NYC mayoral debate recap: 'You lost your own primary'

NEW YORK - It’s a pivotal night in the race to become New York City’s next mayor. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa are taking the stage in their first of two debates before Election Day.

With Mamdani holding a commanding lead in the polls, Cuomo and Sliwa face mounting pressure to make their case to voters on issues like crime, affordability and leadership.

SKIP TO: Live updates | Meet the candidates | Polls

Follow along for live updates and key moments as the debate unfolds.

The live debate kicked off at 7 p.m. and aired on WNBC and Telemundo 47 in partnership with POLITICO. The first hour was televised, while the second was streamed.

NYC mayoral debate live updates

• 8:52 p.m.: When each candidate was asked if they would boycott any city parade, Cuomo and Sliwa agreed they would not do so – Mamdani replied, "There are many parades that I would not be attending, because I would be focusing on the work of leading this city." (Briana Scalia)
• 8:46 p.m.: 26 Federal Plaza is brought up to the candidates, with one of the moderators saying that asylum seekers "are showing up for routine appointments… and they end up being deported. By a show of hands, do any of you think you can do anything to stop this?" Each candidate raised his hand. (Briana Scalia)

• 8:44 p.m.: Mamdani says that the city is in need of more bilingual educators. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:39 p.m.: The candidates are asked who they feel is the best modern-day President of the United States: Cuomo says Bill Clinton, Mamdani says F.D.R, Sliwa says Ronald Reagan (after initially responding with "George Pataki," a former governor of the state) (Briana Scalia)
• 8:37 p.m.: Sliwa reminds the audience that he opposed the "City of Yes" zoning plan. (Briana Scalia)

• 8:34 p.m.: When asked what he might have done wrong during his primary campaign, Cuomo answered that he did not utilize social media enough. "I am the Democrat, although I'm not on the Democratic line," Cuomo claimed. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:32 p.m.: The former governor accuses Mamdani of being "Bill de Blasio-lite." (Briana Scalia)
• 8:25 p.m.: Cuomo says that Mamdani's plan to raise the income tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers is "based on a myth," going so far as to call it "impossible." Sliwa also called the proposal, "a fantasy." (Briana Scalia)
• 8:24 p.m.: "We saw what giving up looked like when Andrew Cuomo was the governor." Mamdani responds to his proposal to raise the income tax of the wealthiest New Yorkers despite Governor Kathy Hochul's insistence she will not do so, saying he will not forfeit the idea. (Briana Scalia)

• 8:22 p.m.: Sliwa mispronounces Mamdani's first name again. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:22 p.m.: Mamdani expands on his proposal to make buses free, saying that the idea would "not only provide economic relief, but also public safety," citing that making buses free to use would decrease assaults on bus drivers by almost 39%. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:21 p.m.: "Freeze the rent only postpones the rent," Cuomo fires back at Mamdani's proposal. (Briana Scalia)

• 8:19 p.m.: Mamdani says that he "will freeze the rent for more than 2,000,000 rent-stabilized tenants," and will also build more affordable housing in the city. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:18 p.m.: The candidates were then asked about their monthly rent payments. Cuomo says that Mamdani "has a rent-stabilized apartment that a poor person's supposed to have." (Briana Scalia)
• 8:16 p.m.: Sliwa reveals that he does not have a credit card when the candidates were asked how timely they are making credit payments. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:14 p.m.: When referring to the Democratic nominee, Sliwa mispronounces Mamdani's first name – Mamdani corrects him. Sliwa excuses himself for the blunder, and Mamdani responds: "Appreciate it." (Briana Scalia)

• 8:09 p.m.: Cuomo says he would not opt to remove the NYPD Commissioner from the Civilian Complaint Review Board; Mamdani says he would. (Briana Scalia)
• 8:03 p.m.: Sliwa alleges that Cuomo's parole board, while he was operating as governor of the state, "released 43 cop killers back onto the street." Sliwa added that the candidate is "no Mario Cuomo." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:56 p.m.: "You think you're the toughest guy alive… You lost your own primary," Sliwa says after Cuomo claimed he would stand up to President Trump regarding sending the National Guard to the city. Mamdani took a moment to agree with the Republican nominee. (Briana Scalia)

