Mamdani, Cuomo exchange jabs as polls tighten at final primary debate for NYC mayor

MANHATTAN (CN) — The final Democratic primary debate for New York City mayor started off with a bang on Thursday, with the top two candidates exchanging viscous blows from the jump.

Longtime frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who resigned in 2021 amid accusations of sexual harassment, said it would be “reckless and dangerous” to elect his biggest rival, progressive state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.

“Experience matters; inexperience is dangerous in this case,” Cuomo said, claiming that the 33-year-old Mamdani has “zero accomplishments.”

“I have never had to resign in disgrace,” Mamdani shot back, to a roar of applause from the live audience.

Throughout the exchange, Cuomo repeatedly mispronounced Mamdani’s surname; Mamdani told the press after the debate that he took it as a sign of xenophobia and disrespect.

Polling shows the primary to be largely a two-man race between the duo, who in many respects are polar opposite candidates.

Cuomo’s sky-high name recognition made him the consensus favorite from the get go — even while his mayoral run was still just a mere rumor. And the 67-year-old has dwarfed most opponents’ fundraising efforts thanks, in large part, to a number of wealthy donors bankrolling his mayoral run.

Mamdani was largely unknown prior to this race, but has since exploded in popularity with a social media-driven campaign that promises to provide New Yorkers with universal childcare, free bus service and a freeze on rent for stabilized units.

“I’m running to make this city affordable,” Mamdani said during his opening.

A Wednesday survey from Public Policy Polling found Mamdani beating Cuomo 35% to 31%, possibly representing a slip in Cuomo’s dominance up until that point.

Thursday’s debate — sponsored by Spectrum News NY1, WNYC and The City — was less crowded than last week’s, featuring just seven of the top Democratic candidates: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson, alongside Mamdani and Cuomo.

With the race tightening and just weeks before the primary, policy took a backseat while the seven candidates exchanged barbs, with Cuomo attracting the most attention.

Lander hit the ex-governor hard on his sexual harassment accusations.

“You admitted at the time that you called a 25-year-old staffer into your office and asked her questions about whether she had older partners,” Lander said.

As he’s done throughout the race, Cuomo vehemently denied the accusations, urging the audience to “look at the facts and not at the political rhetoric you hear on this stage.”

“Everybody here knows that you sexually harassed women,” Lander replied.

Lander was riding high after the New York Times’ opinion panel ranked him as its top choice for mayor earlier this week — an endorsement he flexed several times on Thursday. Still, most polls have him in third place behind Mamdani and Cuomo.

Like in last week’s debate, President Donald Trump loomed large over the mayoral field. Cuomo touted his experience as governor during Trump’s first presidency, promising viewers that “I will get the job done.”

“Donald Trump only picks fights he can win,” Cuomo said. “He cannot win a fight with me.”

But Mamdani noted that Cuomo received millions of dollars in fundraising “from the very billionaires” that helped elect the president, and called on Cuomo to return that cash.

“It would be illegal,” Cuomo replied, adding that he “dealt with” Trump over “very, very difficult times.”

Cuomo was the only candidate who didn’t elect to speak with the press following the debate, instead sending a strategist to address the press. He refused to tell reporters where the former governor was.

At the first debate, nine candidates were featured. State senator Jessica Ramos, who endorsed Cuomo last week, and former state representative Michael Blake, who made a splash attacking Cuomo at the initial debate, didn’t make the cut this time around.

Blake even sued the city’s campaign finance board in a last-ditch effort to qualify, but was unsuccessful.

New York City’s primary election will take place on June 24. Early voting runs from June 14 to June 22.

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