Additional Coverage:
NYC Mayoral Hopefuls Go Head-to-Head in Fiery Final Debate
NEW YORK, NY – With just weeks left until New Yorkers head to the polls, the city’s mayoral candidates pulled no punches at their final debate on Wednesday night. Socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, independent former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa engaged in a no-holds-barred slugfest, trading personal attacks and highlighting each other’s most contentious issues.
Here’s a breakdown of the top moments from a truly wild night:
The Trump Card: Experience vs. Puppetry
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned from his post in 2021 amidst controversy, immediately targeted Mamdani’s perceived lack of leadership experience. Cuomo predicted that if elected, Mamdani would be no match for former President Donald Trump.
“[Trump] has said he’ll take over New York if he wins, and he will, because he has no respect for him. He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to knock him on his tuchas,” Cuomo asserted.
Mamdani wasted no time in firing back, labeling Cuomo as “Donald Trump’s puppet himself.” He claimed Trump favored Cuomo for mayor “not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him.”
Sliwa’s Sharp Shoots and Cuomo’s Scathing Critiques
Despite being considered a dark horse in the race, Republican Curtis Sliwa landed some of the evening’s most impactful blows. He directly addressed Cuomo’s controversial departure from the governorship, stating, “Andrew, you didn’t leave.
You fled from being impeached by the Democrats in the state legislature. You fled!”
Cuomo, meanwhile, largely focused his attacks on Mamdani. He challenged the 34-year-old socialist New York assembly member’s understanding of governance and emergency management.
“You don’t know how to run a government, you don’t know how to handle an emergency, and you’ve literally never proposed the bill on anything that you’re not talking about in your campaign,” Cuomo declared, adding, “You had the worst attendance record in the assembly, and you gave yourself the highest raise in the United States of America. Shame on you!
Shame on you!”
A grinning Mamdani retorted, “It is always a pleasure to hear Andrew Cuomo create his own facts at every debate stage.” He then turned the tables, pointing out, “We just had a former governor say in his own words that the city has been getting screwed by the state.
Who was leading the state? It was you!
You were leading the state for 10 years, screwing the city!” Cuomo quickly denied the accusation, attributing the issues to the last four years under current Democratic Gov.
Kathy Hochul.
The Great Housing Initiative Dodge and the “TikTok Dance”
Chaos erupted when Mamdani attempted to sidestep a question about his stance on upcoming housing ballot initiatives. Both Cuomo and Sliwa, along with the moderators, relentlessly pressed him for an answer.
“What is your opinion, Zohran? Come on!”
Sliwa shouted, while Cuomo chimed in with a persistent “Yes or no?!” Cuomo even mocked Mamdani with a rocking motion, declaring, “It’s a TikTok dance,” creating what many are calling the most meme-worthy moment of the night.
Despite the pressure, Mamdani continued to deflect, stating, “I think on this stage you can see two people appealing for the Republican Party votes and myself speaking directly to New York City.” After further prodding from both candidates and moderators, Mamdani finally conceded, “I have not yet taken a position on those ballot initiatives,” eliciting groans and protests from Cuomo and Sliwa.
“What a shocker!” Cuomo quipped.
“Don’t worry, once he takes it, he’ll change it anyway.”
Mamdani’s Controversial Stance on Israel and Sliwa’s Personal Plea
Moderators and candidates also grilled Mamdani on his controversial positions regarding Israel and the growing fears within New York’s Jewish community. Sliwa, citing his two sons who were raised Jewish, made a personal appeal.
“Let me speak on behalf of my two sons when they’ve heard some of the statements you’ve made, like in support of global jihad, and I hear some people out there saying, ‘the Jews that time is due,’ which means the same thing. They’re frightened; they’re scared.
They view you as the arsonist who fanned the flames of antisemitism,” Sliwa stated. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, a lot of apologizing to do.”
Mamdani pushed back against the accusations, saying, “I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad. That is not something that I have said, and that continues to be ascribed to me.
And frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.” He added, “All the same, Curtis, I do still want to be the mayor that will keep your sons safe, that will keep every single New Yorker safe.”
Uganda, Sexual Harassment, and the “Experience” Debate
In a segment allowing candidates to question each other, Cuomo and Mamdani predictably dove into their respective scandals. Cuomo criticized Mamdani, an immigrant from Uganda, for being a “toxic” force in the city and for not advocating for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Uganda due to its anti-homosexuality laws.
“You take a picture with Rebecca Kadaga, deputy prime minister of Uganda… She’s known as Rebecca ‘gay-killer’ Kadaga,” Cuomo stated, asking, “How do you not renounce your citizenship, or demand BDS against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay just by their sexual orientation, is that not a basic violation against human rights?” Mamdani responded that he “would not have taken that photo” had he known of her involvement in the legislation.
Mamdani then turned his focus to the 13 sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo during his governorship. Cuomo dismissed the claims, stating, “The cases were dropped,” and pressed Mamdani further on his stance on BDS against Israel versus his lack of action against Uganda.
Mamdani also tried to flip the “experience” argument on Cuomo. “The issue is that we have all experienced your experience,” he quipped, listing controversies such as Cuomo’s $5 million book deal during the pandemic, cuts to MTA funding, and tax breaks for Elon Musk. “The issue is your experience,” Mamdani concluded.
Cuomo, unwavering, simply retorted, “The issue is you have no experience. You’ve accomplished nothing.”
With the election looming, New Yorkers are left to ponder these fiery exchanges as they consider who will lead their city next.