Barbs fly as Mamdani and Cuomo meet in final, furious New York mayoral debate

The three leading candidates for mayor of New York City traded blows at their final debate on Wednesday night - a last attempt to show voters their ideas and leadership style.

And this time, they had an audience. Supporters and spectators packed a university auditorium to cheer and occasionally chide them.

Over 90 minutes, three moderators touched on housing, Israel and Gaza, and the current occupant of the White House.

There was little new ground covered from last week's showdown, but the debate was treated as the last high-profile chance to sell a vision before election day on 4 November.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani remained the candidate to beat. Recent polls suggest he holds a double-digit lead over his key opponents, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent Andrew Cuomo.

Candidates come out swinging - and angry

The candidates pushed each other on policies during the first televised debate last week. But this time, the gloves were off - just days before early voting begins on Saturday.

Perhaps fuelled by the live audience in the borough of Queens, the attacks became more heated and personal.

Mamdani, positioned at centre stage, called Cuomo "a desperate man". The former governor told his rival "you never show up for work" as a state assemblyman - which Mamdani denies.

Mamdani fired at Cuomo: "In his own words, that the city is getting screwed by the state. Who was leading the state? It was you."

Mamdani took heat from both men, including one exchange when Sliwa and Cuomo demanded he clarify his position on affordable housing ballot initiatives that voters also consider 4 November.

"I have not yet taken a position on those," Mamdani said, prompting jeers from his opponents.

"What a shocker," Cuomo quipped as Sliwa slapped his palm to his forehead.

Later, NY1 anchor and debate moderator Errol Louis chided Mamdani and Cuomo after another argument broke out about the former governor's record. "You can't talk over each other," he said.

Sliwa took swings at both opponents for their prior records, arguing he was the only candidate who could keep New Yorkers safe. At one point, criticising the subway system during Cuomo's term as governor, Sliwa declared: "I don't trust you."

Even after the debate, Sliwa continued to throw punches.

He promised to be Mamdani's "worst nightmare" should the assemblyman win, and mused Cuomo likely "had a couple Red Bulls" before appearing on stage.

Scandals scrutinised again

In a repeat of the first debate, both Sliwa and Mamdani invoked the sexual harassment allegations that led to Cuomo resigning from the governor's office in 2021.

Cuomo has denied the allegations and aggressively pushed back against his accusers' claims.

Mamdani announced that one of Cuomo's accusers was in the debate audience.

"What do you say to the 13 women who you sexually harassed?" Mamdani asked, invoking the allegations.

Cuomo said the cases had been dropped and again denied wrongdoing.

He also went after Mamdani for a scandal that has dogged him: a photo of him posing and smiling with a Ugandan official who has pushed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in that country.

"Had I known that the first deputy minister was the architect of that legislation, I would not have taken that photo," responded Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, countering that Cuomo had no policies to protect LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.

Dealing with the White House

In a possible preview of future Trump administration actions in the city, federal immigration officers spilled onto a block in New York City's Chinatown neighbourhood on Tuesday, detaining several street vendors and sparking fury from residents.

Mr Louis asked each candidate to respond to the raid, and - bigger picture - explain how they would engage with the White House.

In a rare moment of agreement, all three said that the New York City Police Department should have dealt with any illegal street vending issues, not federal officers. But they took different approaches to dealing with Trump.

"With Trump, it's always the art of the deal. You have to negotiate," Sliwa, the Republican, said.

Mamdani alleged that Cuomo was "Donald Trump's puppet".

Though Mamdani said he would oppose Trump's deportation initiatives, when it came to tackling the cost of living, he said he was ready to work with the president.

Cuomo said that only he had the relevant experience dealing with Trump to ensure New Yorkers got a fair deal.

"He puts his finger in your chest, and you have to put your finger right back in his chest," he said.

Delving into the Israel-Gaza debate

The war in the Middle East has had a profound impact on the New York City mayoral race.

Mamdani made his pro-Palestine views central to his candidacy, despite critics accusing him of encouraging antisemitism and insufficiently denouncing the phrase "globalise the intifada".

Cuomo again accused Mamdani of fanning "the flames of hatred against Jews", while Sliwa said the state assemblyman, who represents a section of Queens, "had a lot of explaining to do".

Mamdani repeated a pledge from the first debate to serve as mayor for "all New Yorkers", including Jewish residents who support Israel.

But he defended himself against accusations that he held extreme views: "It has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice" of being mayor of New York City, Mamdani said.

Mr Louis also asked the staunchly pro-Israel Cuomo: "What would you say to, and how would you handle New Yorkers who are in the streets of your care protesting the actions of the Netanyahu government?"

Many large demonstrations for Palestinians' rights have taken place in New York City throughout the conflict, and Columbia University experienced over a year of protests from students who opposed Israel's military actions in Gaza.

"That's your right. Protest. Demonstrate. Disagree. God bless America, God bless New York City," Cuomo said. "That doesn't justify antisemitic behaviour."