Journalism of Courage
Zohran Mamdani’s rivals for New York City mayor slugged, prodded and pried into his resume and his ambitious campaign plans Wednesday night, using the contest’s final debate to try to knock the front-runner off his game and siphon some of his support.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, repeatedly put Mamdani on the defensive by highlighting his history of criticizing Israel, his plans to overhaul policing and his avoidance of taking positions on key ballot questions.
Sliwa said Mamdani’s resume was so short it could “fit on a cocktail napkin.” An energized Cuomo, who was fighting to salvage nothing less than his political career, said President Donald Trump would “knock him on his tuchus.”
And yet, with early voting set to begin Saturday, they seemed to struggle to land the kind of knockout blow that could shake up the race after months of campaigning.
Mamdani, 34, a state lawmaker and a democratic socialist, was guarding a comfortable polling lead and hoping to avoid any late missteps. But he came out swinging hard, too, and made significant news about his potential administration.
He called Cuomo, 67, who decided to run as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, “a desperate man, lashing out because he knows the one thing he has always cared about — power — is slipping away from him” and “Donald Trump’s puppet.” (Trump had considered getting involved in the race to help Cuomo, but has not endorsed a candidate.)
Mamdani took a significant step to try to reassure more skeptical voters that he is ready to lead. He confirmed a report by The New York Times that he will ask Jessica Tisch, the widely respected police commissioner, to stay on if he is elected.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has suspended his reelection campaign, skipped the debate to attend a New York Knicks game. Cuomo, who is courting his endorsement, joined the mayor courtside immediately after leaving the debate.
— Cross-examination: Both Sliwa and Mamdani pressed Cuomo on the accusations of sexual harassment that ended his governorship. “What do you say to the 13 women who you sexually harassed?” Mamdani asked. Cuomo called the claims, which were documented in multiple government reports, illegitimate.
When given the chance, Cuomo asked Mamdani why he had posed for a photograph with a Ugandan government minister who has backed laws that criminalize homosexual activity. Mamdani said he would not have posed with the minister had he known her history.
— Double team on Israel …: Cuomo and Sliwa both worked to portray Mamdani, a staunch critic of Israel, as a threat to Jewish New Yorkers. Cuomo charged that Mamdani “stokes the flames of hate against Jewish people” and Sliwa said that his own sons, who are Jewish, were afraid.
Mamdani said he was committed to representing Jewish New Yorkers and increasing funding to fight hate crimes. He accused his rivals of distorting his views to scare voters because he could be the city’s first Muslim mayor.
— … and on ballot questions: Mamdani was pressed to take a position on three contentious ballot measures that would boost development in the city. Sliwa, who opposes the measures, and Cuomo, who supports them, took turns taunting him for not taking a position. “Answer the question for once,” Cuomo shouted.
— Dates to remember: Election Day is Nov. 4. The last day to register to vote in person or online is Saturday. Applications to register by mail must be received by that date. Early voting also begins Saturday and runs through Nov. 2.