• 7:54 p.m.: Mamdani says he agrees with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on the fact that New York City does not need the National Guard "for the purpose of safety." He went on to say that what New Yorkers need "is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:52 p.m.: The former governor goes after Mamdani, saying he is "a divisive personality." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:50 p.m.: "Jews don't trust that you are going to be there for them when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks," Sliwa continued, referring to Mamdani. (Briana Scalia)
• 7:45 p.m.: The Republican nominee specifically refers to Mamdani's age, stating: "You will be celebrating your birthday this weekend – in 1991, I was in the streets of Crown Heights with the guardian angels." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:42 p.m.: Cuomo says that many of Mamdani's political positions "don't follow the Muslim faith." Mamdani counters that "it took Andrew Cuomo being beaten by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary for him to set foot in a mosque." (Briana Scalia)

• 7:35 p.m.: "The assemblyman will not denounce Hamas," Cuomo says of Mamdani – said assemblyman responds by accusing Cuomo of signing up to "be Benjamin Netanyahu's defense team," referring to the Israeli Prime Minister. (Briana Scalia)
• 7:33 p.m.: The Republican nominee says that both Cuomo and Mamdani are "incapable of praising our president," in regard to President Trump "trying to end the hostility in the war – between the Israelis and Hamas." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:32 p.m.: Sliwa calls for attention from the moderators, claiming that "he's being marginalized out of this." (Briana Scalia)

• 7:25 p.m.: Cuomo immediately fires back, alleging that Mamdani "is not a Democrat" and stating that he did not vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris. (Briana Scalia)
• 7:24 p.m.: "If you think that there's no difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, then that's the candidate for you," Mamdani said before gesturing to Cuomo. (Briana Scalia)
• 7:16 p.m.: Cuomo denies ever having a conversation with Trump regarding winning the mayoral race despite Mamdani claiming he did, saying the Democratic Socialist has "a distant relationship with the truth." (Briana Scalia)

• 7:11 p.m.: Mamdani says he is willing to work with President Donald Trump if it means "delivering on lowering the cost of living," but says that so far the president has focused on "prosecuting his political enemies and trying to enact the largest deportation program in American history." The Democratic nominee added: "If he ever wants to come for New Yorkers… he's going to have to get through me, as the next mayor of this city." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:07 p.m.: Cuomo underscores Mamdani's lack of experience, saying "He's never had a job." Mamdani counters, "What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity." (Briana Scalia)
• 7:03 p.m.: The debate has kicked off, and it's official: Curtis Sliwa is not wearing his beret. (Briana Scalia)

• 6:20 p.m.: Cuomo arrives not long after Mamdani. (Briana Scalia)

• 6:19 p.m.: McKay spots Mamdani entering the venue. (Briana Scalia)

• 5:12 p.m.: FOX 5 NY's political reporter Morgan McKay reports Sliwa has arrived. (Briana Scalia)

WATCH LIVE: NYC mayoral debate debrief

Meet the candidates

SKIP TO: Andrew Cuomo | Zohran Mamdani | Curtis Sliwa

Curtis Sliwa (R)

Dig deeper:

Returning to the mayoral race after his 2021 defeat to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa, 71, brings his tough-on-crime message back to the Republican forefront. 

The Guardian Angels founder and radio host is banking on his core base in conservative outer-borough neighborhoods.

Sliwa’s law-and-order platform remains central, and he has wasted no time labeling Mamdani "too extreme for this city," positioning himself as the voice of traditional values and public safety.

He has focused his campaign on public order and community-focused housing. 

