Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa spar over housing, city noise and Trump

Live from New York: Mayoral debate night.

Three leading candidates for New York City mayor took the stage at Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center on Thursday night to stake their claim to lead America’s largest city.

Early voting in the race is scheduled to begin next week, and the latest poll shows Zohran Mamdani widening her 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 comes to the fore, and whoever wins will likely face some form of pressure from Washington.

The Democratic Party is also watching nationally to see whether America’s largest Democratic stronghold will elect centrist Cuomo, who is running as an independent or progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine the type of candidate and platform Democrats will choose after their stunning defeat to Trump in 2024.

Republicans will also be watching to see if candidate Curtis Sliwa continues to make progress on his public safety platform.

Here are five big takeaways from tonight’s debate:

Mamdani’s past statements about Israel and the Palestinians came up multiple times throughout the night amid criticism from moderators and opponents.

The candidate emphasized his support for the Palestinians and the state and criticized Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

He was also criticized for refusing to denounce the phrase “globalize the Intifada” when questioned by interviewers, but said he would seek to serve as a mayor for all New Yorkers, including its large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.

But Cuomo attacked Mamdani for her views, calling the New York state assemblywoman “a divisive personality in every aspect.”

Although there were three candidates in tonight’s debate, one more name was on the agenda: Donald Trump.

President Trump has hinted that he wants to send the National Guard into cities controlled by Democrats despite resistance and has moved to withhold government funding for infrastructure projects in New York City. Trump also prioritized New York City because of its mass deportation policy, and the mayor, who has little authority over federal immigration enforcement, will likely have to weigh the city’s response.

Republican Sliwa noted that the mayor should get along with Trump regardless of his political views. However, in his first reaction, Mamdani made it clear that he was against Trump and promised to “fight Trump”.

Cuomo positioned himself as the only candidate experienced enough to handle the current White House, warning that Mamdani “will be Mayor Trump” if elected.

“I fought Donald Trump,” he told voters. “I won’t stop fighting for New York.”

As big as Trump seems, the biggest policy issue with this mayoral election is affordability. New Yorkers face high costs of living on everything, especially rent and food.

In his opening remarks, Sliwa acknowledged there are “really serious affordability issues” facing the city. He called on the next mayor to vacate vacant apartments in NYCHA, New York’s public housing program, and allow people to move there.

The moderators asked each candidate directly how much they paid for rent, groceries, and whether they paid their credit card debt monthly. The candidates offered a number of proposals, including Mamdani’s plan to make buses free and Cuomo’s proposal to impose income limits on people living in rent-stabilized apartments.

He criticized Mamdani for living in a rent-fixed apartment, even though her parents are rich (her mother is film producer 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 in this city is that your rent is too high, vote for me.”

Cuomo also opposed Mamdani’s proposed rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, saying it would only delay future increases, drive building owners into bankruptcy and fail New Yorkers who don’t live in rent-stabilized apartments.

Cuomo touted his decades of experience in office, rising from federal housing secretary to governor of New York during President Bill Clinton’s administration.

But his campaign was marred by controversy while he was governor, and Cuomo came prepared for a fight.

He resigned from the governorship in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general’s office found that he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologized for acting “in a way that made people uncomfortable” but denied the allegations.

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 lacking integrity.

Cuomo said allegations of harm to seniors in nursing homes were “completely false.”

“Everyone in this state during Covid did the best they could, and there were multiple investigations that they went through and they said we were following federal guidance,” Cuomo said. “But yes, people have died during Covid. And my heart breaks for everyone who has died, who has been broken in this state and in this country.”

Sliwa also attacked Cuomo for “lawsuits filed against you for sexual harassment.” The former governor refuted that claim, saying the lawsuit filed by New York attorney general Letitia James, who is investigating allegations of abuse of power, was “political.”

Sliwa remained the only Republican on stage.

The voting bloc may be in the minority in New York City, but the 2024 presidential election has revealed that residents prioritize public safety issues, something Sliwa has repeatedly said. As the founder of Guardian Angels, a New York City organization dedicated to crime prevention, he seized the opportunity to connect with voters.

Longtime New York media and political figures also knew how to make their voices heard. He frequently interrupted, telling moderators he wanted to talk and elbowing his way into the most heated moments of discussion. He delivered strikes in equal measure to both opponents from the center of the stage.

He felt confident after the debate, saying his night had gone “extraordinarily well” and likening his opponents to “two kids in the schoolyard”.