalo. Both debates would be held in mid-October.

The Astorino campaign has not agreed to the debates. In an emailed statement, spokeswoman Jessica Proud said there have been no negotiations for debates with the Cuomo Administration.

"This is more games from Andrew Cuomo," Proud said in the email. "It’s clear Governor Cuomo is terrified to go one-on-one with County Executive Astorino on television."

Proud said the Astorino Campaign has been calling for at least one debate on television. The debates that the governor agreed to are co-sponsored by radio stations, including WNYC, and WBFO and WNED in Buffalo. (WNED's owner also operates the public television station in Buffalo — WNED-TV).

Cuomo had declined to debate his Democratic opponent in the primary election, Zephyr Teachout.

With reporting from the Associated Press