Sliwa's affordability plan

His seven-point housing plan includes converting empty commercial spaces into homes, restoring vacant rent-controlled units, and returning zoning control to local neighborhoods. Sliwa supports hiring thousands of new police officers and reinstating the NYPD’s Homeless Outreach Unit.

• MORE: Where Mamdani, Sliwa, Cuomo stand on affordability and housing access

On education, he vows to overhaul the system to focus on measurable achievement, restore school safety agents and expand gifted and vocational programs. 

Sliwa also pledges to preserve traditional Medicare for retirees, and to improve city sanitation and pest control to promote public health.

Will Sliwa drop out?

President Donald Trump had previously said he wanted two candidates to drop out of the race, fueling speculation about whether Sliwa might step aside to avoid splitting the vote. But Sliwa has dismissed that idea outright.

"Absolutely no way. Under no circumstance," he said. "You can’t bribe me. You can’t lease me. You can’t rent me. I am running as the Republican candidate."

Despite the uphill battle in a city that leans heavily Democratic, Sliwa’s name recognition and combative style keep him relevant in the race.

Andrew Cuomo (I)

After conceding defeat in the Democratic primary, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 67, has officially qualified to run as an independent in the general election, staging a late comeback that could reshape the race. 

Cuomo is presenting himself as a steady hand with deep experience, seeking to appeal to moderates, independents and disaffected Democrats wary of both Mamdani’s progressivism and Sliwa’s conservatism.

He has focused his campaign on restoring public safety and affordability.

• MORE: Where Mamdani, Sliwa, Cuomo stand on crime: NYC mayor election breakdown

He calls for adding 5,000 officers to the NYPD and increasing patrols in subways and retail corridors. 

Cuomo's housing plan

On housing, Cuomo supports building across income levels, enforcing rent-stabilization laws and offering tax relief for working- and middle-class residents. 

His education priorities include reducing class sizes, expanding after-school programs and addressing teacher shortages. 

Cuomo also wants more school-based health centers and expanded community health partnerships to improve access and pandemic preparedness.

Zohran Mamdani (D)

At 33-years-old, Zohran Mamdani stands out as a Democratic Socialist and a rising star in New York City politics. As a state assemblyman, Mamdani surged ahead on a fiercely progressive platform promising rent freezes, fare-free public transit, universal childcare and an unprecedented push for public housing expansion.

His campaign is centered on housing, affordability and equity. 

Mamdani's housing plan

Mamdani's proposals include freezing rents for stabilized tenants, tripling the construction of permanently affordable housing and creating a citywide Office of Deed Theft Prevention to protect homeowners.

On public safety, Mamdani would form a Department of Community Safety to handle mental health and homelessness responses, while maintaining NYPD staffing but cutting overtime. He’s pledged to disband the Strategic Response Group, which he says has violated New Yorkers’ rights. 

Mamdani’s education plan calls for fully funded public schools, free child care for kids under five and major investments in CUNY. 

• MORE: Mamdani calls out Trump in first appearance on Fox: 'I know he may be watching'

His health plan would expand city hospital funding, reject Medicare Advantage and create outreach teams to connect residents with coverage and care.

NYC mayoral race polls

By the numbers:

According to a new Quinnipiac University poll, Cuomo has gained momentum since Adams dropped out, reshaping what once looked like a settled race. But as the campaign enters its final stretch, the numbers suggest that momentum alone may not be enough to close Mamdani’s double-digit edge.

The poll shows Mamdani leading with 46% of likely voters – Cuomo follows at 33%, leaving Sliwa trailing with 15% support.

In Quinnipiac’s previous survey on Sept. 10, when Adams was still in the race, Mamdani had 45%, Cuomo 23%, Sliwa 15% and Adams 12%. 

The new numbers suggest Cuomo picked up most of Adams’ supporters but still trails Mamdani by double digits, underscoring a race that has shifted on the surface but not in structure.

When is the next NYC mayoral debate?

What's next:

The next and final debate before Election Day will take place Wednesday, Oct. 22.

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