Zohran Mamdani was attacked over his skinny resume, Republican Curtis Sliwa strove to show his seriousness as a candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was pressed on the sexual harassment allegations that drove him from workplace in a contentious last debate in New York Metropolis’s mayoral race.
Whereas Mamdani, the frontrunner, started by accusing his rivals of being consumed by combating — suggesting he would attempt to focus as an alternative on his imaginative and prescient for New Yorkers — the state assemblymember joined them in mud as he tried to create viral social media moments, included inviting considered one of Cuomo’s accusers to look within the viewers.
Cuomo, working as an unbiased after dropping the Democratic main to Mamdani, fared higher Wednesday than throughout their first debate. He used its deal with the day-to-day of working the town to showcase his political expertise.
Although he has urged Sliwa to drop his bid to keep away from splitting the anti-Mamdani vote, he didn’t carry up his request throughout the debate. As an alternative he labored to forged Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, as out of his league, highlighting his pro-Palestinian advocacy and President Donald Trump’s threats to take over the town if he wins.
Listed here are some key takeaways from the controversy:
Barbs throughout
Mamdani had mentioned he deliberate to maintain his deal with points, like affordability, which have fueled his momentum and earned him nationwide consideration, however he landed loads of digs in opposition to his rivals, whom he accused of spending extra time calling on one another to drop out “than truly proposing their very own insurance policies.”
Cuomo and Sliwa, he mentioned, “communicate solely up to now as a result of that’s all they know.” He mentioned Cuomo is “a determined man, lashing out as a result of he is aware of that the one factor he cares about, energy, is slipping away from him.”
Cuomo, in the meantime, touted his expertise.
“You’ve got by no means had a job. You’ve by no means completed something,” he mentioned, insisting Mamdani lacks the advantage and {qualifications} to run the nation’s greatest metropolis or deal with its emergencies.
Sliwa accused each males of “combating like youngsters in a college yard,” however piled on as nicely.
“Zohran, your resume may match on a cocktail serviette. And, Andrew, your failures may fill a public college library in New York Metropolis,” he quipped. He additionally made frequent references to Cuomo’s resolution to resign as governor amid a barrage of sexual harassment allegations, which Cuomo denies.
Native points and the Canal Road raid
Whereas the race has usually been dominated by questions in regards to the Israel-Hamas conflict, Trump and different nationwide topics, the candidates Wednesday have been peppered for specifics about crime, the subways and the infamous Rikers Island jail complicated.
Mamdani got here underneath hearth after he declined to take a place on a set of initiatives that may seem on the November poll.
Mamdani additionally mentioned as mayor he would ask New York Metropolis’s police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to stay in her submit. Mamdani, who was deeply essential of the town’s police up to now, has been attempting to average his most contentious positions.
The candidates additionally railed in opposition to this week’s immigration enforcement sweep targeting vendors on Manhattan’s famed Canal Street that led to 14 arrests.
Cuomo mentioned the town doesn’t want Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers within the metropolis to deal with quality-of-life crimes like dealing in counterfeit baggage.
Mamdani equally pledged to oppose federal interventions within the metropolis, saying “ICE is a reckless entity that cares little for the legislation and even much less for the people who they’re imagined to serve.”
The Trump issue
The candidates have been once more pressed on Trump and insisted that they might be most adept at dealing with the mercurial president.
Cuomo spoke repeatedly about how he had held Trump at bay throughout the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and mentioned a Mamdani win can be a “dream” for the president.
“He has mentioned he’ll take over New York if Mamdani wins, and he’ll! As a result of, he has no respect for him. He thinks he’s a child and he’s going to kick him on his tuchus,” Cuomo mentioned.
Mamdani, in the meantime, tried to depict Cuomo as Trump’s “puppet” and too aligned with the president.
“He needs Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor not as a result of it is going to be good for New Yorkers, however as a result of it is going to be good for him,” Mamdani mentioned.
Sliwa warned each have been taking the flawed method by antagonizing the president.
“You may’t beat Trump,” he mentioned.
Mamdani pulls from Trump’s playbook
Cuomo, in the meantime, continued to be dogged by the allegations that compelled his resignation.
Mamdani mentioned one of many ladies who had accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, his former aide Charlotte Bennett, was within the viewers Wednesday. Trump used a similar strategy in 2016 when he appeared at a debate with accusers of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Invoice Clinton, who has denied the accusations in opposition to him.
“What do you say to the 13 ladies that you just sexually harassed?” he requested as he pressed Cuomo on the allegations and the hundreds of thousands in taxpayer {dollars} that have been spent to defend him in court docket.
Cuomo denied wrongdoing and chided Mamdani.
“If you wish to be in authorities, then you must be critical and mature,” he mentioned.
Bennett was the second lady to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, alleging he subjected her to invasive questions on her private life and sexual relationships. Cuomo denies Bennett’s allegations.
A number of candidates famous initially of the controversy that New Yorkers would most likely slightly be watching the Knicks opening sport of the season, which tipped off on the similar time. Cuomo made it to the sport’s second half, the place he was photographed sitting subsequent to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
