Zohran Mamdani has rocketed from relative obscurity to become one of the top contenders in the New York City mayor’s race. In a debate Thursday, he started catching heat for his place among the top of the heap.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, found himself the target of jabs from the crowded field of Democratic mayoral primary candidates, reflecting the upstart state lawmaker’s growing popularity in a race that has for months been dominated by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The swipes came fast.
City Comptroller Brad Lander, drawing a contrast between himself and Mamdani, noted he’s not great on TikTok but has deep experience, a subtle dig at the social media adept Mamdani. Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller, said “we cannot have a mayoralty on training wheels,” a slight aimed at Mamdani over his short time in government.
Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund executive, spent most of his time on stage criticizing Mamdani, saying his platform was full of “pie-in-sky promises.”
Cuomo, the presumed front-runner, threw the hardest blows.
“He’s never dealt with the City Council. He’s never dealt with the Congress. He’s never dealt with the State Legislature. He’s never negotiated with a union. He’s never built anything. He’s never dealt with a natural emergency. He’s never dealt with a hurricane, with a flood, et cetera. He’s never done any of the essentials. And now you have Donald Trump on top of all of that,” Cuomo said.
Mamdani has run an energetic campaign centered on lowering the city’s astronomical cost of living, proposing a bold slate of populist ideas that have turned him into a liberal darling and won him the endorsement of progressive star U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
But his critics are quick to point out that he has few legislative accomplishments in his handful of years in government, while questioning his ability to get his lofty agenda over the line if he were to become mayor.
On Thursday night, Mamdani brushed off most of what his opponents had to say, instead locking onto the former governor.
“To Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA,” Mamdani said, referencing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment, I have never sued for their gynecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.”
Mamdani continued, chiding Cuomo for mispronouncing his name: “And furthermore, the name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I.”
The city’s Democratic mayoral primary, on June 24, has in some ways narrowed into a contest between Cuomo and Mamdani, with the two opposing politicians amassing endorsements and gathering momentum as the election nears.
Cuomo, who is in the midst of a political comeback after resigning as governor over a sexual harassment scandal, has long been the favorite, bringing fundraising prowess, the power of a political dynasty and a long record of accomplishments to the contest.
He has, throughout the race and during Thursday’s debate, faced intense attacks over his political record and scandal. Cuomo stepped down from office in 2021 after a report from the state attorney general concluded that he sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has said he did not intentionally mistreat the women but had simply ran afoul of what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.
On Thursday, Cuomo said “nothing has come, except political fodder for my opponents,” from the scandal.
The former governor has cast himself as an experienced moderate who has the political acumen to deal with the Republican president and save a city that he has described as out of control with crime and homelessness.
Mamdani, who was first elected in 2020 to represent a state Assembly seat in Queens, has offered a more optimistic vision and focused on cost-of-living concerns. He’s pitching free city buses, free childcare and higher taxes on the wealthy, all articulated in well-produced social media videos that have gained attention online.
At one point in Thursday’s debate, moderators allowed the candidates to ask questions of each other. Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the New York City Council, directed her question at Mamdani, first detailing her long work experience and then asking, “Given what I’ve just laid out, do you think you’re more qualified than me to lead the city?”
Mamdani smiled and praised Adams’ leadership, but said he believed he was the most qualified “because I believe the most pressing crisis we’re facing here is one of affordability, and that is something that my campaign has been laser-focused on,” before touching on some of his policy points.
