New York City’s three mayoral candidates engaged in a fiery and often chaotic debate on Wednesday night their final televised showdown before voters head to the polls on 4 November.
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa traded sharp attacks throughout the evening, while current mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out weeks earlier, was once again absent from the stage.
Mamdani began by accusing both opponents of spending more time urging each other to quit the race than offering solutions for New York Mayoral Debate. Cuomo’s camp has pushed Sliwa to drop out to unite anti-Mamdani voters, though it’s unclear how many conservatives would back the former governor. Cuomo dismissed Mamdani’s platform as recycled “Bill de Blasio ideas,” prompting Mamdani to fire back: “I have plans for the future my opponents only have fear.”
Immigration, Homelessness, and Housing Take Center Stage
The New York Mayoral Debate opened with questions about ICE raids. Cuomo said federal immigration agents should not target “quality-of-life” offenses such as street vending, calling those a matter for local police. He added that, as mayor, he would have personally called Donald Trump to curb ICE’s actions.
Sliwa countered that he would “negotiate with Trump to get the best deal possible,” while Mamdani accused Cuomo of being “Donald Trump’s puppet.”
The candidates then clashed over which of them Trump supposedly supports. Cuomo alleged that Trump “wants Mamdani elected so he can take over the city,” calling the progressive Democrat “Trump’s dream.”
When the topic shifted to the city’s 150,000 homeless students, Mamdani promised to expand support programs for families in shelters, while Cuomo claimed without clarification that homelessness had “more than doubled” since he left office. Sliwa quickly shot back, “You didn’t leave you fled from being impeached,” earning loud applause.
On housing, Mamdani vowed to “freeze the rent” while also assisting landlords. Cuomo argued that rent hikes were necessary and said Mamdani lacked authority to freeze rents because the rent guidelines board controls those decisions.
If you want a mayor who tells you everything he can’t do,” Mamdani retorted, “then Andrew Cuomo is your choice.
New York Mayoral Debate
Midway through the New York Mayoral Debate, discussion turned heated over Mamdani’s relationship with Jewish communities. Cuomo referenced a letter signed by 650 rabbis accusing Mamdani of endangering Jewish safety and dignity, while Sliwa went further, alleging that Mamdani supports “global jihad.”
Mamdani firmly denied the claims.
I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” he said. “These attacks exist because I’m the first Muslim candidate on the verge of leading this city.
Sharp Exchanges and Personal Attacks
As the New York Mayoral Debate progressed, tensions flared between Mamdani and Cuomo. When asked about his educational policy, Mamdani focused on improving literacy and school funding but offered few specifics. Cuomo criticized him for being vague, prompting Mamdani to counter by accusing the former governor of failing to deliver on housing during his tenure.
The governor doesn’t build housing,” Cuomo replied.
Not if it’s you!” Mamdani shot back, as the two spoke over each other in a loud, fast-paced exchange.
Cuomo attacked Mamdani’s inexperience, while Mamdani accused Cuomo of failing to lead during crises.
You don’t know how to run a government, and you don’t know how to handle an emergency,” Cuomo said in one of the night’s sharpest moments.
All three contenders agreed to retain Jessica Tisch as police commissioner if elected. But as the New York Mayoral Debate ended, one thing was clear the race for New York City mayor remains deeply divided, with personal attacks and ideological rifts dominating the final days before election day.
