Trump, Crime Loom Large in New York Mayor Debate. Here Are 4 Key Moments.

Three candidates debated for the first time Thursday night in New York’s mayoral race.

The election has garnered a significant amount of attention this year given the stakes involved. Current Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race at the end of September, leaving just three major candidates standing.

The frontrunner candidate is Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old self-avowed socialist who catapulted to an improbable, but decisive victory in the Democrat primary. Facing him is the man he defeated in that primary, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo—who is running as an independent—and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican. Sliwa was the founder of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit group that aims to prevent crime.

Here are 4 takeaways from Thursday night’s debate.

1. Does Experience Count for Much?

Cuomo focused on his experience as governor of New York as a decisive factor in his favor compared to his opponents.

“He has literally never had a job,” Cuomo said of Mamdani. The former governor said that the mayor’s office is “not a job for a first timer.” He pointed to the possibility of a serious crisis like 9/11 or a pandemic as a reason that New York couldn’t take a chance on the young candidate.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, people literally will die,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani responded by asking rhetorically, “why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experience that’s on offer here today.”

Cuomo said that he followed federal guidelines in his COVID-19 response but acknowledged that people died on his watch.

2. Trump Looms Large

The three candidates addressed President Donald Trump, his influence on the race, and potentially the city.

Sliwa said that opposition to Trump would be a huge mistake and would hurt New York. He pointed out that several major projects in the city will need federal funding.

“If you try to get tough with Trump, the only people who are going to suffer from that are the people of New York City.”

Cuomo said that while he is willing to stand up to Trump, Mamdani’s election will mean that the president will take over New York.

“If the assemblyman is elected mayor, Donald Trump will take over New York City and it will be Mayor Trump who runs New York City,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani said that he would stand up to Trump and would shield illegal aliens from deportation.

3. Israel/Hamas Peace Deal Matters to NYC

The negotiated peace deal between Israel and Hamas is a serious matter of contention in a city with over a million Jews, nearly a million Muslims, and frequent anti-Israel protests that have turned violent.

Mamdani adjusted the answer he gave in a recent Fox News interview where he refused to say that Hamas should disarm.

“I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel,” Mamdani said when Fox News’ Martha MacCallum asked the assemblyman if he thought the terrorist group should lay down their weapons.

Mamdani said on Thursday, “Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms.” But he then said that Israel needs to lay down arms too and said he was one of the first public officials to demand a ceasefire in the conflict.

Cuomo said that Mamdani’s position on the conflict was unacceptable and that he sided with those who wished to “globalize the intifada.” Mamdani has refused to denounce those who use that phrase.

Cuomo said that Mamdani “still won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means kill all Jews.”

Sliwa said to Mamdani that “Jews don’t trust you are going to be there for them when they are victims of antisemitic attacks.” Cuomo added, “I agree.”

4. Law and Order

Policing and crime were major issues in the debate. Mamdani had said on X in the past that he aimed to defund the police and has called NYPD a threat to public safety, positions he’s since retreated from.

Mamdami said that his plan was to rely on a Department of Community Safety instead of the police to combat crime.

“We will have dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers in the top 100 subway stations with the highest levels of the mental health crisis and homelessness,” Mamdani said.

Cuomo was critical of Mamdani’s past statements about the police.

“Respect the police. They’re not racists,” Cuomo said. “As the assemblyman calls them, they’re not a threat to public safety. As he says, they’re not anti-queer. They are here to protect New Yorkers”

Sliwa stood in opposition to both Mamdami and Cuomo on the crime issue. He said that Cuomo’s record on the NYPD as governor was terrible and noted that his parole board released “43 cop killers.”

Sliwa also said that Cuomo was far worse on crime than his father, Mario Cuomo, who had also been the governor of New York.

“I knew Mario Cuomo. You are not Mario Cuomo,” Sliwa said.