From bills to berets: Notable moments from NYC’s contentious mayoral debate

New York City’s mayoral candidates duked it out in their first general election debate Thursday night, with contenders Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa sparring over everything from the Israel-Hamas war to the city’s education system.

In addition to policy issues, the candidates also made revealing statements as they were asked about their weekly grocery bills and whether they had bought legal marijuana.

Here are some of the notable moments:

The Middle East and religion

Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, wasted little time in trying to clean up comments he had made earlier in the week during an interview on Fox News, in which he sidestepped a question on whether Hamas should lay down its arms.

In the Fox interview, Mamdani said: “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel, beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law.”

On Thursday, he was unambiguous. “Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” he said.

Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary and is running as an independent, has heavily courted the city’s Jewish voters during his campaign while characterizing Mamdani as unsympathetic to concerns about antisemitism.

“Why wouldn’t he condemn Hamas?” Cuomo asked during the debate.

Asked whether he thinks Mamdani is antisemitic, Cuomo said: “I don’t make those judgments about people. Are you a racist, are you an antisemite? I know there are many Jewish people who believe he is antisemitic.”

Meanwhile, Cuomo was pressed on his relationship with the city’s Muslim community and his failure to visit mosques as governor.

In response, Cuomo said he doesn’t think Mamdani — who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor if elected — is “representative of the Muslim community.”

Mamdani countered: “It took Andrew Cuomo being beaten by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary for him to set foot in a mosque.”

Sliwa would like a word

Those familiar with Sliwa might have noticed something missing Thursday night: The distinctive red beret that has sat atop the Republican candidate’s head since he created the Guardian Angels crime patrol group in the late 1970s.

Sliwa has ditched the hat at times during his campaign. But he went completely without it during the debate, at one point declaring that he “looks very mayoral tonight.” A small tan line could be seen running across his forehead, evidence of his dedication to the accessory.

The Republican, a longtime fixture of local radio and television, is a larger-than-life tabloid figure with a very New York gift of gab. He didn’t disappoint on Thursday.

Asked how he gets around the city when he can’t take the subway, Sliwa said: “I try to avoid yellow cabs, as you know, I was shot in the back of a yellow cab in 1992 by the Gottis and the Gambinos.”

But he acknowledged that if he has to: “I Uber.”

Throughout the debate, Sliwa — who was between Mamdani and Cuomo on the stage — sometimes found it hard to get a word in as his two opponents bickered.

“I am being marginalized out of this,” Sliwa said.

But he also used his proximity to Cuomo to slip in frequent digs at the former governor.

After Cuomo claimed that President Donald Trump would “back down” against him in disputes, Sliwa responded: “I know you think you’re the toughest guy alive, but let me tell you something: You lost your own primary, right? You were rejected by your Democrats. You have a difficult understanding what the term ‘no’ is.”

“I agree with Curtis,” Mamdani chimed in.

Andrew Cuomo blames TikTok

During the Democratic primary, Cuomo avoided unscripted public events and his opponents and instead relied on his near-universal name recognition and a multimillion-dollar campaign fundraising apparatus.

On Thursday, Cuomo attributed his primary loss largely to his social media presence.

“I think in the primary campaign I did not do enough on social media, which is a very effective medium now. I think the assemblyman did do a better job on TikTok and social media than I did during the campaign, and that has changed now,” said Cuomo, 67.

“I’ve also increased my activity significantly, but my agenda is exactly the same,” he added.

In a follow-up question, a moderator asked if Cuomo learned any deeper lesson from the results of the primary and he responded: “Between the two campaigns, social media, more accessibility.”

Cost of living

Asked how much they spend a week on groceries, the candidates all gave similar figures: Cuomo said $150, Sliwa $175 and Mamdani $125 to $150.

But asked about their monthly rent or mortgage payment, the costs showed a sharp contrast: Cuomo’s housing costs clocked in at $7,800, Sliwa $3,900 and Mamdani $2,300.

Both Cuomo and Sliwa noted that Mamdani’s home — a one-bedroom apartment in Queens that he shares with his wife — is one of the city’s many rent-stabilized apartments.

Cuomo argued as he has before that the state lawmaker’s apartment should be occupied by “a poor person” — though the units, which make up roughly 40% of the city’s rental stock, are currently open to people of all incomes.

Got pot?

New York legalized recreational marijuana a few years ago, opening the door for legal pot shops across the state.

The candidates were asked if they have ever bought weed from one of the state’s dispensaries.

“I have,” said Mamdani with a big smile across his face. ”I have purchased marijuana at a legal cannabis shop.”

Cuomo said he had not.

While Sliwa responded: “When I was shot five times, I had Crohn’s disease, I did use medical marijuana, yes.”