All eyes on Cuomo, Mamdani in final mayoral primary debate

Leading New York City mayoral candidates will square off at 7 p.m. in the second and final televised debate as the clock ticks down to the looming Democratic June 24 primary. Early voting is slated to kick off over the weekend. 

Since the last debate one week ago, many developments have further narrowed the field of primary candidates to two people: early front-runner former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and upstart democratic socialist Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani clinched the coveted No. 1 endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while Cuomo got the surprise backing of fellow candidate state Sen. Jessica Ramos. The 33-year-old Assembly member has also steadily bolstered his standing in recent public polling, tightening what was once a chasmous, double-digit gap between the two men. One recent poll from Data for Progress completed on behalf of a Mamdani super PAC found Cuomo up by a mere two points at the end of the ranked choice voting simulation. Another poll, this one from the former governor’s team, showed him with a 12-point lead at the end of ranked choice voting. And the most recent one, commissioned by Justin Brannan’s comptroller campaign, for the first time showed Mamdani in the lead, Politico New York reported, with 35% of voters supporting him, compared to Cuomo’s 31%.

After the nine candidates went head to head in the first mayoral debate, there will be fewer participants taking the stage: Cuomo, Mamdani, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson. After failing to meet the eligibility requirements laid out by the city’s Campaign Finance Board, Ramos and former Assembly Member Michael Blake will not participate Thursday – raising questions about how their absence might impact the dynamics on stage. Last week’s debate garnered more than 725,000 viewers – a 47% increase compared to the 2021 mayoral primary, according to newly released viewing statistics. 

Expect it to be another feeding frenzy as many of the candidates seize the rare opportunity to attack Cuomo face-to-face. Thursday’s debate is only the second time he’s joined the rest of the field on stage, and the stakes are high. That’s true for everyone, but especially so for Cuomo and Mamdani. 

Whether Mamdani’s surge will be reflected in the debate remains to be seen. Last week, Cuomo was easily the No. 1 target on stage with his opponents jabbing him over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation, and the wealthy donors backing his campaign. Cuomo in turn took aim at Mamdani and Lander in particular, hitting the 33-year-old state lawmaker for lack of executive experience. And while for the most part, most of the Working Families Party’s slate of candidates have refrained from criticizing one another, that’s since been somewhat shattered. Ramos made a lightly veiled reference to Mamdani’s experience in the last debate before she endorsed Cuomo late last week. In a post on X Tuesday, Speaker Adams criticized Mamdani’s calls to abolish ICE, but ended up deleting it after facing a wave of backlash online.

Cuomo and Tilson will no doubt continue attacking Mamdani Thursday, but it’ll be interesting to see whether another candidate backed by the progressive third-party does so – especially as Ramos didn’t qualify for the debate.

Immigration will likely be a hot topic Thursday as the Trump administration ramps up its deportation agenda and cracks down on protesters in Los Angeles. Protecting immigrants is one area most of the candidates have found common ground – particularly in criticizing New York City Mayor Eric Adams for not doing enough to stand up to President Donald Trump. Candidates have also so far shrugged off questions about who they plan to cross-endorse, but with early voting set to begin in days, expect some movement in this area soon. 

The two-hour debate will air at 7 p.m. for free on NY1’s digital platforms. It’ll be moderated by NY1, The City and WNYC.