Seven Democratic candidates vying to become the next mayor of New York City clashed on Thursday night in the second and final debate before the June primary.
Current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and democratic socialist assemblymember Zohran Mamdani engaged in a heated debate over their records and qualifications. Cuomo dismissed 33-year-old Mamdani as unprepared and too inexperienced for the role, citing a lack of experience in dealing with political institutions, natural emergencies, floods, and the threat of Donald Trump. Mamdani countered by stating that he had never had to resign in disgrace, cut Medicaid, steal money from the MTA, or face sexual harassment allegations that Cuomo faced.
Mamdani also criticized Cuomo for repeatedly mispronouncing his name. Cuomo continued to accuse Mamdani of having never done anything. Mamdani defended his record as an assemblymember, citing his work with taxi drivers and urged New Yorkers to judge him based on the campaign he’s running, where he has managed 36,000 volunteers. He promised to bring innovation and competence to city hall and hire the best and the brightest.
The debate featured five other candidates, including city comptroller Brad Lander, council speaker Adrienne Adams, state senator Zellnor Myrie, former comptroller Scott Stringer, and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson.
The debate opened with the candidates discussing their approaches to the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Cuomo said he would protect immigrants, as New York City is a sanctuary city. Mamdani pledged to block any NYCPD cooperation with federal immigration agents and provide legal support for immigrants facing deportation cases.
Throughout the debate, Cuomo faced sustained criticism from candidates such as Lander, who repeatedly challenged Cuomo’s record. Cuomo defended himself against sexual harassment allegations and was accused of lying by Lander. On housing, all candidates agreed to build more housing except for Cuomo and Tilson, who did not support a rent freeze for rent-stabilized units. On public safety, Myrie suggested subway teams with police and mental health experts, while Tilson attacked Mamdani for “demonizing” the police. In response, Mamdani said he would not defund the police and would work with them to create public safety.
Cuomo was questioned about why he had not visited a mosque during his time as governor and asked what he would say to more than 760,000 Muslims in the city. Cuomo responded that he believed he had visited a mosque and welcomes immigrants. Mamdani was also asked to address concerns from Jewish New Yorkers supportive of Israel who fear for their safety in the current political climate. Mamdani said he would protect Jewish New Yorkers and deliver them safety.
Tensions escalated as Mamdani accused Cuomo’s Super Pac of altering a photo to make his beard appear darker, longer, and thicker, calling it “blatant Islamophobia.” Unlike the previous debate, which was held without an audience, Thursday’s event had a live crowd that reacted throughout.
The final debate came after several major endorsements, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supporting Mamdani and former mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsing Cuomo. The Democratic primary election will be held on June 24, using ranked-choice voting. The current Mayor, Eric Adams, is running for reelection as an independent candidate. The general mayoral election is scheduled for November 4th.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/new-york-mayor-debate-cuomo-mamdani
