In a heated mayoral debate held on Wednesday evening, Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, and Curtis Sliwa presented their contrasting visions for New York City. The debate put center stage Cuomo’s own bid to make a political comeback after resigning in disgrace as governor in 2021 amid credible sexual harassment allegations. By contrast, Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, focused his campaign on affordability and social equity. Sliwa, the Republican nominee and founder of the Guardian Angels, repeatedly urged more aggressive law enforcement.
Cuomo, looking to reset his own political standing, kicked off the debate by touting his efforts to increase public safety. To address rising crime, he made a campaign pledge to hire 5,000 new police officers, with 1,500 dedicated to subway patrols. He underscored the importance of a rigorous management culture, especially in top leadership positions. “If you look at the failed mayors, they’re ones that have no management experience,” he asserted, criticizing his opponents’ qualifications.
Using Cuomo’s own background against him Mamdani rebutted Cuomo’s experience on the attack, making the case that integrity trumps experience. “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience,” he stated. He further grounded this approach by sharing his own experiences living as a young man in New York City. “I am someone who has actually paid rent in the city,” he said. This personal touch struck a chord with voters who are tired of feeling ignored and unheard by career politicians.
The entire debate set the stage for Mamdani’s campaign emphasis on affordability. In exchange he promised to raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers and freeze rent hikes on the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. His housing plan prioritizes production of more affordable housing units. It calls for creating a community safety department that dispatches specialized mental health teams to the right 911 calls. “If it means delivering on lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers,” he said, outlining his vision for the city.
Sliwa’s approach differed significantly from both candidates. Among other things, we would see 7,000 more officers hired and qualified immunity for police officers re-established. For Sliwa, the answer rests in bringing back an effective form of policing that he believes is essential for keeping the city safe. “You can be tough, but you can’t be tough if it’s going to cost people desperately needed federal funds,” he warned of potential consequences associated with aggressive policing tactics.
Throughout the debate, Mamdani and Cuomo sparred repeatedly on public transportation projects. Mamdani called for a region-wide “fast and free” bus network to address accessibility issues across the county and cut down on transportation costs for residents. Cuomo shot down the notion as unrealistic. He claimed that it would rely on subsidies from rich bus commuters and might turn buses into “mobile homeless shelters.”
Mamdani’s concern for social justice also bubbled up in the wider campaign. He has been a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights and he’s been highly critical of the Israeli government in the past. When challenged on what he would do about ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts, he stuck to his guns and returned to his message of fighting for peace. “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” he stated.
The candidates’ differing views on community engagement were evident in their responses to questions about inclusivity and representation in city governance. In stepping out of their respective silos, Mamdani stressed the importance of keeping New York City’s diverse communities united. “What I’m looking to do as the first Muslim mayor of this city is to ensure that we bring every New Yorker together – Jewish New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, every single person that calls the city home,” he articulated.
Cuomo tried repeatedly to make Mamdani’s inexperience the centerpiece liability of the debate. He noted, “What the assemblyman said is he has no experience,” suggesting that this could hinder Mamdani’s ability to govern effectively.
That debate may have given voters their first look at the candidates’ starkly different priorities, as they head into an intensely competitive Election Day. By centering affordability, Mamdani raises it to a higher standard. At the same time, Cuomo and Sliwa both lean into making public safety central to their messages, appealing to opposite sides of the electorate.