Sliwa goes on the attack, Mamdani and Cuomo lay down their arms – at least for an hour

And then there were three. 

Roughly 24 hours after Mayor Eric Adams announced he was ending his bid for a second term, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa assembled in Harlem Monday evening for one of the first mayoral forums of the general election. 

Unlike the official televised mayoral debates to come next month, the three men took to the stage one at a time, avoiding any explosive face-to-face confrontations. In fact, both Cuomo and Mamdani steered clear of attacking each other, directing their ire toward the Trump administration instead. Sliwa, the first founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, had no such reservations. He seemed to relish the opportunity to attack his fellow candidates on several occasions. 

The event, which was held at The Apollo theater, was hosted by nonprofit The Links, Inc. and moderated by NY1’s Cheryl Wills. For a forum specifically centered on "addressing the concerns of Black Women in New York City,” the absence of Adams – the city’s second Black mayor – was particularly glaring. Adams had initially been expected to attend, but withdrew after he announced on Sunday he’d be exiting the race. Save for a snipe from Sliwa about Adams’ handling of homelessness and a nod from Mamdani toward the mayor’s diverse administration, there was little mention of him during the forum.

The bulk of the questions poised by Wills centered on things like how the candidates would tackle maternal mortality – an issue that impacts Black women at a significantly higher rate than women of other races – how they’d reduce homelessness, close the pay gap and respond to the Trump administration’s threats to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the onslaught of federal funding cuts. But while Mamdani and Cuomo largely stayed on topic despite the tension between their campaigns, Sliwa took a handful of shots – mostly aimed at the former governor, not the 33-year-old Democratic socialist. 

“If I happen to lose, I’ll stay, I improve, I don’t move, I’m not going to flee to Florida like Cuomo,” Sliwa said, referencing a comment the former governor previously made (jokingly, according to Cuomo’s campaign) about what he’d do if Mamdani wins the election. “Get the hell out of here!” 

Sliwa was much less personal when it came to Mamdani. “I will say this about my adversary Zohran Mamdani, sending social workers is not the answer,” Sliwa said, adding that he thinks police officers and social workers need to work together when responding to domestic violence calls. Sliwa’s venomous approach toward Cuomo could in part be tied to the former governor’s desire to clear the field of candidates so he can face Mamdani one on one – a concept that Sliwa has ardently rejected. With Adams and independent candidate Jim Walden both now out of the race, that pressure on Sliwa is magnified.

Sliwa again accused Cuomo of being backed by Trump, scoffing at the former governor’s claims that he would fight the president’s administration. “Let me tell you he’s in the Hamptons with the billionaires, ‘Hey Donald, that’s right I need your help, get Sliwa out of the race,” Sliwa mocked. “Guess what, I ain’t dropping out.”