Takeaways from the second debate in the NYC mayoral race

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participate in the second New York City mayoral debate in Long Island City, Queens, on October 22. Hiroko Masuike/Pool/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

This time, the gloves came off.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani clashed with independent Andrew Cuomo from the first moments of Wednesday’s second and final general election debate for New York City mayor. Cuomo called Mamdani divisive and said he lacked experience or new ideas, while Mamdani said the former governor, down in the polls, was a “desperate man lashing out.”

Cuomo was looking for a moment to change the race’s contours less than two weeks from Election Day while Mamdani both sought to lock in his lead and establish himself as winning the “battle over the soul” of the national Democratic Party. The two tore into each other in strikingly personal terms on their backgrounds, their policy ideas and how each would address antisemitism.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, meanwhile, reprised his wildcard role as he refuses to bow to a pressure campaign from some in his party to leave the race.

Here are key moments from the debate:

Cuomo gives Mamdani a dressing-down about experience

In a pivot from his frequent reference to his time in government, Cuomo sought to put distance between his record as governor and New York City’s municipal failures. Notably for someone elected governor three times, Cuomo argued that “the city has been getting screwed by the state, and that has to change.”

But the exchange gave Mamdani an opening to attack Cuomo for his record as governor.

“The governor doesn’t build housing in New York City,” Cuomo said in response to a question on housing policy.

“Not if it’s you,” Mamdani retorted.

That led to Cuomo accusing Mamdani of never having “accomplished anything.”

“I did things; you have never had a job,” Cuomo said motioning towards Mamdani and drawing applause from the crowd. “There is no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for 8.5 million lives. You don’t know how to run a government.”

He went on to paint Mamdani as an inexperienced legislator who is unprepared to lead America’s biggest city and would be dangerous in the event of an emergency.

“You don’t know how to handle an emergency, and you literally never proposed a bill on anything that you’re not talking about in your campaign,” Cuomo said, his voice rising.

In response, Mamdani accused Cuomo of creating “his own facts.”

“We just had a former governor say in his own words that the city has been getting screwed by the state,” Mamdani said. “Who was leading the state? It was you. You were leading the state … screwing the city.”

Mamdani tears into Cuomo’s experience argument

“You will hear from Andrew Cuomo about his experience as if the issue is that we don’t know about it,” Mamdani said at one point. “The issue is that we have all experienced your experience.”

To underscore that argument, Mamdani’s campaign invited to the debate Charlotte Bennett, a former aide in Cuomo’s administration who accused him of sexual harassment in 2021. Cuomo resigned from office under the cloud of that investigation though he has denied wrongdoing.

Given a chance to question Cuomo, Mamdani raised the sexual harassment cases.

“You sought to access her private gynecological records,” Mamdani said. “She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?”

The question drew applause from Mamdani supporters in the audience. Cuomo responded at first by suggesting Mamdani was being unserious and immature. He then launched into his defense, saying five district attorneys declined to pursue the cases and that he has not been found criminally or civilly liable.

Cuomo then turned to Mamdani to attack him for appearing in a picture with a Ugandan politician known for her anti-LGBTQ positions.

“Had I known that the first deputy minister was the architect of that legislation, I would not have taken that photo,” Mamdani said. “I also know that this constant attempt to smear and slander me is an attempt to also distract from the fact that, unlike myself, you do not actually have a platform or set of policies to protect those same New Yorkers here.”

The three candidates talk about ICE and Trump

Immigration raids in New York City emerged as a flashpoint early in the debate, as all three candidates rejected the federal crackdown and argued over who was best able to deal with President Trump.

Cuomo said that “we don’t need ICE to do quality-of-life crimes,” after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on Chinatown’s Canal Street in Manhattan Tuesday. Mamdani argued the agency “cares little for the law and even less for the people that they’re supposed to serve.” And Sliwa agreed that “the feds should not have stepped into this situation.”

But the candidates diverged sharply on how they’d approach Trump. Cuomo said that “you’re going to have to confront” him while Sliwa suggested that “you can’t beat Trump, he holds most of the cards,” saying that “you have to try to negotiate.”

Mamdani, meanwhile, said that he was open to working with Trump on lowering the cost of living but pivoted to attacking Cuomo, saying that Trump “wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor, not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him.”

Cuomo shot back that Trump would take advantage of Mamdani’s youth and inexperience to press his crackdown on the city.

