New York City’s mayoral race reached a fever pitch on October 22, 2025, as frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa squared off in their final debate at LaGuardia Community College in Queens. With Election Day looming on November 4 and early voting set to begin just days later, the three candidates pulled no punches in a 90-minute exchange that laid bare the city’s political divides and the high stakes for its future.
Mamdani, the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens, entered the debate with a commanding double-digit lead in the polls, according to recent surveys cited by BBC and CBS News New York. His campaign has ridden a wave of support since his surprise primary victory in June, fueled by promises of free buses, rent freezes, and universal childcare—all to be funded in part by raising taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents. Yet, as the debate unfolded, it became clear that both Cuomo and Sliwa were determined to test Mamdani’s mettle and challenge his vision for New York.
Cuomo wasted no time framing the contest as a battle between experience and idealism. “He’s never run anything, managed anything. He’s never had a real job,” Cuomo said of Mamdani, positioning himself as the only candidate with the practical know-how to manage the city’s sprawling bureaucracy. “I can get it done, not just talk about it.” Mamdani, unfazed, shot back: “He is a desperate man lashing out because he knows that the one thing he’s always cared about, power, is now slipping away from him.” Sliwa, meanwhile, took his shots at both, quipping, “Zohran, your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin, and Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library in New York City.”
The debate’s intensity was heightened by a live audience, whose cheers and jeers punctuated the candidates’ exchanges. Moderators struggled at times to keep the conversation civil, with NY1 anchor Errol Louis admonishing, “You can’t talk over each other.”
One of the night’s most contentious topics was the influence of President Donald Trump, whose shadow loomed large over the proceedings. Just hours before the debate, federal immigration agents raided Manhattan’s Chinatown, prompting outrage and concern about the city’s relationship with Washington. Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard and cut federal funding if Mamdani is elected—a warning Cuomo seized upon. “[Trump] has said he’ll take over New York if Mamdani wins, and he will, because he has no respect for him. He thinks he’s a kid, and he’s going to knock him on his tuchus,” Cuomo asserted. “Make no mistake, it will be President Trump and Mayor Trump.”
Mamdani, for his part, labeled Cuomo “Donald Trump’s puppet,” arguing, “You could turn on the TV any day of the week, and you will hear Donald Trump share that his pick for mayor is Andrew Cuomo, and he wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor, not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him.” Sliwa, taking a more conciliatory approach, said, “With Trump, it’s always the art of the deal. You have to negotiate.”
Beyond national politics, the debate delved deeply into local issues, with housing, transit, and public safety at the fore. Mamdani made his case for free buses, stating, “It would cost $700 million a year to make the slowest buses in the country fast and free, and by doing so, we would generate more than double in economic revenue for New Yorkers across the city.” Cuomo, meanwhile, advocated for city control over capital construction projects for the transit system, arguing that the current setup under the MTA was “a labyrinth bureaucracy.” Sliwa, emphasizing law and order, called for more police in the subways and stricter enforcement against fare evaders.
On the controversial question of Rikers Island’s future, Sliwa and Cuomo both pledged to keep the notorious jail open, citing rising inmate populations and logistical challenges to closure. Mamdani, however, maintained he would work to meet the 2027 closure deadline, blaming the current administration for delays but insisting, “I would do everything I could to meet that deadline.”
The debate also touched on the city’s response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, a topic that has sharply divided New Yorkers. Mamdani, who has made support for Palestinian rights central to his campaign, was pressed repeatedly about accusations of antisemitism. “I will be the mayor who doesn’t just protect Jewish New Yorkers, but also celebrates and cherishes them,” he said, denouncing what he described as Cuomo’s attempts to “weaponize” claims of antisemitism for political gain. Sliwa accused Mamdani of having “a lot of explaining to do,” while Cuomo warned against “fanning the flames of hatred against Jews.” Mamdani, the first Muslim candidate with a serious shot at City Hall, countered, “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. And frankly, I think much of it has to do with that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”
Scandal was never far from the surface. Mamdani confronted Cuomo about the sexual misconduct allegations that forced his resignation as governor in 2021, dramatically revealing that accuser Charlotte Bennett was present in the audience. “What do you say to the 13 women who you sexually harassed?” Mamdani demanded. Cuomo, steadfast, replied, “The cases were dropped. You know that as a fact, so everything that you just stated was a misstatement, which we’re accustomed to from you.”
In a lightning round, the candidates fielded questions on everything from their preferred languages to school chancellor picks and solicitation laws. Notably, all three said they would ask Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to remain in her post if elected—a move that could rankle Mamdani’s progressive base, given Tisch’s record on “quality of life” enforcement often criticized for disproportionately impacting minority communities.
Political analysts weighed in on the debate’s outcome. J.C. Polanco, a political contributor cited by CBS News New York, opined that Cuomo delivered “a masterclass on governance,” pressing Mamdani and highlighting his own experience. Sliwa, Polanco noted, showed passion and command of public safety issues, while Mamdani—usually a commanding orator—seemed “on cruise control” and was “knocked off his pedestal tonight for the first time all year.”
As the debate ended, Sliwa and Mamdani headed to the media spin room, while Cuomo opted for a Knicks game with outgoing Mayor Eric Adams—a snapshot of the candidates’ contrasting styles as the campaign enters its final stretch.
With early voting beginning October 25 and the voter registration deadline looming, New Yorkers face a pivotal choice: a bold new vision for affordability and inclusion, a return to experienced management, or a renewed focus on law and order. The outcome will shape the city for years to come.
