Former prostitute in New York gubernatorial debate

NEW YORK - A former prostitution madam who allegedly supplied call girls to leading New York politicians, including former governor Eliot Spitzer, shared the stage with all the candidates in a debate of the New York gubernatorial race, media reports said.

Kristin Davis, who is running for governor as the candidate of the Anti-Prohibition Party, participated in the gubernatorial debate Monday night alongside Democratic Party’s Andrew Cuomo and Republican Party’s Carl Paladino, ABC News reported.

Davis, who made frequent brothel jokes, described herself as an “accomplished businesswoman”, putting her in line with a slew of women executives who have plunged into politics this year.

According to New York Times, Davis suggested that her experience running an escort service made her the candidate best prepared to reform the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

“The key difference between the MTA and my former escort agency is I operated one set of books and I offered on-time and reliable service,” the daily quoted her as saying.

Davis, who came equipped with a quiver of one-liners playing off her career as a madam, delivered crisp sound bites about job growth and against a tax on stock transfers.

“Businesses will leave the state, faster than Carl Paladino at a gay bar,” she said.

The debate format did not give the candidates an opportunity to directly question one another. And neither Paladino nor Cuomo criticised the other or unleashed any prepared attack lines.

The New York gubernatorial election will be held Nov 2.