Mamdani Faces Toughest Debate Challenge Before Election

Long Island City, New York – Democratic candidate Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani faced a fiery final debate on Wednesday night, just 13 days before the November 4 election. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa aggressively challenged Mamdani’s policy proposals, labeling them as unrealistic.

Cuomo, running as an independent, repeatedly pressed Mamdani to provide direct answers, criticizing him for his evasiveness. ‘Don’t be a politician,’ Sliwa taunted as Mamdani avoided giving his opinion on key ballot issues, responding only that he was ‘appreciative that those measures will be on the ballot.’

The debate, hosted by Spectrum NY1, highlighted Mamdani’s lack of experience compared to Cuomo’s controversial tenure as governor. Cuomo performed more robustly than in the previous debate, boasting about his contributions to infrastructure, including the redesign of LaGuardia Airport and the Second Avenue subway.

Cuomo criticized Mamdani’s signature ‘rent freeze’ proposal, arguing that it would only affect a small fraction of housing units. ‘It’s just the old political blather, Mr. Mamdani,’ he claimed, asserting that the rent regulations are ultimately outside the mayor’s control.

When Mamdani, known for being critical of Israel, attempted to reach out to Jewish voters, Cuomo interjected with sarcasm: ‘You are the savior of Jewish people?’

The ex-governor’s past also haunted him during the debate, as he faced questioning about the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation in 2021. With Charlotte Bennett, one of his accusers present, Mamdani used the opportunity to label Cuomo as ‘Donald Trump’s puppet’ and pointed to the housing crisis as a failure of his governance.

Sliwa, who was also attacking Mamdani, remarked, ‘Your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin,’ while challenging Cuomo’s recent aspirations. Despite criticisms from his opponents, Sliwa gained attention for his strong performance throughout the debate.

Media expert Andrew Kirtzman remarked, ‘It was Mamdani’s weakest performance this cycle,’ emphasizing that both opponents effectively ganged up on him. He added that Mamdani’s ability to debate had been overshadowed by the strategic strengths of Cuomo and Sliwa.

In an unexpected moment of camaraderie, when asked how he would rank candidates in a ranked-choice scenario, Mamdani said he would put himself first and Sliwa second, to which Sliwa jokingly responded, ‘Oh, please don’t be glazing me here, Zohran.’