In addition to the Virginia attorney general debate, the other noteworthy debate of the evening was the one in the New York City mayoral race.
Democrat Socialist Zohran Mamdani, a New York assemblyman who has had a comfortable polling lead throughout the general campaign season, faced off against disgraced former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who is the founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels non-profit.
The city's current mayor, Eric Adams, dropped out of the race at the end of September.
Though there was no clear winner in the debate, it was of course quite lively at times, with Cuomo coming out swinging against Mamdani on the issue of the Israel-Hamas war and Mamdani's refusal to condemn the pro-Hamas "globalize the intifada" chant you frequently hear at the protests Mamdani has defended and sometimes attended.
In response, Mamdani again falsely accused Israel of genocide and took a swipe at Cuomo for joining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defense team in the International Criminal Court case:
Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched a barrage of assaults on Zohran Mamdani about his stance on Israel and Gaza, slamming the Democratic nominee for refusing to denounce the terror group Hamas and the phrase “Globalize the intifada.” pic.twitter.com/gudlz7ww0v
— New York Post (@nypost) October 17, 2025
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was quick out of the gate to contrast front-runner socialist Zohran Mamdani’s lack of experience with his own decades in politics at Thursday’s mayoral debate. pic.twitter.com/z77iILa250
— New York Post (@nypost) October 17, 2025
SEE ALSO: Zohran Mamdani Gives Opponents an Opening the Size of a Mack Truck in 'Meet the Press' Interview
In response to Cuomo's "inexperience" criticism, Mamdani tried to make the race about integrity, something of which the pro-Hamas state lawmaker is also in short supply:
Mamdani fired back at Cuomo's claims that he's too inexperienced to be NYC mayor: "What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity. And what you don't have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience." pic.twitter.com/cFkqfHL1Dh
— POLITICO (@politico) October 17, 2025
Mamdani also jabbed Cuomo over the 2020 nursing home scandal as he denied he would defund the police if elected mayor, despite prior claims that defunding the police was something that needed to happen:
🚨 NEW: Socialist Zohran Mamdani DENIES he will defund the police if elected NYC mayor. 🚨
— Anthony Iafrate (@tonyiafratedc) October 17, 2025
"Cuomo wants to bring up tweets from 2020 ... around the same time he was sending seniors to their deaths."
Mamdani called the NYPD "racist" and "anti-queer" in 2020.@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/pGcOrQ3EBF
In this clip, all the candidates sparred with each other over visits to mosques, the Muslim community, and earning trust among Jewish New Yorkers. In addressing Mamdani, Sliwa referenced how another Democrat Socialist mayor of NYC, David Dinkins, "abandoned the Jews for three days" during the deadly 1991 Crown Heights race riots, and said that Jews have no faith that Mamdani will stand with them against antisemitic attacks:
While Zohran Mamdani slams Andrew Cuomo for his lack of visits to Muslim mosques, @CurtisSliwa tells Mamdani that he will never be trusted by the Jewish community. pic.twitter.com/II3KS4ETXI
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 17, 2025
Here, both Sliwa and Mamdani politely informed Cuomo that Trump would "not back down" to him if Cuomo were elected mayor:
Cuomo: He will back down
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 16, 2025
Sliwa: The president is going to back down to you? I know you think you’re the toughest guy alive but you lost your own primary. You have a difficulty understanding what the term no is.
Mamdani: I agree pic.twitter.com/GIaHbJXLb4
On the other hand, there was this odd moment:
Moderator: "Who's the best modern-day U.S. president?"
— The Recount (@therecount) October 17, 2025
Andrew Cuomo: "Bill Clinton."
Zohran Mamdani: "FDR."
Curtis Sliwa: "[Former NY Gov.] George Pataki." pic.twitter.com/iHpp0ygRW2
And in perhaps the most unintentionally hilarious moment of the night, none of the candidates said they would endorse NY Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), including Mamdani, who sought and got her endorsement in September:
LOL: Mamdani hangs Gov. Hochul out to dry, does not reciprocate endorsement pic.twitter.com/VhPyxXLBu3
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) October 17, 2025
That prompted the following response from NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R):
HAHAHA ZOHRAN JUST STABBED HOCHUL IN THE BACK RIGHT THERE ON STAGE
— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) October 17, 2025
Lesson for Democrats -- the DSA is coming for you, your fealty will never be reciprocated, and they hate you just as much as they hate Republicans.
Thoughts and prayers, NYC. Just sayin'.
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