The first mayoral common election debate was two hours crammed with assaults, jibes and wild tales as Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo went all out to make their mark.
The three candidates within the Nov. 4 election continuously talked over one another — and some occasions Sliwa, the Republican candidate, additionally droned on a lot that the moderators at 30 Rockefeller Heart reduce him off.
Sliwa and Cuomo, the previous governor operating as an impartial, aimed a lot of their ire on the front-runner, Democratic nominee Mamdani — however weren’t all the time in sync with their assaults.
Listed here are the highest 5 moments from Thursday’s debate on WNBC:
1. “He actually by no means had a job.”
Cuomo wasted no time ripping into Mamdani. Inside minutes of the beginning of the talk, he jabbed on the Queens assemblyman’s lack of management expertise.
“He actually has by no means had a job,” Cuomo stated.
“On his resume, it says he interned for his mom. This isn’t a job for a first-timer,” Cuomo stated, evaluating the 33-year-old assemblyman to his decades-long profession in elected politics.
“In the event you don’t know what you’re doing folks might die,” he continued.
Mamdani, in the meantime, was fast to level out the demise toll throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when Cuomo was governor.
“If we’ve a well being pandemic, then why would New Yorkers flip again to the governor who despatched seniors to their deaths in nursing houses?,” he retorted.
2. “The jawns, the madames and the pimps”
Mamdani’s stance on prostitution, one of the surprising points of the democratic socialists’ agenda, was certain to be one of many most fiery factors of the night, and didn’t disappoint.
Throughout a separate line of questions on high quality of life, Sliwa and Cuomo began digging into Mamdani, accusing him of desirous to let hookers run free for rent.
“The assemblyman is a mini-me-BDB, he’s Invoice de Blasio-lite,” Cuomo stated, accusing Mamdani of adopting the previous mayor’s route to NYPD to not arrest prostitutes.
“I’m not nor have I ever referred to as for the legalization of prostitution,” Mamdani claimed, digging into Cuomo.
Mamdani needs to decriminalize intercourse work and co-sponsors a invoice in Albany that will achieve this.
“If you’re proud of what’s taking place on Roosevelt Avenue then you must vote for Andrew Cuomo as a result of his coverage is to proceed the very same ones we’ve seen beneath [current mayor] Eric Adams,” Mamdani added.
Cuomo has advocated for flooding cops to areas like infamous avenue of sweethearts, and prosecuting prostitutes.
“It’s important to implement the regulation, it’s unlawful.”
Sliwa caught out a center floor, advocating for specializing in going after the pimps and males hiring prostitutes as a substitute of the ladies themselves.
“You let all people know concerning the jawns. The madams and the pimps have to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the regulation,” Sliwa stated.
3. No person likes Kathy
Not one of the candidates had been keen to publicly again Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection bid subsequent yr.
“That’s a call that must be made after this common election,” Mamdani stated, seeming to defend his newfound benefactor in Hochul.
The upstate governor delivered a surprising and controversial endorsement of the Queens pol final month.
Little love is misplaced between Hochul and Cuomo, who it has emerged had needed as well Hochul as his operating mate had he adopted by with a reelection marketing campaign in 2022.
“It’s important to know who’s operating,” Cuomo stated when prodded by the moderator for a solution earlier than shifting the query again to Mamdani.
“Why don’t you endorse her?” Cuomo requested.
4. Mamdani can’t clarify pay for his freebies
Placed on the spot and requested to clarify how town would be capable to afford his handout-packed “affordability” agenda, Mamdani as soon as once more fell on a phrase salad.
“Look, lots of people have referred to as even my marketing campaign a non-starter after we first once more and now I stand earlier than you proud to be the Democratic nominee who acquired probably the most votes in metropolis major historical past,” the assemblyman stated, dodging the query.
Mamdani’s handouts embrace free buses, common youngster care and freezing hire for stabilized models.
“We now have additionally put ahead a plan to save cash right here in New York Metropolis,” he stated, referring to his “plan B” if Hochul received’t enable him to boost taxes.
5. Surprising parade controversy
A seemingly innocuous query about whether or not the candidates would boycott any parades was extra controversy.
“No, I wouldn’t except they discriminated,” Cuomo stated succinctly.
“I haven’t thought a lot about parades to be trustworthy with you,” Mamdani stated earlier than Sliwa jumped in to press him.
“Would you shield the Christopher Columbus statues that exist right here within the metropolis?” Sliwa requested, mentioning how Mamdani as soon as gave the center finger to a monument to Columbus in Astoria.
“My focus is on affordability. I’m not serious about statues,” Mamdani stated.
“Disgraziato!” Cuomo chimed in, following Sliwa’s lead.
The moderators rapidly pivoted to asking the candidates about their most popular bagel order earlier than wrapping the two-hour debate.
Bonus: Sliwa’s outbursts
Even with out his iconic purple “Guardian Angels” beret, GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa was his normal self, injecting wild, dated anecdotes and his personal memorable one-liners into the combination in addition to some hard-hitting zingers aimed seemingly indiscriminately in any respect sides.
“I knew Mario Cuomo, you’re no Mario Cuomo,” Sliwa advised Cuomo of his late father, additionally a former governor.
Sliwa additionally in contrast the state parole board beneath Andrew Cuomo having launched 43 cop killers, in comparison with none beneath his father.
The Guardian Angel chief didn’t disappoint all through the talk, with different noteworthy moments together with:
- Saying he avoids taking yellow cabs as a result of he was shot by the mob behind one within the Seventies
- Confirming he smoked medical marijuana as he handled Crohn’s illness after that yellow cab taking pictures
- Beginning to reply to a query directed to Cuomo
- Title-dropping his ex-wife, Queens DA Melinda Katz
- Naming former Republican Governor George Pataki when requested his favourite president
