Among other mayoral races across the country, New York stands out.
It depicts a young democratic socialist and political newcomer leading by a wide margin; establishment Democrat and former governor of New York; and a Republican known for fighting crime, wearing a red beret.
Most local elections don't attract national attention, says Patrick Egan, a professor of political science and public policy at New York University.
“It’s a little different,” he said, referring to “high-powered individuals.”
The race to become New York's next mayor is down to three candidates, who will take the stage for a live televised debate from Rockefeller Plaza on Thursday.
Each will hope to win over all undecided voters before the early November elections in the country's largest city.
There's Zohran Mamdani, the state legislator who shocked his party by winning the city's Democratic primary in June by nearly 13 points.
Next up is Andrew Cuomo, a moderate Democrat running as an independent who led the state as governor for 10 years before resigning over a sexual harassment scandal in 2021.
Finally, Curtis Sliwa, a Republican, remains in the race in a heavily Democratic city, having already run for mayor once, receiving 27% of the vote.
The debate will not include current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the race last month. His re-election bid was stalled by a series of scandals, including a 2024 federal bribery and fraud indictment that was later dropped when President Donald Trump took office.
Some of Mamdani's critics had hoped that Adams' withdrawal from the race would help rally support around Cuomo, but despite the small gains, recent polls show Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead.
However, according to Egan, Mamdani's victory is not certain.
Mamdani was born and raised in Uganda before moving to New York City at the age of seven. He is a pro-Palestinian democratic socialist who presents one of the most progressive platforms of any New York City mayoral candidate in recent history.
The 33-year-old's proposals include free bus service and a chain of city grocery stores. He has been endorsed by prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Mamdani worked as a housing consultant in Queens and then for the past five years represented New York's 36th District, which includes Astoria and Long Island City in Queens, in the state Assembly.
The millennial, who will become the city's first Muslim and South Asian mayor, is drawing on his roots in the diverse city. Mamdani has also harnessed the power of social media and amassed an army of young volunteers and supporters, signaling Americans' distrust of the political establishment.
“He was able to answer that skepticism by saying, ‘I am the change,’” Egan said.
His candidacy drew outrage from Trump, who called him a “communist” and threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if he were elected. Mamdani also did not receive support from New York Democratic Party leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Party leaders also have not endorsed Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the primary to Mamdani.
This is a rare similarity between the two. The son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo led the state from 2011 until his resignation in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found that he sexually harassed 11 women while in office.
A pro-Israel moderate Democrat, Cuomo passed legislation as governor supporting marriage equality, paid family leave and gun control.
The 67-year-old, who also served as New York's attorney general and secretary of Housing and Urban Development under then-President Bill Clinton, is committed to increasing affordable housing, health care and transportation, among other things.
However, Cuomo's decades of experience and prominent political name may have their drawbacks.
“He is part of the political establishment at a time when many voters want nothing to do with him,” Egan said.
Cuomo also faces a challenge from Republican Plum. Although not the front-runner, Sliwa's mere presence in the race could help determine the outcome if he wins over enough voters who are not attracted to Mamdani's more progressive policies.
The 71-year-old has often worn a red beret since his days with Guardian Angel, a civic volunteer group he founded to prevent crime in the city. A native New Yorker, Sliwa has worked as a radio host for decades and is running for mayor in 2021.
The disparate group is expected to focus on a host of issues on Thursday, including affordable housing and the city's $4bn (£3bn) government budget deficit.
The main issues may resemble those in mayoral elections in other major cities. Yet when the candidates gather to debate, New Yorkers will be faced with an unusual choice to make and three very different paths they can take for the city's future.
