New York City mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani (D), Curtis Sliwa (R) and Andrew Cuomo (I) are set to face off in the first of two general election debates on Thursday in the race to succeed New York City Mayor Eric Adams — the first time all three are convening after the mayor exited the race.
Mamdani, Sliwa and Cuomo will participate in a debate hosted by NBC 4 New York/WNBC, Telemundo 47/WNJU and Politico starting at 7 p.m. EDT. A second debate is scheduled for Wednesday.
Adams announced in late September that he would be forgoing reelection, consolidating the field largely into a three-person race. The New York City mayor has yet to endorse Cuomo, though recent polling has suggested the former New York governor enjoyed a small bump from Adams’s exit.
But Mamdani is still comfortably leading Cuomo in the polls, meaning the last two debates will offer Cuomo some of his last chances at finding momentum in the race before November.
Here are five things to watch ahead of the first New York City mayoral general election debate:
Can Cuomo rally Adams’s voting bloc?
One priority for Cuomo during Thursday’s debate will be convincing Adams’s supporters to get behind his campaign, painting himself as the more viable alternative in the race.
The Decision Desk HQ polling average of surveys on the New York City mayoral race, as of Sept. 28, the day Adams dropped out, showed Mamdani at 45 percent support and Cuomo at 27 percent. As of Oct. 7, the polling average showed Mamdani at 46 percent support and Cuomo at 31 percent.
That later Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Sliwa with roughly 13 percent support — another target for Cuomo in order to close the gap against Mamdani.
An Adams endorsement would help Cuomo, who’s said he would welcome it. CBS News New York reported this week that Adams is mulling backing the former New York governor, clearly ruling out Mamdani.
Yet, Republicans have been divided over whom to endorse. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) endorsed Sliwa, who’s a friend, saying in a post on the social platform X earlier this month, “Curtis is a New Yorker’s New Yorker with more experience fighting crime and caring for the vulnerable than all the other candidates combined.”
Meanwhile, several former top aides to Giuliani told the New York Post they were getting behind Cuomo.
Does Mamdani try to ease worries of some constituents?
Over the course of his campaign, Mamdani’s been scrutinized over his being a democratic socialist, his views on the “globalize the intifada” phrase and Israel, and his positions on issues like freezing rent and a flat 2 percent tax on the city’s wealthiest people.
He’s taken steps to assuage some of those concerns. He’s said that he won’t use the phrase “globalize the intifada” and will discourage its use among others after drawing criticism for not condemning its use. Mamdani has not used the phrase himself. Pro-Israel activists say it risks inciting violence against Zionists and Jews, while pro-Palestinian activists equate it largely with Palestinian liberation.
News outlets have also noted he’s met with leaders of the business community as he’s looked to expand his coalition. Some of his skeptics, such as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, have started to signal an openness toward Mamdani, despite their differences.
At the same time, some of the state’s most powerful leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D), have refused to back him.
Though Mamdani is already making headway in changing minds, the debate will offer another platform for the New York State Assembly member to court holdouts in the race.
Which topics are likely to dominate?
One topic that’s likely to dominate the discussion will be the candidates’ views around the Israel-Gaza conflict, including President Trump’s negotiated peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
Cuomo has previously attacked Mamdani over not condemning the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his views on Israel. Cuomo has suggested Mamdani wouldn’t be able to stand up to Trump. Meanwhile, Mamdani has noted that Cuomo shares a similar donor base with Trump, arguing the former New York governor wouldn’t be able to stand up to the president.
Though the two have criticized Trump, the peace deal offered a rare point of unity for the candidates, who praised the international breakthrough, though neither Cuomo nor Mamdani in their statements mentioned the president. Cuomo, however, did use the opportunity to attack Mamdani over not immediately responding to the news of the hostage release.
The indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) over mortgage fraud allegations might be another topic worth watching for. James, a prominent Trump critic who’s taken him and the Trump Organization to court, was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month, facing charges of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution.
James has endorsed Mamdani. Cuomo left the governor’s mansion after James’s office issued a report in 2021 alleging sexual harassment by the then-governor. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
Mamdani issued a statement on X following James’s video responding to the indictment, offering his support while rebuking the president.
Yet the dynamic put Cuomo in an awkward position. He initially released a statement on X that did not mention James, saying, “When the law is weaponized or manipulated to advance political agendas, it erodes public trust and weakens the very foundation of justice.”
“Whether it comes from the right or the left, from prosecutors or politicians, the politicization of law enforcement is dangerous and corrosive,” he added.
Cuomo later put out another statement after his initial one was criticized for being vague and not mentioning the New York attorney general.
“I know firsthand as the White House weaponized the DOJ against me when I was governor of New York and three other democratic states during the height of COVID and it’s wrong that it appears to be happening with AG James and Former FBI Director Comey — it is part of why people have lost faith in the Justice system, the cornerstone of our democracy,” he said, according to Politico.
Other key topics worth watching for will be affordability — Mamdani has framed his campaign around the issue — and the government shutdown and its impacts on New York.
What impact will Sliwa have on the debate?
Sliwa has acted as a spoiler in the New York City mayoral race, siphoning off votes from Adams and Cuomo. Though Adams’s exit aids Cuomo, the former New York governor will need independent and Republican votes in order to keep the race competitive against Mamdani.
Sliwa has refused to exit the race despite polls showing him trailing. He’s jabbed at both candidates, telling CBS News in an interview on Tuesday, “I’m the only one standing between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, who I call Zohran lite.”
If Sliwa maintains that posture, it’ll only complicate Cuomo’s effort to make any headway against Mamdani next month.
Will the debate meaningfully change the trajectory of the race?
One of the biggest questions for Thursday night will be whether Cuomo or Mamdani enjoys any kind of boost.
Mamdani has so far been comfortably leading Cuomo in polling, putting extra pressure on the former New York governor to reverse those trends heading into the Nov. 4 election.
While debates can change the minds of voters tuning into the race at the last minute, the forums are more memorable for standout moments and gaffes. Cuomo’s task will be to try to avoid any major slipups during the debate while trying to put Mamdani in the hot seat.
While Cuomo has tried to cast Mamdani as radical and inexperienced for the tall task of leading the country’s largest city, those attacks have so far failed to move the needle. Cuomo will have one more debate next week to make his last pitch to voters alongside his opponents.
