(The Center Square) — The top three candidates in New York City’s mayoral race clashed Wednesday night in a fiery second debate with early voting set to get underway this weekend.
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa launched into blistering attacks against each other on a range of issues as moderators peppered them with questions about their plans for taking over the nation’s largest city. The three men are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who opted not to seek reelection.
Mamdani went into Wednesday night’s debate with a double-digit lead in the polls and was immediately attacked by Cuomo and Sliwa over his left-wing proposals and previous statements criticizing the NYPD and Israel. Cuomo criticized Mandani for lacking political experience, but Mamdani sought to portray Cuomo as an out-of-touch politician with a checkered record in office.
“While there are three candidates on this stage, you will hear only two messages,” Mamdani said in opening remarks. “My opponents, who spend more time trying to convince the other to drop out than actually proposing their own policies, will speak only of the past, because that’s all that they know. I am the sole candidate running with a vision for the future of this city.”
Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and democratic socialist, was grilled about his support for Jewish New Yorkers after a letter, signed by 650 rabbis this week, claimed he is a threat to the city’s Jewish community. Cuomo cited the letter and accused Mamdani of “stoking the flames of hatred” against Jews.
“You’re the savior of the Jewish people? You won’t denounce globalized intifada, which means kill Jews,” Cuomo said.
Sliwa took aim at Mamdani over his previous statements “in support of global jihad on Jewish people.”
“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad. That is not something that I have said and that continues to be ascribed to me,” Mamdani responded. “And frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I’m the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”
Mamdani also went on the offensive, criticizing Cuomo over his response to sexual harassment allegations by more than a dozen women that ultimately led to him stepping down as governor in 2021. He noted that one of the Cuomo accusers was in the audience Wednesday night.
The trio also sparred over their plans for housing, public transit, law enforcement, and attracting new businesses to the city during the 90-minute-long debate, which was moderated by a panel of veteran New York reporters and live-streamed by NY1 and other news media outlets.
Wednesday’s debate marked the final stretch of a contentious race that ideological clashes, legacy politics, and allegations of political meddling by President Donald Trump have defined.
Mamdani, 34, has held a double-digit lead in public polling since he trounced Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo, 67, trails in second. Sliwa, 71, trails a third and has faced mounting pressure from Republican officials, conservative media outlets and business leaders to exit the race.
Earlier in the day, Sliwa quit his job as a radio commentator at 77 WABC in a fiery on-air exchange after its owner, Republican John Catsimatidis, and one of the station’s other hosts called on him to drop out of the race to prevent Mamdani from winning.
Unlike the previous debate, Wednesday’s clash had a live audience that made for a more raucous event with applause, laughter and even some boos erupting in response to remarks and testy exchanges between the candidates. Some hecklers even shouted at the candidates from the crowd.
Early voting begins Saturday, making Wednesday’s debate the candidates’ last major opportunity to reach undecided voters.
