Live from New York: Mayoral Debate Night.
Three leading candidates for New York mayor took the stage at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan on Thursday night to make a pitch for leadership of America's largest city.
Early voting in the race is set to begin next week, and the latest polls show Zoran Mamdani increasing his lead to 46 percent, with Andrew Cuomo at 33 percent.
The outcome of the race could have political ramifications beyond the Empire State, as President Donald Trump looms large and whoever wins will likely face some form of pressure from Washington.
The Democratic Party nationally is also likely watching whether America's largest establishment Democratic stronghold will choose the centrist Cuomo, running as an independent, or the progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine which candidate and platform Democrats choose after their stunning defeat to Trump in 2024.
Republicans will also be watching to see whether their candidate Curtis Sliwa continues to make inroads into his public safety platform.
Here are five important takeaways from today's debate.
Mamdani declared his support for the Palestinians
Mamdani's past statements about Israel and the Palestinians came up several times throughout the night in moderator questions and criticism from opponents.
The candidate emphasized his support for Palestinians and statehood and criticized Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.
He was also criticized for refusing to condemn the phrase “globalizing the intifada” when asked by interviewers, but he said he would strive to be a mayor for all New Yorkers, including its large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.
Cuomo, however, criticized Mamdani for his views, calling the New York state legislator “divisive on all fronts.”
Fourth man: Donald Trump
While there were three candidates at today's debate, one more name kept popping up: Donald Trump.
President Trump has signaled he wants to send the National Guard into Democratic-controlled cities despite opposition and has decided to withhold government funding for infrastructure projects in New York. Trump has also prioritized New York in his mass deportation policy, and the mayor, who has little power over federal immigration authorities, will likely have to weigh the city's response.
Sliwa, a Republican, noted that the mayor will have to get along with Trump regardless of his political views. But Mamdani expressed his opposition to Trump from the very first answer, promising to “challenge Trump.”
Cuomo has positioned himself as the only candidate experienced enough to deal with the current White House, warning that “it will be Mayor Trump” if Mamdani is elected.
“I fought Donald Trump,” he told voters. “When I fight for New York, I'm not going to stop.”
Accessibility in the spotlight
As big as Trump is, the biggest political issue surrounding this mayoral election is affordability. New Yorkers face high living costs on everything, especially rent and groceries.
In his opening remarks, Sliwa acknowledged the “really serious accessibility challenges” facing the city. He called on the next mayor to vacate empty NYCHA apartments, New York City's public housing program, and let people move in.
Moderators asked each candidate directly how much they paid for rent, groceries, and whether they were paying off their credit card debt each month. The candidates put forward a number of proposals, including Mamdani's plan to make buses free and Cuomo's proposal to set income limits for people living in rent-stabilized apartments.
He criticized Mamdani for living in a rent-stabilized apartment even though his parents are rich (his mother is film director Mira Nair).
“If you think the problem in this city is that my rent is too low, vote for him,” Mamdani said. “If you know the problem with this city is that your rent is too high, vote for me.”
Cuomo also opposed Mamdani's proposed rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments, saying it would only delay future increases, force building owners into bankruptcy and let down New Yorkers who don't live in rent-stabilized apartments.
Cuomo controversy still lingers
Cuomo spoke about his many years in office, rising from Housing Secretary under President Bill Clinton to Governor of New York.
But his controversies as governor affected his re-election campaign, and Cuomo prepared for a fight.
He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found that he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologized for actions “that made people feel uncomfortable” but denied the accusations.
New York's attorney general also investigated his administration for undercounting nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding that it undercounted the actual number of deaths.
Mamdani attacked Cuomo on these issues, accusing him of “sending elderly people to die in nursing homes” and accusing him of lacking integrity.
Cuomo said allegations of harm to elderly people in nursing homes were “totally false.”
“During Covid, everyone in this state did the best they could and there were multiple investigations that they went through and they said we followed federal guidelines,” Cuomo said. “But yes, people have died during Covid. And my heart breaks for all the broken people who have died in this state and across this country.”
Sliwa also criticized Cuomo for “the lawsuits filed against him for sexual harassment.” The former governor denied that the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was investigating allegations of misconduct, was “politically motivated.”
Curtis Sliwa makes his mark
Sliwa remained the only Republican on stage.
His voting bloc may be in the minority in New York, but the 2024 presidential election showed residents are prioritizing public safety issues, something Sliwa has repeatedly pushed for. As the founder of the New York City crime prevention organization Guardian Angels, he took the opportunity to connect with voters.
The longtime New York media and political figure also knew how to make himself heard. He frequently intervened, telling moderators that he wanted to speak, and elbowed his way into the most heated moments of the debate. From the center of the stage, he struck both opponents equally.
He felt confident after the debate, saying his evening had gone “extremely well” and likening his opponents to “two kids in a schoolyard.”
