New York’s three mayoral candidates faced off Thursday night in the first of two televised debates, less than three weeks before voters go to the polls.
On stage were Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — now an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June — and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mayor Eric Adams, who withdrew from the race several weeks ago, did not participate.
During the two-hour debate, the candidates clashed over a variety of local and national issues, including crime, policing, affordability, housing and transportation, as well as how they would handle the Trump administration and the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Mamdani and Cuomo, the race favorites, wasted no time and began training – with Sliwa between them – almost immediately.
Cuomo is notably attempting a return to politics after resigning as governor of New York in 2021 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. He began the evening by echoing his performance in the primary debates, describing Mamdani as too unqualified and inexperienced to run the city.
“This is not a job for on-the-job training,” Cuomo said. “If you look at the failing mayors, they are the ones who have no management experience.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Queens state lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist, pushed back against Cuomo, citing his five years in the New York state assembly and his lived experience in New York. He presents himself as “someone who actually paid his rent in town” and “who had to wait for a bus that never arrived, someone who does his shopping in this town”.
Cuomo responded: “What the congressman said is he has no experience.”
Mamdani replied, “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for in experience.” »
At one point, Cuomo was pressed on the allegations that preceded his resignation and his handling of nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was asked why voters should believe he has “the character of a mayor.”
Cuomo defended his record and denied the allegations, saying “none of this came to fruition.”
Throughout the night, Sliwa, the Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels, took shots at both candidates, calling Mamdani’s plans “fantasies” and mocking Cuomo for losing the Democratic primary. He also went after the former governor over allegations of sexual harassment.
Donald Trump was a major specter during the first hour of the debate, with each candidate addressing some of his policies and how he would engage with his administration if elected.
Mamdani said he would be willing to work with Trump “if it means lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers” but warned that “if he ever wants to help New Yorkers the way he has, he will have to go through me as the next mayor of this city.”
Cuomo said he would work with Trump but would fight the president if he tried to “hurt New York,” while Sliwa said he would “sit down and negotiate” with him.
“You can be tough, but you can’t be tough if it’s going to cost people federal funds that they desperately need,” Sliwa said.
All three candidates agreed that Trump should not send National Guard troops to New York.
Sliwa fired back when Cuomo suggested he was the only candidate who could handle Trump: “You think you’re the toughest guy in the world. You lost your own primary.”
The recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza was also discussed during the debate. Mamdani, who has criticized the Israeli government and spoken out in support of Palestinian rights, was asked about his views on Hamas.
“Of course I think they should lay down their arms,” he said. “A ceasefire means cease fire. It means all parties must cease fire and lay down their weapons, and the reason we are calling for this is not only an end to the genocide, but also unhindered access to humanitarian aid.”
Cuomo attacked Mamdani and claimed that the latter refused to “denounce Hamas” and that he was speaking in “code” with his response. Mamdani fired back, calling Cuomo “the legal defense team of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during this genocide.”
Mamdani also said that in speaking with Jewish New Yorkers, he was discouraged from using the phrase “globalizing the Intifada.”
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“What I seek to do as the first Muslim mayor of this city is to ensure that we bring together all New Yorkers — Jewish New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, every single person who lives in the city. They understand that they will not only be protected, but they will belong,” he said, prompting Cuomo to call Mamdani “a divisive figure on every level.”
Both Sliwa and Cuomo praised the Trump administration for its role in brokering the ceasefire agreement, which many said directly mirrored the deal brokered by Biden under his administration.
Mamdani was also asked about comments he has made in the past on social media, including comments he made in 2020 about the New York Police Department during nationwide protests against police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd. Mamdani called the department “racist” and demanded defunding the police in social media posts.
Earlier this week, Mamdani appeared on Fox News and apologized to police for the remarks. He said he also apologized to officers in private meetings.
On Thursday, Mamdani said that despite his previous calls to defund the police, he no longer believes that should happen, and that he is “looking to work with police officers to not defund the NYPD, seeking to ensure that police officers can actually do a job when they sign up to join this department.”
Mamdani touted his plan to create a community safety department that would send dedicated mental health teams to handle relevant 911 calls.
Cuomo pledged to hire 5,000 additional officers and assign 1,500 to the metros, raise starting salaries and “work on community-police relations.”
Sliwa called for the hiring of 7,000 police officers and the restoration of partial immunity for police officers.
On public transportation, Mamdani described his bus plans as “fast and free,” while Cuomo claimed such a program would be subsidized by wealthy bus riders and effectively become mobile homeless shelters.
When the issue of affordability came up, candidates were asked how much they spent per week on groceries. Cuomo said about $150, Sliwa said about $175 and Mamdani said about $125.
Mamdani, who has put affordability at the center of his campaign, reiterated some of his long-standing promises to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, freeze rent increases on rent-stabilized apartments and build more housing.
He also criticized Cuomo for failing to address a pressing issue during most of the debate. “I just have to say, it’s been an hour and 20 minutes of debate, and we haven’t heard Governor Cuomo say the word ‘affordability.’ That’s why he lost the primary,” Mamdani said.
A poll released last week showed Mamdani in the lead, with 46% of likely voters supporting him, followed by Cuomo, at 33%, and Sliwa, at 15%.
The final mayoral debate is scheduled for Wednesday, October 22.
Election day is Tuesday, November 4. Early voting begins October 25 and continues through November 2.
