Office of Assemblywoman Malliotakis

Malliotakis meeting students at PS 13 (file photo), The Republican nominee said more youth programs were needed to improve public safety, but stressed that stronger enforcement of quality of life rules was even more important.

Nicole Malliotakis came well prepared to pummel Bill de Blasio’s management of the city but offered few specifics about her own plan. The mayor defended himself ably but hewed close to familiar themes and showed little appetite to discuss new ideas or ways to address real problems his opponents highlighted. Bo Dietl made clear that he is the candidate for those who are so determined to oust the establishment that a very clear ideological split between the major-party candidates doesn’t present enough of a choice.

Those were the big story lines in Tuesday’s first general election debate. But where did Malliotakis make her most substantive remarks? How did de Blasio handle the critique of his approach to crime? And what impact did the tone and volume of the event have on the candidates and the outcome? Ben Max and I break it down below.