Look for Cuomo and Mamdani to come out swinging in first general election mayoral debate
As the mayoral race enters its home stretch, the candidates for NYC mayor are expected to face off in the first general election debate Thursday– with front runner Zohran Mamdani and chief rival Andrew Cuomo both saying the plan is to hit at the other hard.
The most recent polls show a tightening contest, though with the Democrtatic nominee Mamdanii still holding a double-digit lead. With that, the candidates all have different objectives: Mamdani will be seeking to protect his frontrunner status, while Cuomo will be on the offense trying to chip away at it. Republican Curtis Sliwa will likely be hoping to galvanize his base.
Mamdani, who has made affordability the centerpiece of his campaign, plans to hit Cuomo over ties to the wealthy, including supporters of President Trump who have also donated to Cuomo’s campaign.
“Andrew, you had your chance to lead this state,” Mamdani said during a Fox News hit Wednesday. “”You took that time to sell out working class New Yorkers to your billionaire donors, and instead of actually meeting the needs of people who couldn’t afford to live in the city, you gave $959 million in tax breaks to Elon Musk.”
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/15/look-for-cuomo-and-mamdani-to-come-out-swinging-in-first-general-election-mayoral-debate/