New York — New York (AFP) – Candidates for mayor of New York City They are scheduled to meet for their final debate on Wednesday night, with Democrat Zahran Mamdani looking to remain in control of a race increasingly seen as a winnable, while former Gov. Andrew Cuomo increases pressure on Republican Curtis Saliwa to drop out.
With just days left until early voting begins, Cuomo made a series of urgent appeals to the city’s conservative voters to abandon Saliwa and support him instead, calling the Republican candidate a “spoiler” whose presence in the race would lead to Mamdani’s victory.
The debate may be the last and best opportunity for the former governor to make his case for running the country’s largest city before elections scheduled for next month.
But Sliwa, the vaunted founder of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, has forcefully maintained that he will not be out of the race and in turn has intensified his criticism of the former governor.
Meanwhile, Mamdani spent his final days campaigning on local issues and energizing his supporters. Although he is expected to face an aggressive version of Cuomo on stage, as he did during this First discussion last weekTrump will need to balance his counterattacks with the hopeful vision for the city that drove his campaign’s momentum.
Here’s what to watch for during Wednesday night’s 90-minute debate, which will be broadcast live on Spectrum News NY1 and streamed on Station location Starting at 7 pm:
Mamdani will try to stay out of the fray and keep his focus on voters.
“While my opponents are focused on talking about each other and who should withdraw, my focus will be on the people of New York themselves and the concerns I have heard from them,” he told reporters on Tuesday, according to the Daily News.
But as the Democratic front-runner and rising national star, the state Assemblyman is still expected to come under attack Wednesday night.
Opponents of the 34-year-old social democrat have focused on his relatively poor political career, charging that the city will fall into chaos under his leadership, and drawing attention to… President Donald Trump’s threats To take control of the city – and even arrest Mamdani – if he wins.
Last week, he was able to fend off much of Cuomo’s verbal attacks while launching his own criticism of the former governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and sexual harassment allegations, which Cuomo denies but led to his 2021 resignation.
Mamdani also got a little help from Saliwa. The Republicans’ fiercest attacks were reserved for Cuomo, forcing the 67-year-old onto the defensive at a time when he needed to strike hard against Mamdani to stifle Democratic momentum.
after He lost his first comeback attempt And in Mamdani’s Democratic primary this summer, Cuomo relaunched his campaign with a strange request: Call on the other candidates to withdraw.
He made a similar play in the final stretch of the general election race, saying in a radio interview this week that “a vote for Curtis is a vote for Mamdani,” while acknowledging that it is “mathematically difficult” for him to win with Saliwa in the race.
“Republicans believe Mamdani poses an existential threat,” Cuomo said. “Then you have to do what you have to do to stop the existential threat.”
Cuomo, now running as an independent, may use the debate to press the issue and give conservatives and moderates one last chance, portraying himself as a more viable candidate than Sliwa.
Sliwa caused quite a stir at last week’s debate as viewers got a glimpse of her Colorful personality Which has long been a staple of the city’s tabloids.
The 71-year-old launched pointed attacks against Cuomo and Mamdani, while recounting tales like the time he was shot in the back of a taxi in what he says was an attempted mob hit.
On Wednesday, Sliwa will look to rally his new constituency for real support as he tries to make his case that he is a viable candidate in the heavily Democratic city.
In order to win, Sliwa will have to retain the roughly 30% of voters he won in the last municipal election, while beating centrists who do not want to support Mamdani or Cuomo.
Even as pressure mounts on Saliwa to exit the race, he seems more committed than ever to staying in the race.
“Billionaires are not going to decide who the next mayor is. You and the people are going to do that,” he said in a campaign video this week in which he called on his supporters to cast ballots on the first day of early voting this weekend.