The final debate in New York City’s mayoral race erupted into personal attacks Wednesday night, as frontrunner Zohran Mamdani faced assaults on his thin résumé, Republican Curtis Sliwa fought to prove his seriousness, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo confronted renewed scrutiny over the sexual harassment allegations that drove him from office.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblymember and democratic socialist, opened by accusing his rivals of being consumed by infighting. But he quickly joined the fray, sparring with Cuomo and Sliwa while trying to generate viral moments — including inviting one of Cuomo’s accusers to attend the debate.
Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, used the forum to showcase his experience in government and to argue that Mamdani was out of his depth.
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“You have never had a job. You’ve never accomplished anything,” Cuomo said, calling Mamdani unqualified to lead the nation’s largest city.
Mamdani shot back that Cuomo was “a desperate man, lashing out because he knows the one thing he cares about — power — is slipping away from him.”
Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder and talk radio host, accused both rivals of “fighting like kids in a school yard.” He joked, “Zohran, your résumé could fit on a cocktail napkin. And Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library.”
Debate turns to crime, Rikers and immigration raids
The candidates fielded questions on local issues that have been overshadowed by national debates over Israel, Trump, and foreign policy. They addressed the city’s rising crime rates, subway safety, and conditions at the Rikers Island jail complex.
Mamdani drew criticism for declining to take a position on several ballot initiatives but said he would retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a notable shift from his past criticisms of the NYPD.
All three candidates condemned this week’s immigration sweep on Canal Street that led to 14 arrests. Cuomo said the city doesn’t need federal immigration agents “to handle counterfeit handbags,” while Mamdani labeled ICE “a reckless entity that cares little for the law and even less for the people it’s supposed to serve.”
Trump looms large over debate
The specter of President Donald Trump hovered over the evening, as candidates debated who could best handle his return to power if he wins the presidency.
Cuomo said he had “held Trump at bay” during the pandemic and warned that a Mamdani victory would embolden the president. “He’s said he’ll take over New York if Mamdani wins — and he will! He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to kick him on his tuchus,” Cuomo said.
Mamdani countered by calling Cuomo “Trump’s puppet.” Sliwa argued that both men were mishandling the dynamic. “You can’t beat Trump,” he said.
Mamdani borrows from Trump’s debate tactics
In one of the night’s most charged moments, Mamdani announced that Charlotte Bennett — a former Cuomo aide who accused the ex-governor of sexual harassment — was in the audience. The move echoed Trump’s 2016 debate strategy of inviting Bill Clinton’s accusers to confront Hillary Clinton.
“What do you say to the 13 women you sexually harassed?” Mamdani asked Cuomo, referring to the women whose claims helped force his resignation. Cuomo denied wrongdoing and called Mamdani “immature.”
Several candidates opened the debate by joking that New Yorkers would rather be watching the Knicks’ season opener. Cuomo appeared at the game’s second half, photographed sitting beside incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
