Mamdani and Cuomo tear into each other during fiery final NYC mayoral debate
Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani and his chief rival, Andrew Cuomo, tore into each other Wednesday on the debate stage over their respective careers in state government, with both men accusing one another of being ineffective in wielding power in Albany to address New York City’s affordability crisis.
Affordability has been a central issue in this year’s mayoral campaign as soaring rents, grocery prices and other costs of living put a squeeze on working-class New Yorkers.
Wednesday night’s second and final mayoral debate — which came just before early voting starts this weekend — focused heavily on how Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa would as mayor try to tackle the spiraling crisis. The event was hosted by NY1, The City and WNYC/Gothamist.
Another recurring theme during the 90-minute debate in Queens was Mamdani’s reluctance to offer straight answers on some pressing questions, such as whether he supports or opposes the housing development-related referendum questions on the Nov. 4 ballot.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/22/mamdani-and-cuomo-tear-into-each-other-during-fiery-final-nyc-mayoral-debate/