Former Governor Andrew Cuomo joined the initial New York mayoral debate on Thursday evening aiming to counter the growing support for Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. However, he found himself predominantly on the defensive, fending off critiques about his extensive time in office from Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Cuomo, now running as an independent candidate, persistently tried to portray Mamdani’s policies as overly radical, emphasizing Mamdani’s alleged lack of leadership experience for governing the largest city in America. Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, retaliated by criticizing Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and the harassment accusations against Cuomo, which he denies.
Despite a two-hour debate covering topics such as the future mayor’s approach towards former President Donald Trump, quality of life concerns, and affordability, it remained uncertain if any candidate effectively swayed voters.
Cuomo faced significant pressure during the debate as it represented one of his final opportunities to convince voters that selecting Mamdani over him, following Mamdani’s victory in the primary earlier this year, would be a mistake. It also marked Cuomo’s endeavor for a political resurgence after resigning from office four years ago amid harassment allegations.
Mamdani, known for his upbeat demeanor throughout the debate, emphasized his affordability agenda and positioned himself as a pragmatic liberal rather than an extreme idealist. His campaign has propelled him to national recognition, with Republicans, including Trump, attempting to vilify him by highlighting controversial past statements and affiliations, labeling him as dangerous, a communist, and an antisemite.
Meanwhile, Sliwa, a Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels crime prevention group, sought to elevate his underdog campaign despite calls for him to withdraw. Rather than aligning with Cuomo against Mamdani, Sliwa spent much of his time undermining the former governor’s credibility.
Incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams recently suspended his re-election campaign due to a dismissed federal corruption case and his affiliation with the Trump administration.
Key highlights from the debate included Mamdani defending himself against critiques from Cuomo regarding his limited job experience and ambitious agenda, while Cuomo positioned himself as the only authentic Democrat onstage despite not running under the Democratic Party banner.
Mamdani’s advocacy for economic populism and his focus on reducing living costs in the city has garnered attention, but his proposals to raise taxes on the affluent and his criticism of Israel’s military actions have unsettled some centrists, conservatives, and Jewish constituents.
During the debate, Mamdani clarified his stance on Hamas laying down arms, an issue he had previously avoided addressing. Cuomo, on the other hand, emphasized Mamdani’s historical reluctance to denounce certain phrases considered violent by the Jewish community. Sliwa criticized Mamdani for not doing enough to support Jewish victims of antisemitic attacks.
The discussion further delved into Mamdani accusing Cuomo of neglecting the city’s Muslim population until competing against a Muslim candidate. The debate also featured prominent mentions of Trump, with Mamdani asserting he would stand up to the former president while being open to collaboration on cost reduction efforts.
A subsequent debate is scheduled for the following week.
