Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo entered Thursday evening’s first New York mayoral debate trying to blunt Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani’s momentum. Instead he spent much of the contentious face-off on defense, batting away criticisms over his long tenure in office from Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
TL;DR
- Zohran Mamdani faced criticism from Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa during the mayoral debate.
- Cuomo attacked Mamdani's qualifications and platform, while Mamdani criticized Cuomo's pandemic handling and integrity.
- Mamdani addressed past controversial remarks regarding Israel and the NYPD, apologizing for his language.
- President Donald Trump was a frequent topic, with candidates discussing how they would confront or collaborate with him.
Cuomo, who is now campaigning as an independent, persisted in attempting to portray Mamdani's platform as excessively radical, asserting that Mamdani lacks the necessary qualifications to govern America's largest metropolis. Mamdani, identifying as a democratic socialist, responded by criticizing the former governor's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing sexual harassment accusations that Cuomo refutes.
But after two hours that touched on how the next mayor would deal with President Donald Trump, quality of life issues and affordability, it was unclear whether anyone did enough to move the needle.
For Cuomo the stakes of the face-off were especially high. The debate was one of his last chances to try to convince voters that going with Mamdani, who already defeated the once-powerful governor in the primary this summer, would be a mistake. The race is also Cuomo’s attempt at a political comeback after he resigned four years ago following the sexual harassment allegations.
Throughout the debate, Mamdani frequently smiled, aiming to project the optimistic and engaging image that has defined his campaign. He emphasized his platform for affordability and positioned himself as a practical liberal, distinguishing himself from a radical ideologue.
His victory has propelled him to national political fame, leading Republicans, including Trump, to attempt to portray him as the embodiment of the Democratic Party by emphasizing his most contentious past remarks and stances, and labeling him as a threat, a communist, and an antisemite.
Meanwhile Sliwa, a Republican and the colorful creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, tried to vault his underdog campaign to the fore amid calls for him to drop out. Though he could have helped Cuomo by ganging up on Mamdani, he instead spent much of his time undercutting the former governor.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, suspended his reelection campaign late last month after being deeply wounded by a now-dismissed federal corruption case and his relationship with the Trump administration.
Here are some key takeaways from tonight’s debate:
Mamdani on defense
Mamdani came under attack straight out the gate, as Cuomo highlighted the 33-year-old’s relative lack of job experience and painted his agenda as unrealistic and unachievable.
Cuomo, stressing his own lengthy resume, said being mayor “is no job for on-the-job training”
“This is not a job for a first timer,” he said, while trying to to cast Mamdani as “Bill de Blasio light,” a reference to the unpopular former mayor.
Mamdani criticized Cuomo's integrity and decision-making during the pandemic, frequently bringing up the sexual harassment investigation and the legal expenses associated with his defense.
“What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity. What you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for with experience,” he charged.
Cuomo also tried to portray himself as the sole genuine Democrat present, even though he isn't campaigning under the Democratic Party's banner.
Mamdani's economic populist approach and strong emphasis on reducing expenses in the prohibitively costly city have sparked considerable interest. Simultaneously, the state assemblyman's proposals for increased taxation on affluent individuals and sharp condemnations of Israel's military operations in Gaza have caused unease among some moderates and conservatives, along with a significant number of Jewish residents in New York.
Mamdani pressed on past Israel comments
This week, during an appearance on Fox News Channel, Mamdani avoided addressing whether Hamas ought to disarm as part of a delicate ceasefire that has halted the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On Thursday, he was direct, stating, “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms.”
The comment came as Cuomo again highlighted Mamdani’s past reluctance to condemn the use of the phrase “Globalize the intifada,” which is seen by many Jews as a call to violence.
Since the primary Mamdani has said he does not use the phrase and would discourage people from saying it.
Sliwa stated that this was insufficient. “Jews don’t trust that you are going to be there for them when they are the victims of antisemitic attacks,” he alleged.
Mamdani, on the other hand, charged Cuomo with neglecting the city’s Muslim population, asserting that Cuomo only visited a mosque after being defeated by a Muslim contender.
“It took me to get you to even see Muslims as part of this city,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani's retraction follows his efforts to disassociate himself from a number of his more controversial prior remarks, including his characterization of the New York Police Department as “racist” and “a major threat to public safety.”
During his Fox appearance, he publicly apologized for his language after doing so behind closed doors.
“I am not running to defund the police. I am running to actually work with the police to deliver public safety,” he said Thursday.
Trump front and center
The president, who has threatened to arrest Mamdani, to deport him and even to take over the city if he wins, was invoked early and often.
When questioned about their approach to Trump, Mamdani, who marched to the debate location at 30 Rockefeller Plaza from Trump Tower with a brass band, stated he would confront the president but also expressed readiness to collaborate on reducing expenses and improving affordability.
“What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver,” he said.
Cuomo warned that if Mamdani wins, “It will be Mayor Trump.”
“I’d like to work with you. I think we could do good things together. But No. 1, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York,” Cuomo pledged.
Sliwa warned that taking too contentious a tone with Trump would end up hurting the city.
“If you try to get tough with Trump,” he said, “New Yorkers will suffer.”
Sliwa tries to stand out
The underdog found himself caught in the middle — literally and figuratively — with the Republican’s lectern positioned between his two opponents as they lobbed attacks at one another.
At one point Sliwa complained that he was not getting enough speaking time, saying, “I am being marginalized out of this.”
However, he frequently targeted Cuomo with strong criticism, even after the ex-governor emphasized his readiness to confront Trump.
“The president is going to back down to you?” Sliwa said. “You think you’re the toughest guy alive, but let me tell you something, you lost your own primary, rejected by your own Democratic Party.”
A second and final debate is scheduled for next week.