Cuomo, Mamdani Spar in New York City Mayoral Election’s Democratic Primary Debate

The debate was a clash between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, who has dramatically narrowed the polling gap in the race’s final days.

Democratic mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo (L), and Zohran Mamdani (2R), present arguments as Whitney Tilson (2L) and Michael Blake (R) look on during a Democratic mayoral primary debate, at NBC's 30 Rockefeller Center studios in New York on June 4, 2025. (Photo by Yuki Iwamura / POOL / AFP) Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The Democratic primary debate for the New York City mayoral election took place on June 12 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in Manhattan, marking a clash between the race’s top two candidates: former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.

Cuomo—who served as New York’s governor for 10 years, from 2011 to 2021, before resigning following sexual harassment allegations—has long been the frontrunner, polling above 60 percent in hypothetical head-to-head matchups under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

In recent weeks, Mamdani—a 33-year-old Indian American immigrant and progressive candidate from Queens—has narrowed the gap, now trailing within the margin of error in some polls.

Mayor Eric Adams, elected as a Democrat in 2021, has withdrawn from the Democratic primary and is instead running as an independent in the general election.

During the debate, Cuomo, Mamdani, and five lesser-known candidates addressed a range of key issues—including affordable housing, public safety, and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies—that have defined the race. Below, we highlight the two frontrunners’ most notable moments.

Zohran Mamdani

Mamdani, placed in the center of the stage, has seen the greatest rise in the polls recently, which has been attributed to his use of social media and his signature policy proposal to freeze the increase of residential properties’ rents by landlords in New York City. The cost of living is one of the biggest issues in New York City’s politics, with average rents across all five boroughs currently $4,045 per month for a one-bedroom apartment.

Candidates were asked whether they would support a rental freeze, with only Cuomo declining to raise his hand in response, a position that Mamdani attacked. Mamdani also committed to building “200,000 truly affordable homes” in the city.

On questions of policing and public safety, Mamdani criticized the U.S. government’s recent increase in detentions of illegal immigrants for deportation proceedings. Recently, Adams directed the city’s Department of Corrections, which oversees the city’s jail system, to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in arresting such persons, which has sparked widespread anger in the overwhelmingly progressive city.

“When I am the mayor, the NYPD ... will not assist Trump’s ICE agents,” Mamdani said.

The City of New York Police Department (NYPD) does not normally cooperate with ICE on removal operations, except in “limited situations.”

Mamdani also promised to direct taxpayer-funded New York City lawyers of the city’s Law Department to represent suspected illegal immigrants in deportation proceedings.

On other policy issues, such as the city budget and education, Mamdani repeatedly said that the city must stop paying large fees to consulting companies that develop policies for the government and advise them on their execution.

“We have to end our city’s addiction to consulting and contracts. We’re currently paying McKinsey millions of dollars to design a trash can,” he said.

He repeated the point on education, saying that the city should cancel its contracts for education advice.

“There is too much money in the [Department of Education] that is currently being spent on consulting and contracts that are duplicative, that are not standardized, and that could actually be redirected back into the classroom,” he said.

Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo leaned heavily on his experience as the 56th governor of New York to argue that he was the most suitable candidate for Democrats.

“Everyone always has a plan ... but the question is who really has the ability to get the job done,” Cuomo said. “Who can manage the city? I managed the state that has double the budget of New York City.”

As Mamdani has risen in the polls, Cuomo has emphasized the assemblyman’s lack of experience by comparison. Mamdani was elected to the state Assembly in 2020.

“Experience matters ... to put a person in this seat at this time with no experience is reckless and dangerous,” Cuomo said, alluding to the city’s challenges and progressive New Yorkers’ opposition to the Trump administration.

“Who can take on Donald Trump? That is the big question.”

During Trump’s first term as U.S. president, Cuomo, as governor, frequently sparred with him on issues, including their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cuomo also discussed the support he’s received from prominent endorsers. In recent weeks, Cuomo has been endorsed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg—a coveted endorsement given his popularity in the city—several members of Congress, the State Legislature, and the City Council. He has also been endorsed by many labor unions as well as Jewish community leaders, the latter being noticeable given Mamdani’s criticism of Israel during its war against Hamas.

“I am the candidate on this stage who is supported by more labor unions than any other candidate. 650,000 working men and women support me,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani, by contrast, has been endorsed by a smaller number of unions, as well as U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the Democratic Socialists of America.

On policy, Cuomo heavily emphasized crime and public safety, which has become a major concern amid several high-profile criminal incidents, particularly on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Subway system. He promised to increase the number of NYPD officers on patrol.

“I would add 5,000 police officers. Yes, we need mental health professionals ... but this city has to be safe,” said Cuomo.

He has also released a plan for subway safety.

Like Mamdani, Cuomo said that he would not cooperate with ICE in the removal of illegal immigrants. He said that New York City, under his leadership, would return to being a “sanctuary city” for such persons.

“We’re going to protect our immigrants. This is a sanctuary city and we are going to defend the laws of the sanctuary city,” Cuomo said. “Trump] cannot win a fight with me.”

The June 24 election will use a ranked-choice voting system. Voters will rank candidates by preference, and in each round, the lowest-ranked candidates will be eliminated and their votes redistributed until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote.