Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa clash in final New York City mayoral debate

The final New York City mayoral debate on Wednesday night was less a policy discussion than a political slugfest, a blistering, high-stakes showdown that pitted three very different visions of the city against one another.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa met at LaGuardia Community College for the last debate before early voting begins. What followed was a two-hour collision of personal history, identity politics, and moral posturing that left no topic untouched, from sexual harassment and antisemitism to immigration raids and ideological radicalism.

Mamdani used the opportunity to revisit the allegations that drove Cuomo from office in 2021. “In 2021, thirteen women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment,” Mamdani said, staring across the stage. “You spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as political.”

Mamdani noted that one of Cuomo’s accusers, Charlotte Bennett, was in the audience, and condemned Cuomo’s legal team for attempting to access her private medical records. “What do you say to the thirteen women you sexually harassed?” he demanded.

Cuomo bristled and countered that the accusations were “politically orchestrated,” reminding the audience that prosecutors ultimately declined to file criminal charges. “Those cases were dropped,” he said flatly. “This is politics, not justice.”

Sliwa, said to the former governor about his resignation, “Andrew, you didn’t ‘leave,’ you fled. You fled from being impeached by your own party.” The remark drew one of the evening’s loudest rounds of applause.

Cuomo turned to Mamdani and branded his opponent a “divisive force” and “a radical without real-world experience.”

“My main opponent has no new ideas. He’s never managed anything, never run anything, never had a real job,” Cuomo said. “He’s proven to be a divisive force in New York — with the Jewish community, with Italian-Americans, with Muslims, with Hindus.”

He then launched into a point-by-point indictment of Mamdani’s controversies: a photograph taken with Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s hardline deputy prime minister known for promoting anti-LGBTQ laws; an old image of Mamdani flipping off a Christopher Columbus statue; and social media posts where Mamdani described the NYPD as “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.”

“How do you not renounce your citizenship or demand sanctions against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay?” Cuomo asked sharply. “Isn’t that a basic violation of human rights?”

Mamdani responded that his politics are rooted in “a belief in human rights for all people, including LGBTQ+ individuals,” and said that he was unaware of Kadaga’s record when the photo was taken. “This constant attempt to smear and slander me is meant to distract from the fact that, unlike myself, you don’t actually have a platform or policies,” he shot back.

The topic of antisemitism was also brought up against Mamdani. Earlier this week, over 650 rabbis nationwide, including leaders from New York’s largest synagogues, signed an open letter condemning the Democratic nominee for what they called “anti-Israel incitement.”

Cuomo seized on that letter during the debate, accusing Mamdani of refusing to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a slogan calling for violence against Jews. “You won’t denounce it. You know what it means: ‘Kill Jews,’” Cuomo said. “There’s unprecedented fear in New York.”

Mamdani pushed back saying, “I’ve heard from Jewish New Yorkers about their fears, and they deserve a leader who takes antisemitism seriously, not one who weaponizes it to score points on a debate stage.” He reiterated that he would “discourage” use of the slogan, while denying it implied violence.

Sliwa accused Mamdani of “fanning the flames of antisemitism" as well. “Jewish New Yorkers are frightened,” Sliwa added. “They view you as the arsonist.”

Mamdani dismissed the attacks as rooted in prejudice: “Much of this has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate on the verge of winning this election.”

Moderators Errol Louis, Brian Lehrer, and Katie Honan opened the evening with a question about Tuesday’s federal immigration raid in Manhattan’s Chinatown, where ICE agents arrested nine illegal immigrants from West Africa. Surprisingly, all three candidates agreed that the Trump administration overstepped its bounds.

“You don’t send ICE in without coordinating with our police,” Cuomo said, calling the raid “dangerous.” Sliwa agreed, saying enforcement should remain under NYPD jurisdiction. Mamdani went further, labeling ICE “a reckless entity that cares little for the law” and calling for an end to the city’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Despite the barrage of attacks, Mamdani enters the final stretch as the clear front-runner. A Fox News poll conducted October 10–14 shows him leading among registered voters with 49 percent support, compared to 28 percent for Cuomo and 13 percent for Sliwa.

Critics have said that Mamdani is considered to be too radical for New York’s political mainstream. Since the primary, Mamdani has attempted to moderate his tone, publicly apologizing for past anti-police comments and confirming Wednesday night that, if elected, he would retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a move aimed at reassuring moderates. “My administration will be relentless in pursuing safety and affordability for every New Yorker,” he said.

Early voting begins in The Big Apple on Saturday.