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What to watch for in tonight’s final NYC mayoral debate
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 22, 2025
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 22, 2025
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives.
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The final debate of the New York City mayor’s race on Wednesday night will give Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo one last chance to change the dynamics of the race dominated by Democratic nominee and front-runner Zohran Mamdani.
Last week’s debate did little to change the state of the contest. Cuomo trails Mamdani by double digits in the polls. The former governor has appeared increasingly desperate to co-opt Sliwa’s supporters by pushing the Guardian Angels founder out of the race. Sliwa, who is polling in a distant third, has rejected calls to drop out, arguing that Cuomo has been unable to persuade voters with his own message.
The contentious back-and-forth has allowed Mamdani to maintain his focus on addressing the city’s affordability crisis, while arguing he’s the best candidate to take on President Donald Trump. On Tuesday afternoon, federal agents detained at least four people in Chinatown in a raid that devolved into clashes with protesters.
The 90-minute debate before a live audience at LaGuardia Community College in Queens is sponsored by WNYC, Spectrum News NY1 and the news website The City. It will be broadcast live on WNYC and NY1. WNYC host Brian Lehrer, NY1 host Errol Louis and The City reporter Kate Honan will serve as moderators.
Here are four things to watch.
The Sliwa vs. Cuomo rematch
The intensifying spat between Sliwa and Cuomo has been one of the fascinating storylines of the race. Cuomo’s pressure campaign to force Sliwa to drop out has backfired and has instead made the former Guardian Angel feistier than ever. Some of his best one-liners of last week’s debate were directed not at Mamdani, but at Cuomo. “I knew Mario Cuomo. You’re no Mario Cuomo,” Sliwa said, referring to Andrew’s father, who served as governor for three terms.
Both Cuomo and Sliwa are campaigning on battling crime and restoring order, while arguing that Mamdani’s left-leaning proposals are too radical and unrealistic. But an alliance to defeat Mamdani seems more unlikely than ever due to Sliwa’s evident disdain for Cuomo.
Cuomo’s last stand
It’s now or never. After the last debate, Cuomo himself described his chances in the race as “very, very, very hard mathematically.” In recent days he’s intensified familiar attacks on Mamdani’s past statements and inexperience. Cuomo appeared on a podcast interview with the wrestler and social media influencer Logan Paul, where he described his opponent as a “socialist” (Mamdani is a democratic socialist) and a “child of wealth.” Cuomo’s campaign also released an “Austin Powers” AI-generated spoof video featuring former Mayor Bill de Blasio as Dr. Evil and Mamdani as Mini-Me.
In what could provide some policy fodder for the debate, Cuomo also announced that if elected he’d have the city take control of the subway’s capital construction and maintenance. Cuomo has sought to contrast his extensive experience in government with that of the 34-year-old state assemblymember representing Queens. But Cuomo’s subway plan faces long odds of getting approved in Albany. And his opponents have found plenty to criticize in Cuomo’s oversight of subway infrastructure projects as governor.
Knives out!
Cuomo and Sliwa desperately need to knock Mamdani off-balance in their final showdown. Mamdani has so far been an aggressive debater who keeps his composure while drawing a distinction between himself and Cuomo.
Cuomo and Sliwa are likely to hammer away at Mamdani’s inexperience and bring up his past criticisms of the NYPD and push to defund the police. Mamdani has repeatedly sought to downplay those remarks and say that they no longer represent his views as a mayoral candidate.
Unlike the first debate, there will be a live audience. That can mean a soundtrack of gasps, groans and laughter giving candidates feedback in real time.
Mayoral Mamdani?
A front-runner typically seeks to stay above the fray and look like a mayor in waiting. For much of the general election, Mamdani has focused on criticizing Trump. He’s also consolidated support among Democrats and unions, met with business leaders and avoided taking any controversial opinions.
That doesn’t mean that Mamdani will ignore his leading rival. In the first debate, he kept the heat on Cuomo, who has been repeatedly grilled over his sexual harassment scandal and management of nursing homes during the pandemic.
“What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity,” Mamdani said during last week’s debate. “And what you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for it in experience.”
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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