The intense New York City mayoral debate on Thursday brought together socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, each vying to make a compelling case to voters. The event was marked by sharp exchanges, with much of the focus on Mamdani, who has been a prominent figure in the race despite his position as a socialist candidate. Cuomo, attempting to challenge Mamdani’s leadership credentials, took aim at his lack of managerial experience, saying, ‘He literally has never had a job.’ This accusation was met with a pointed rebuttal from Mamdani, who suggested that Cuomo’s own handling of nursing home policies during his tenure as governor could be a point of contention.
Sliwa, representing the Republican party, pressed Mamdani on his stance regarding Israel and the conflict with Hamas, questioning his reliability in cases of antisemitic incidents. Mamdani defended his position, stating he was committed to representing all New Yorkers, including Jewish ones, and vowed to take action on their concerns. The debate was also shadowed by the ongoing controversy of National Guard troop deployments to major cities under President Donald Trump’s directive. All three candidates expressed opposition to such deployments, with Mamdani directly criticizing the potential threat of these troops to urban security and calling for leadership that would stand up to presidential influence.
Cuomo, while defending his record, accused Mamdani of advocating for defunding the police and making anti-law enforcement statements. However, Sliwa countered by highlighting Cuomo’s own record, noting that the state parole system had released 43 cop killers recently, an assertion that stirred debate on the merits of each candidate’s approach to law enforcement. The debate, thus, became a platform for not only policy discussion but also personal attacks, with each candidate seeking to establish their narrative as the one best suited to lead New York City. Despite the heated exchanges, Mamdani remains ahead in polling, reflecting the depth of the political divide in the race.