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

LIVE FROM NEW YORK: It’s mayor debate night.

The three leading candidates for mayor of New York City took the stage at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan on Thursday night to make their case for leadership of America’s largest city.

Early voting in the race is scheduled to begin next week, and the latest polls indicate that Zahran Mamdani has widened his lead to 46 percent, while Andrew Cuomo has 33 percent.

The outcome of the race could have political implications beyond the Empire State, where President Donald Trump looms large and will likely face pressure from Washington in some form.

The Democratic Party is also likely to be watching nationally to see whether the largest Democratic stronghold in America chooses the establishment, the centrist Cuomo, who is running as an independent, or the progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine the type of candidate and platform Democrats choose in the future after their stunning 2024 loss to Trump.

Republicans will also be watching to see whether their nominee, Curtis Sliwa, continues to make progress with his public safety platform.

Here are five key points from tonight’s debate.

Mamdani’s previous statements regarding Israel and the Palestinians surfaced several times overnight amid questions from moderators and criticism from opponents.

The candidate stressed his support for the Palestinians and the establishment of a state, and criticized the Israeli military operation in Gaza.

He also was criticized for refusing to condemn the phrase “globalization of intifada” when asked by interviewers, but he said he would seek to serve as mayor for all New Yorkers, including the large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.

However, Cuomo attacked Mamdani for his views, calling the New York State Assemblyman a “divisive figure across the board.”

Although there were three candidates in tonight’s debate, another name kept coming up: Donald Trump.

President Trump has implied that he wants to send the National Guard to Democratic-controlled cities — despite resistance — and has moved to withhold government funds for infrastructure projects in New York City. Trump has also prioritized New York City in a mass deportation policy, and the mayor — who has little authority over federal immigration enforcement — will likely have to evaluate the city’s response.

Sliwa, a Republican, noted that the mayor would need to get along with Trump regardless of political views. But Mamdani made his opposition to Trump clear from his first response, promising to “confront Trump.”

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

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

As much as Trump looms, the bigger political issue around this municipal election is affordability. New Yorkers face high costs of living in everything, especially rent and groceries.

In his opening remarks, Sliwa acknowledged the “really serious affordability issues” facing the city. He called for the city’s next mayor to free up vacant apartments in NYCHA — New York’s public housing program — and allow people to move into them.

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

Mamdani was criticized for living in a rented apartment, even though his parents are wealthy (his mother is director Mira Nair).

“If you think the problem in this city is that the 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 apartment rent freeze, saying it would only postpone future increases, force building owners into bankruptcy, and fail New Yorkers who don’t live in rent-stabilized apartments.

Cuomo spoke of his decades of experience in office, where he rose from Federal Housing Secretary during President Bill Clinton’s administration to Governor of New York.

But the controversies surrounding his tenure as governor cast a pall over his campaign, and Cuomo came prepared to fight.

He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found he had sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologized for acting “in a way that made people feel uncomfortable” but denied the accusations.

New York’s attorney general also investigated his administration for undercounting deaths in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that it underestimated the actual number of deaths.

Mamdani attacked Cuomo over these matters, accusing him of “sending elderly people to their deaths in nursing homes” and accusing him of lacking integrity.

Cuomo said allegations of abuse of the elderly in nursing homes are “completely false.”

“During COVID, everyone did everything they could in this state, and there were several investigations that they went through, and they said we followed federal guidelines,” Cuomo said. “But yes, people have died during COVID. And my heart breaks for everyone who has been crushed and died in this state and across this nation.”

Sliwa also attacked Cuomo for “the lawsuits filed against you for sexual harassment.” The former governor refuted that the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated allegations of misconduct, “was political.”

Sliwa held his own as the only Republican on stage.

His voting bloc may be in the minority in New York City, but the 2024 presidential election has revealed that residents are prioritizing public safety issues, and Saliwa has emphasized that time and time again. As the founder of Guardian Angels, a New York City organization dedicated to crime prevention, he jumped at the opportunity to connect with voters.

The longtime New York media and political figure has also known how to make her voice heard. He interjected frequently, telling moderators he wanted to speak, and worming his way into the most heated moments of the debate. From pole position, he swung at both opponents equally.

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