Yesterday, on Thursday, October 16th, the first general election mayoral debate for New York City was held. The debate was between three candidates: Zohran Mamdani, the democratic nominee; Andrew Cuomo, the independent candidate; and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee.
Zohran Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. In the upcoming election, he was the Democratic nominee for the mayoral race. He has become famous thanks to his political activism and public statements. During the debate, he walked back previous declarations of wanting to defund the police, instead saying that police should not respond to mental health crises.
Andrew Cuomo is an American lawyer and member of the Democratic Party. He is the son of former New York governor Mario Cuomo, and Andrew was also a previous New York governor. He started his service in 2011 but resigned in 2021 after several accusations of sexual harassment.
Curtis Sliwa is an American politician, radio talk show host, and founder of the Guardian Angels. The Guardian Angels is a non-profit volunteer crime prevention organization that patrols New York City and helps prevent crime. He is the Republican nominee for the New York Mayoral race with no opposition within his party.
Each of these candidates has had a major presence in the media and the society of New York City. During the debate, Cuomo was on the defensive for most of the night, with both other candidates challenging him frequently on his positions. The majority of the debate was discussions over common issues such as groceries, gas prices, and rent within the city.
The debate was an interesting start to the electoral debates, and I am looking forward to future debates.