“Donald Trump, I believe, wants Mamdani. That is his dream, because he will use him politically all across the country, and he will take over New York City. Make no mistake, it will be President Trump and Mayor Trump, and he will come in and take over the city,” Cuomo said.

Then he worked in a bit of Yiddish.

“He has no respect for him,” Cuomo said. “He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to knock him on his tuchus.”

Mamdani’s rivals gang up on him about ballot measures

Cuomo and Sliwa briefly ganged up on Mamdani over his refusal to take a position on a set of controversial ballot measures New Yorkers will weigh in this election year.

At one point, holding his hands up in the air and swaying side to side as if to mock Mamdani for talking too much, Cuomo attacked Mamdani for not having yet made his position clear.

“What a political answer. What is your opinion, Zohran?” Sliwa demanded.

“Yes or no?” Cuomo joined in.

“I think on this stage, you can see two people appealing for the Republican Party’s votes,” Mamdani chimed in over the crosstalk. Pressed to answer, he conceded, “I have not yet taken a position on those ballot amendments.”

There are six ballot proposals covering a range of topics, including significant housing reform, a change to election years and the construction of a sports complex on forest land.

Mamdani sends a clear signal about policing

For months, Mamdani has said he would consider keeping New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch if elected but has stopped short of committing to asking her to stay on.

That changed Wednesday. Just before the debate began, two people familiar with the plan confirmed to CNN that Mamdani intends to ask Tisch to stay on the job if he is elected mayor.

Mamdani’s decision, first reported by The New York Times, signals his attempt to moderate as the general election nears and he continues to face criticism, especially on his previous critiques of the police.

“I can confirm that reporting,” Mamdani said on the debate stage.

Mamdani has walked back previous calls to defund the police and has apologized to officers for referring to them as “racist” and “wicked” in social media posts.

But it’s not clear if Tisch, who is highly regarded in the city’s political circles, would stay on even if asked.

Cuomo and Sliwa also said they would ask Tisch to stay on as commissioner.

Mamdani faces criticism about antisemitism

Mamdani again addressed Jewish voters who are concerned about his criticisms of Israel and question his commitment to fighting antisemitism.

“I look forward to being a mayor for every single person that calls the city home,” he said, adding: “All 8.5 million New Yorkers, and that includes Jewish New Yorkers who may have concerns or opposition to the positions that I’ve shared about Israel and Palestine.”

Mamdani’s opponents, however, expressed skepticism and accused him of promoting antisemitism.

“You’re the savior of the Jewish people? You won’t denounce ‘Globalize the Intifada,’ which means ‘Kill Jews,’” Cuomo said, referencing the controversial phrase that Mamdani has discouraged using and noting that hundreds of rabbis had signed a letter criticizing him. “There’s unprecedented fear in New York.”

Sliwa made a personal appeal to Mamdani, referencing his own Jewish family members, saying that members of the community were “scared.”

“Let me speak on behalf of my two sons when they’ve heard some of the statements you’ve made,” Sliwa said. “They view you as the arsonist who fans the flames of antisemitism. They cannot suddenly accept the fact that you’re coming in like a firefighter and you’re going to put out these flames. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, a lot of apologizing to do.”

He also alleged that Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, had praised “global jihad.”

Mamdani responded that “there is room for disagreement on many positions and many policies.” But he also pushed back.

“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad. That is not something that I have said and that continues to be ascribed to me,” he said. “And frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”

Sliwa goes after Cuomo; Cuomo fires back

Cuomo’s allies have pressured Sliwa to drop out of the race so the former governor can consolidate opposition to Mamdani. Sliwa has rejected that push with his characteristic bluntness and color, referencing the movie “Braveheart” earlier Wednesday in suggesting he would choose death over working for a Cuomo mayoral administration.

Sliwa challenged Cuomo repeatedly, including on the sexual misconduct allegations that led him to resign as governor.

“The only reason that Zohran is on this stage is because of the failed Gov. Cuomo, who was rejected by the Democrats in the primary and rejected by 13 women who charged you with sexual harassment,” Sliwa said. “Do you ever know that no means no? Do you know what no means, Cuomo?”

Cuomo responded by accusing Sliwa of tax fraud, claiming that he’d failed to properly disclose donations to his crime prevention organization, the Guardian Angels. “So I think that’s the person who has explaining to do,” he said.

At another point, Sliwa accused Cuomo of cutting funding for hospital beds for people with mental illnesses, ending his point with “Shame on you!”

Retorted Cuomo: “There’s one bed I’m going to save for you.”

David Wright, Gloria Pazmino, CNN