New York mayoral candidates hold final debate before early voting begins Saturday

New York City mayoral hopefuls relentlessly criticized their opponents as they made their final pitch to voters Wednesday night in the final debate before early voting begins this Saturday.

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa once again traded barbs on the debate stage, meeting for the second time in less than a week.

Wednesday's debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City came as billionaires called for Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral race this week to solidify support for Cuomo against Mamdani, and as more than 650 rabbis across the country, including those at New York City's largest synagogues, signed an open letter condemning Mamdani for what They said it was anti-Israel rhetoric.

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Both issues were on display Wednesday night, as moderators pressed Sliwa to stay in the race and Mamdani answered questions about his support for Israel.

When asked if Mamdani regrets his “long-held” anti-Israel views, the Democratic Socialist affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers.

“You will not denounce 'globalizing the intifada,' which means 'killing Jews.' There is unprecedented fear in New York. It was not several rabbis. It was 650 rabbis who signed the letter, not several,” Cuomo said. While Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during the primaries, he has since said he would “discourage” others from using the slogan.

“I've heard Jewish New Yorkers talk about their fears about anti-Semitism in this city and what they deserve is a leader who takes it seriously, who eradicates it from these five boroughs, not one who uses it as a weapon to score political points on a debate stage,” Mamdani responded in a fiery moment on the debate stage.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participated in a second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, on October 22, 2025, in New York City. (Hiroko Masuike-Pool/Getty Images)

Sliwa also weighed in, telling Mamdani that Jewish New Yorkers are “scared” and “scared.”

“They see you as the arsonist who fanned the flames of anti-Semitism,” Sliwa charged, while accusing him of supporting “global jihad.” New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand had to apologize earlier this year for “mischaracterizing Mamdani's record” when she made the same implication.

“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” Mamdani said. “That's not something I've ever said that's still attributed to me. And frankly, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm the first Muslim candidate who's on the verge of winning this election.”

The final New York City mayoral debate was moderated by Spectrum News NY1 political anchor Errol Louis, WNYC's Brian Lehrer and THE CITY's Katie Honan.

The first question posed to the candidates during Wednesday's debate focused on the federal raid in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday that led to the arrest of nine West African immigrants who were in the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Supporters of Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gather outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, New York City, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

All three candidates agreed Tuesday that the Trump administration was outside their jurisdiction. Cuomo called the raid “dangerous.”

“You don't send ICE in without coordinating with our police,” Cuomo said, arguing that he would have personally called President Donald Trump if he were mayor to tell him the administration was “off limits.” Sliwa agreed that the matter should have been left to the NYPD.

Mamdani took the criticism a step further, calling ICE a “reckless entity that cares little about the law and even less about the people it is supposed to serve,” and urging it to “end the chapter of collaboration between City Hall and the federal government, which we have seen under” Mayor Eric Adams, who is no longer seeking re-election and has earned a reputation for his willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration on reform. migratory.

At one point, the candidates were allowed to ask their opponents a question, leading to a tense moment between Cuomo and Mamdani. Cuomo questioned how Mamdani could pose for a photo with an anti-LGBTQ advocate. Mamdani said that if he had known, he would not have agreed to take the photograph.

Mamdani responded, asking Cuomo, “What do you say to the 13 women you sexually harassed?” Cuomo continued to deny the allegations and said the cases were dropped.

The latest Fox News poll, conducted Oct. 10-14, ahead of last week's first debate of the general election, found that Mamdani has gained a substantial lead in the race for New York City mayor, as voters see him as the best candidate to address the city's biggest issues.

According to the survey, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among new york city Registered voters: 49% of voters support Mamdani, while 28% support Cuomo and 13% favor Sliwa. Mamdani also surpassed the 50% threshold among likely voters, garnering 52% support, while Cuomo garnered 28% and Sliwa received just 14%.

Supporters of New York City Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City ahead of the final debate on Wednesday, October 22. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

But as Mamdani, always a social media-savvy candidate, warned his followers on Wednesday, Cuomo was the favorite to win the nomination just weeks before the Democratic primary. By consolidating the support of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and backing each other to unseat Cuomo through ranked-choice voting, Mamdani achieved the political upset that has since propelled him to the national stage.

Since winning the primary, Trump has called Mamdani a “100% communist lunatic” and “my little communist.” Mamdani has rejected that moniker, stating that he is a democratic socialist.

However, the odd-year elections have captivated a national audience at a time when Democrats are still grappling with devastating losses last year. And with Trump back in the White House, Democrats across the country are trying to capitalize on growing discontent over Trump's sweeping agenda for his second term.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York, on October 22, 2025. (Hioko Masuike/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Less than two hours before the candidates took the stage on Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Mamdani intends to keep New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch as his police commissioner if she is elected in November, citing two senior campaign aides and two other sources who were briefed on the plans.

“I can confirm that information,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “My administration will be relentless in its pursuit of security and affordability for all New Yorkers, and achieving it will require us assembling a team of the best and brightest.”

Mamdani applauded Tisch for taking on a “broken status quo charter to create accountability, root out corruption and reduce crime across the five boroughs.” Cuomo and Sliwa also confirmed they would keep her as commissioner if elected.

The Democratic candidate has faced a number of criticisms in the campaign trial for his past comments, including calling the New York Police Department “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety” in 2020. among other insults. Mamdani publicly apologized to the NYPD during an interview on Fox News last week.

Ahead of competitive midterm elections scheduled for next year, Republicans have already taken advantage of Mamdani's progressive politics, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R.N.Y., who is considering a run for governor. Her campaign said in a recent statement: “Kathy Hochul has literally supported a pro-terrorist jihadist mayor of New York City.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withholding her support. Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader of New York Democrats, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer They have not yet united behind the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, although Jeffries indicated this week that a decision is imminent.

This week, Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and the hedge fund's CEO Bill Ackman urged Sliwa to drop out of the race, arguing that a vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. The New York Post editorial board even joined the Sliwa calls leave the race, but the Republican candidate has maintained that he will remain in the race.

Fox News' Kirill Clark contributed to this report.