The second and final debate of New York City’s mayoral race was packed with jabs and one-liners as candidates made their final pitches to voters before the November 4 election. The three contenders—Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent—faced off on Spectrum NY1. They clashed over their resumes and debated how they would work with President Trump, if elected.
The trio also sparred over key policy proposals addressing major issues for New Yorkers, including public safety, housing, and education. Here are the top five moments from Wednesday night’s debate at LaGuardia Community College:
### 1) Cuomo and Sliwa Team Up to Skewer Mamdani Over Non-Answers: ‘Don’t Be a Politician’
Despite their mutual animosity, Sliwa and Cuomo occasionally joined forces to criticize Mamdani, particularly over his refusal to take clear stances on certain housing proposals that will appear on the ballot.
“Don’t be a politician,” Sliwa taunted after Mamdani dodged questions about the housing measures, only saying he was “appreciative that those measures will be on the ballot.”
“Oh, what a shocker,” Cuomo sarcastically added, mocking the front-runner with a hand gesture.
Four of the six questions on the ballot focus on housing, including whether to grant the mayor more power over the zoning process—currently controlled by the City Council—to help fast-track affordable housing projects. Mamdani, however, has largely stayed silent about these issues throughout the campaign.
### 2) Sliwa Tells Mamdani: ‘Your Resume Could Fit on a Cocktail Napkin’
Though trailing in the polls, Sliwa refused to go down quietly. Seizing a moment while Cuomo and Mamdani bickered, Sliwa delivered sharp remarks targeting both opponents.
“I heard the both of them again, fighting like kids in the schoolyard,” Sliwa said.
Turning to Mamdani, he shot, “Your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin.” Then to Cuomo, he added, “And Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library in New York City.”
### 3) Mamdani Confronts Cuomo: ‘What Do You Say to the 13 Women You Sexually Harassed?’
Mamdani delivered a piercing blow against Cuomo regarding the sexual misconduct scandal that forced Cuomo to resign in 2021. The former governor appeared visibly rattled as Mamdani directly addressed Charlotte Bennett—a former state staffer and the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo—who was present in the audience.
“You have even gone so far as to legally go after these women,” Mamdani said. “One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?”
Cuomo stumbled in response, dismissing the accusations as “allegations” and stating, “If you want to be in government, then you have to be serious and mature.”
### 4) Sliwa Rips Cuomo: ‘You Fled From Being Impeached!’
Sliwa seized another opportunity to attack Cuomo over the scandal.
“You fled from being impeached by the Democrats in the state legislature!” Sliwa declared to applause, as Cuomo and Mamdani debated the former governor’s housing record.
In 2021, State Attorney Letitia James’ office released a report finding that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and created a hostile work environment—findings that ultimately led to his resignation. Cuomo has vehemently denied the allegations and maintains his innocence.
### 5) Trump Takes Center Stage as Cuomo Says President Will ‘Knock Mamdani on His Tuchus’
Though the race is to select New York City’s next mayor, President Trump has been a recurring figure throughout the campaign, even publicly weighing in on the candidates.
Early in the debate, each candidate was asked how they would work with the White House if elected. Cuomo argued that Mamdani isn’t up to the task and claimed Trump “thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to knock him on his tuchus.”
“It is a balance,” Cuomo said, “but you’re going to have to be adversarial when you need to. But you want to cooperate to get good things done in this city, and you need federal help.”
Mamdani fired back, calling Cuomo “Trump’s puppet.”
“We just heard from the Republican candidate for mayor, and then we heard from Donald Trump’s puppet himself, Andrew Cuomo,” Mamdani said. “You can turn on TV any day of the week, and you will hear Donald Trump share that his pick for mayor is Andrew Cuomo — not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him.”
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The mayoral election will take place on November 4, with a nine-day early voting period beginning this Saturday.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/us-news/the-top-5-moments-from-the-final-nyc-mayoral-debate/
