VIDEO RECAP: Cuomo And Mamdani Trade Jabs In Heated First NYC Mayoral Debate
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo entered Thursday evening’s first New York mayoral debate trying to blunt Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani’s momentum. Instead he spent much of the contentious face-off on defense, batting away criticisms over his long tenure in office from Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo, now running as an independent, continued to try to cast Mamdani’s agenda as too extreme, saying he lacks the experience to lead America’s biggest city. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, countered with attacks on the former governor’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and harassment allegations that Cuomo denies. But after two hours that touched on how the next mayor would deal with President Donald Trump, quality of life issues and affordability, it was unclear whether anyone did enough to move the needle. For Cuomo the stakes of the face-off were especially high. The debate was one of his last chances to try to convince voters that going with Mamdani, who already defeated the once-powerful governor in the primary this summer, would be a mistake. The race is also Cuomo’s attempt at a political comeback after he resigned four years ago following the harassment allegations. Mamdani, who spent much of the debate smiling as he tried to maintain the hopeful, charming persona that has characterized his campaign, pushed his affordability agenda and sought to portray himself as a pragmatic liberal rather than a radical ideologue. The race has catapulted him to national political stardom, with Republicans, including Trump, trying to turn him into the face of the Democratic Party by highlighting his most controversial past comments and positions and casting him as dangerous, a communist and an antisemite. Meanwhile Sliwa, a Republican and the colorful creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, tried to vault his underdog campaign to the fore amid calls for him to drop out. Though he could have helped Cuomo by ganging up on Mamdani, he instead spent much of his time undercutting the former governor. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, suspended his reelection campaign late last month after being deeply wounded by a now-dismissed federal corruption case and his relationship with the Trump administration. Here are some key takeaways from tonight’s debate: Mamdani on defense Mamdani came under attack straight out the gate, as Cuomo highlighted the 33-year-old’s relative lack of job experience and painted his agenda as unrealistic and unachievable. Cuomo, stressing his own lengthy resume, said being mayor “is no job for on-the-job training” “This is not a job for a first timer,” he said, while trying to to cast Mamdani as “Bill de Blasio light,” a reference to the unpopular former mayor. Mamdani hit back at Cuomo’s integrity and decision-making during the pandemic and repeatedly raised the sexual harassment investigation and legal bills related to his defense. “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity. What you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for with experience,” he charged. Cuomo also sought to cast himself as the only true Democrat onstage, despite the fact that he is not running on the Democratic Party line. Mamdani’s brand of economic populism and laser focus on lowering costs in the astronomically expensive city has generated buzz and excitement. At the same time, the state assemblyman’s calls to raise taxes on wealthy people […]
