Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Curtis Sliwa just spoke to his supporters and the media outside the debate venue here in Midtown Manhatan. Supporters of the Republican cheered and chanted "USA, USA" while he spoke.

Sliwa says he defeated the odds to get on the stage tonight. Current New York Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out due to low poll numbers and a series of controversies, was "done", Sliwa declared.

Instead, he says he'll be standing on stage with Cuomo and Mamdani, "keeping it real."

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

Image source, BBC/Grace Goodwin

Miles Ashton is a housing attorney in NYC, and that’s one of the main reasons why he supports Zohran Mamdani for mayor, he says.

"He has some very concrete policy ideas of making the city more affordable for everybody," like his plan to freeze the rent for rent stabilised buildings, Ashton says.

Ashton’s union, the Legal Services Staff Association (LSSA) 2320, a unit of the UAW, was one of the earliest worker's unions to support Mamdani.

"The union supports him and we all want an affordable city," Aston says.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Image source, BBC/Kayla Epstein

Curtis Sliwa stepped out of his SUV to big cheers from his supporters (and some boos from rival campaigns).

He starts shaking hands with his supporters who look thrilled to see him. He even pushes aside the metal police barricades to get closer to them, much to their delight.

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

Image source, Grace Goodwin / BBC

Nikiba is outside today to support Curtis Sliwa, who she says is the perfect candidate for New York City.

She says he understands the issues that millennials like her care the most about, particularly the "epidemic of a shortage in housing".

She says she supports the Republican candidate because he wants to make housing more affordable, and for him to hold building developers accountable to make sure their units are occupied and not sitting empty.

Another reason she’s for Sliwa, Nikiba says, is that he supports making public transportation safer.

And she says, as the founder of the Guardian Angels, he’s been putting his life on the line to protect commuters long before he became a mayoral candidate.

Kayla Epstein
Reporting from New York

Image source, Kayla Epstein / BBC

Jennita Black is an electrician and union member who is here to cheer on Andrew Cuomo.

She tells me she’s supported the Cuomo for about 25 years, since his time as New York’s governor and attorney general before that.

"He’s for the union workers," she says. "He’ll take care of me and my family."

She says that Mamdani does not have enough experience to run America’s biggest city - "he’s 33 years old!" - and she prefers Cuomo’s "longevity".

Grace Eliza Goodwin
Reporting from New York

Image source, Grace Goodwin / BBC

Its a busy scene outside the entrance to the iconic 30 Rockefeller Center, where the first mayoral debate will take place.

The street is filled with press, police, passing tourists, and mostly, supporters of the three candidates.

Curtis Sliwa’s section has been very loud, with supporters and volunteers chanting "Curtis Sliwa" and "USA", blowing whistles, and waving dozens of campaign posters.

Sliwa’s supporters have engaged in a back-and-forth chant with Zohran Mamdani’s group on the other side of the street.

Sliwa’s group have yelled "communists" and "gentrifiers" at Mamdani’s side.

Mamdani’s group is growing larger and louder by the minute. They are chanting "freeze the rent" and "Mamdani" as cars go by honking in support.

They have whistles and a loud drum.

Andrew Cuomo’s section of supporters is much smaller than the other two groups, but more people are joining.

Image source, Grace Goodwin / BBC

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

New York City's mayoral race is unlike many others across the country - and stands out in the city's history.

A 33-year-old Democratic socialist and political newcomer leading by wide margins; an establishment Democrat and former New York governor; and an ever-present Republican candidate.

Most local elections don't draw national attention, said Patrick Egan, professor of politics and public policy at New York University.

"This one is a little bit different," he said, citing "the high-wattage personalities" involved.

There is Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman who shocked his party when he won the city's ranked-choice primary by nearly 13 points in June.

Andrew Cuomo, a moderate Democrat, led the state as governor for 10 years before resigning in a sexual harassment scandal in 2021.

In some ways, their contest may resemble mayoral competitions in large cities across the country, which are facing many of the same problems since emerging from the pandemic.

But New York's debate is expected to capture a large crowd, as a rising Democratic star and longtime New York politicians animate the stage.

Three candidates have qualified for tonight's debate - state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa - the founder of crime-fighting volunteer group the Guardian Angels.

Mamdani is leading by double digits according to several pre-election polls.

Mamdani and Cuomo faced off previously in the Democratic mayoral primary, which Mamdani won.

Cuomo reignited his campaign as an independent.

Sliwa is running as a Republican.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from New York

It’s debate night in New York City.

Three candidates are vying to be the next mayor of America's biggest city, and they will take the stage in Manhattan’s 30 Rockefeller Center at 19:00 local time.

The candidates are Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former NY state governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

It's an election that has captured national attention, and the final result will have political consequences across the country. The contest is a litmus test for the Democratic Party as it seeks to hone its messaging after election losses last November that saw President Donald Trump's Republicans win the White House and both chambers in Congress.

Trump, a New York native, is a frequent verbal critic of Mamdani.

The 33-year-old has had a meteoric rise and his left-wing campaign has ruffled feathers within his own Democratic Party.

To get here, Mamdani beat Cuomo in the Democratic primary. That forced Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 after sexual harassment allegations, to continue his efforts to be mayor as an independent candidate.

Sliwa is the Republican candidate who faces an uphill battle to win votes in a famously liberal city. Sliwa has faced pressure to drop out of the race, in order to make voters choose between Mamdani and Cuomo. But he has refused to back down.

Stick with us for coverage and analysis of what is set to be a fascinating debate.