Why NYC council candidate wants to debate Carolyn Maloney

ALBANY – It’s some Maloney baloney!

Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s wannabe city councilwoman daughter is ducking a debate challenge from her independent challenger — so he’s demanding her mom get in the hot seat instead.

Kyle Athayde is challenging the longtime congresswoman to duke it out with him, accusing her daughter, Virginia, of refusing to face off against him in their bids for District 4 spanning the East Side of Manhattan and Midtown.

“The people of the East Side deserve to see more than a surname on the ballot,” Athayde, a former Chair of Community Board 6, exclusively told The Post.

“Throughout my life, I have shown up and fought for my community. Virginia Maloney, on the other hand eked out a primary win thanks to her last name and mother’s connections  — that’s not service, that’s succession,” he added.

“So if Virginia doesn’t want to debate me, I’m more than willing to debate her more experienced mother Carolyn. Wherever and whenever Carolyn wants to talk about issues, I’ll be down,” Athayde said.

A spokesperson for Virginia’s campaign wouldn’t commit to a general election debate and said there had been several forums during the primary campaign.

“Virginia Maloney is continuing to engage with hundreds of neighbors in the general, just as she has in the primary,” the rep said.

Her mother directed questions back to her daughter’s campaign, dismissing any notion that she’d entertain Athayde’s apparent stunt.

“I’m not running. She’s running, and she’s really running her own campaign,” the elder Maloney said.

Virginia won a hotly contested Democratic primary in June in the race to succeed term-limited City Councilmember Keith Powers, who ran unsuccessfully in this year’s primary for Manhattan borough president.

Maloney eked out the primary win with 53% of the vote after the fifth-round of ranked choice voting.

Virginia, who dubs herself a lifelong east-sider, works for Meta and has held numerous posts with non-profit and political groups such as Teach for America and the Lexington Democratic Club.

Her mother was a city councilwoman herself before her 30-year career in Congress.

In addition to once chairing his local community board, Athayde worked for the state New York State Office for New Americans and his current post at NYC Health and Hospitals. He’s running on the “Revive East Side” line.

The race is a three-way contest between Virginia, Athayde and Republican candidate Debra Schwartzben.