NYC mayor candidates hold final debate before early voting starts Saturday

New York Mayoral hopefuls were relentless in their criticism of their opponents as they made their final pitch to voters Wednesday night in the final debate before early voting begins this Saturday.

Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate and former governor. Andrew Cuomoand Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa traded barbs again on the debate stage, meeting for the second time in less than a week.

Wednesday's debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City came after billionaires called on Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral race this week to consolidate support for Cuomo against Mamdani, and more than 650 rabbis across the country, including from New York's largest synagogues, signed an open letter condemning Mamdani for what they called anti-Israel rhetoric.

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Both issues were on full display Wednesday night as moderators pressed Sliwa to stay in the race and Mamdani answered questions about his support for Israel.

When asked whether Mamdani regretted his “long-standing” anti-Israel views, the Democratic socialist reiterated his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers.

“You will not condemn the “globalization of the intifada,” which means “kill Jews.” There is unprecedented fear in New York City. It wasn't just a few rabbis. The letter was signed by 650 rabbis, not just a few,” Cuomo said. Although Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalization of the intifada” during the primaries, he subsequently said he would “dissuade” others from using the slogan.

“I heard from Jewish New Yorkers about their concerns about anti-Semitism in this city and that they deserve a leader who takes it seriously, who eradicates it in these five boroughs, not one who uses it as a weapon to score political points on the debate stage,” Mamdani responded in a fiery moment on the debate stage.

Sliwa also chimed in, telling Mamdani that Jewish New Yorkers were “scared” and “scared.”

“They view you as an arsonist, fanning the flames of anti-Semitism,” Sliwa said, accusing him of supporting “global jihad.” New York State Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had to be released apology earlier this year for “mischaracterizing Mamdani's record” when she made the same conclusion.

“I have never, not once, spoken out in support of global jihad,” Mamdani said. “This is not what I said and it continues to be attributed to me. And frankly, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm the first Muslim candidate to be on the verge of winning this election.”

The final New York City mayoral debate was moderated by Spectrum News NY1 political anchor Errol Louis, WNYC's Brian Lehrer and THE CITY's Katie Honan.

First question asked of candidates during Wednesday's debate focused on federal raid Nine West African migrants who were in the United States illegally were arrested Tuesday in New York City's Chinatown area, according to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

All three candidates agreed that the Trump administration overstepped its jurisdiction on Tuesday. Cuomo called the raid “dangerous.”

“You will not send ICE without coordinating with our police,” Cuomo said, arguing that he would have called the president personally. Donald Trump if he were mayor, to tell him that the administration “went beyond what was permitted.” Sliwa agreed that the matter should have been left to the discretion of the NYPD.

Mamdani went further in his criticism, calling ICE “a reckless organization that cares little about the law and even less about the people they are supposed to serve” and called for “an end to the chapter of cooperation between City Hall and the federal government that we saw under” Mayor Eric Adams, who is no longer seeking re-election and has built a reputation for his willingness to cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration reform.

At one point, the candidates were allowed to ask a question of their opponents, causing a tense moment between Cuomo and Mamdani. Cuomo questioned how Mamdani could pose for a photo with anti-LGBTQ advocate. Mamdani said that if he had known, he would not have agreed to be photographed.

Mamdani clapped back and asked Cuomo, “What do you say to the 13 women you sexually harassed?” Cuomo continued to deny the allegations and said the cases were dropped.

latest Fox News pollheld Oct. 10-14, ahead of last week's first general debate, showed Mamdani with a significant lead in the New York City mayoral race as voters view him as the best candidate to address the city's top problems.

According to the survey, Mamdani leads among New York of registered voters: 49% of voters support Mamdani, 28% support Cuomo and 13% support Sliwa. Mamdani also exceeded the 50% threshold among likely voters, receiving 52% support, while Cuomo received 28% and Sliwa received only 14%.

But as Mamdani, always a social media-savvy candidate, warned his followers on Wednesday, it was Cuomo who was the favorite to win the nomination just weeks before the Democratic primary. By enlisting the support of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and backing each other to unseat Cuomo through ranked-choice voting, Mamdani sparked a political upheaval that has since catapulted him onto the national stage.

After winning the primaries, Trump called Mamdani “100% communist crazy” and “my little communist.” Mamdani rejected the nickname, saying he was a democratic socialist.

Still, the odd-year election has captured the attention of a national audience at a time when Democrats are still grappling with last year's devastating losses. And with Trump back in the White House, Democrats across the country are looking to capitalize on growing discontent over Trump's ambitious second-term agenda.

Less than two hours before the candidates took the stage Wednesday, The New York Times reported this. that Mamdani intends to retain New York City Police Commissioner (NYPD) Jessica Tisch as his police commissioner if he is elected in November, citing two senior campaign aides and two other sources who have been briefed on the plans.

“I can confirm this information,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “My administration will relentlessly strive to ensure safety and accessibility for every New Yorker, and to achieve this goal we will need to assemble a team of the best and the brightest.”

Mamdani applauded Tisch for taking on “the broken charter of the status quo to ensure accountability, root out corruption and reduce crime in all five boroughs.” Cuomo and Sliwa also confirmed they would keep her as commissioner if elected.

The Democratic candidate faced a barrage of criticism during his campaign trial for his past comments, including calling the NYPD “racist, anti-queer and a serious threat to public safety” in 2020. among other insults. Mamdani made a public apology to the NYPD during an interview with Fox News last week.

Ahead of competitive midterm elections expected next year, Republicans have already seized on Mamdani's progressive policies, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considering a run for governor. A recent statement from her campaign said: “Katie Hochul literally approved full-blown jihadist counter-terrorism mayor of New York City.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul, a New York Democrat, endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withdrawing her support. Fellow New York Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer they have yet to unite behind the Democratic nominee for New York mayor, although Jeffries said this week that a decision is imminent.

This week, Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman called on Sliwa to drop out of the race, arguing that a vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. The New York Post editors even joined calls for Plum withdraw from the race, but the Republican candidate says he remains in the race.

Fox News' Cyril Clark contributed to this report.