Zohran Mamdani and second place rival Andrew Cuomo traded familiar attacks and counterattacks in the first general election debate for New York City mayor Thursday — with Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa attacking both men over liberal policies he vowed to end as mayor.
After losing to Mamdani in the primary, Cuomo is running as an independent who has been pitching moderate Democrats as well as Republicans. But he’s failed to climb out of a double-digit polling deficit and continued to struggle Thursday night to define himself as anything other than the anti-Mamdani candidate.
While Mamdani and Cuomo have taken up much of the oxygen in the race so far, Thursday was Sliwa’s chance to pitch himself as an alternative to the two Democrats.
“Thank God I’m not a professional politician,” said Sliwa who was also the Republican nominee four years ago. He cast Cuomo and Mamdani as “the architect and apprentice” of policies like bail reform, raising the age when one can be tried as an adult, and closing down Rikers Island, the city’s chronically violent and mismanaged jail complex.
“Thank God I’m not a professional politician because they have helped create this crime crisis in the city that we face,” Sliwa said.
Even under attack from both men, Mamdani appeared unfazed by his opponents’ criticisms. He kept the pressure on Cuomo, raising the sexual harassment scandal that ended Cuomo’s tenure as governor; the millions in taxpayer dollars that have gone to defending the harassment lawsuits; and ongoing investigations into Cuomo’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis in nursing homes.
“What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity,” Mamdani said. “And what you don’t have integrity, you can never make up for it in experience.”
Mamdani is seeking to cap off his unlikely rise from a three-term Queens assemblymember to the Democratic frontrunner for mayor of the nation’s largest city.
Polls have shown him holding a commanding double digit lead ahead over Cuomo, even if the gap narrowed in the latest Quinnipiac poll, which found Cuomo trailing by 13 points instead of 22, after Mayor Eric Adams quit the race this month.
Cuomo pointed to Mamdani’s past statements about the police as racist and suggested he would not protect Jewish New Yorkers because he did not condemn the use of the slogan “globalizing the intifada,” which some interpret as a call to violence against Jews.
“Just say it. ‘I denounce it,’” Cuomo said. “He won’t do it. That’s the issue.”
Cuomo struggled to answer a question about his relationship with the city’s Muslim community, estimated at over 750,000 residents. During the final primary debate, Cuomo could not name a single mosque he had visited during his years as governor.
Mamdani’s campaign has centered on affordability, with promises to make buses free, freeze rent on stabilized apartments and provide universal childcare.
He was asked during the debate about how he would foot the bill for his proposals, which are estimated to cost as much as $9 billion. He has said he would raise personal income taxes on the top 1% and corporate taxes, but has no authority to do so as mayor. Gov. Kathy Hochul has resisted any plan for tax hikes and is unlikely to change that stance as she enters a re-election year.
“It’s a fantasy,” Sliwa said.
Since the primary Mamdani has largely focused on attacking President Donald Trump, a broadly unpopular figure among New York City voters.
The candidates all insisted they would push back against the president if he made any efforts to deploy the National Guard to the city’s streets as he’s done in Chicago and LA.
In one tense exchange, Cuomo said he would fight Trump, “every step of the way if you try to hurt New York.”
Mamdani interjected: “Unless he weaponizes the Justice Department to go after the attorney general of the state, in which case you’ll issue a statement that doesn’t even name the president.”
Mamdani was referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom Cuomo has repeatedly attacked for her role in exposing the sexual harassment allegations against him.
Sliwa noted that the president has threatened to withhold federal funding if Mamdani wins the election.
“ Look, you can be tough, but you can’t be tough if it’s gonna cost people desperately needed federal funds,” he said of Mamdani.
But Sliwa insisted that Trump would be no more likely to listen to Cuomo because, “you think you’re the toughest guy alive.”
“Let me tell you something, you lost your own primary, right? You were rejected by your Democrats,” said Sliwa.
The debate also featured some lighter questions. The three candidates were asked to choose between attending a Mets or Knicks post-season game.
Sliwa and Mamdani chose the Knicks, while Cuomo maintained he would try attending portions of both games.
“This is what New Yorkers are sick of,” Mamdani said of Cuomo’s wavering answer. “Just pick a team.”
