On Wednesday evening (June 4th), the first Democratic primary debate for the 2025 New York City mayoral race was held in New York City with 9 Democratic candidates participating.
Four NBC hosts posed the sharpest questions facing New York City to the 9 Democratic mayoral candidates, including affordable housing, handling President Trump, public safety, shoplifting habits, electric bicycles, illegal immigration, education, housing, anti-Semitism, AI, business helicopters, and more. Each candidate calmly answered the questions, with many challenging the current frontrunner in the polls, Andrew Cuomo, confirming the predicted scene of “all against Cuomo” by the media.
The 9 Democratic candidates in the primary debate were former Governor Cuomo, Socialist Democrat State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former State Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson.
In addressing the first question about affordable housing, the atmosphere remained calm with each candidate discussing their achievements and plans in housing. Cuomo, with his experience as the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, stated, “I know what to do.” Mamdani addressed the camera, emphasizing the need to freeze rents for over 2 million stabilized tenants to make the city more affordable and provide free childcare services, funded by taxing billionaires and corporations.
Moving on to the question of how to deal with President Trump, Cuomo was asked first. He highlighted his past confrontations with Trump and claimed to be the person Trump least wants to see on the stage, positioning himself as the people’s choice for mayor.
When confronted with allegations of lying during the pandemic about nursing home data, Mamdani attacked Cuomo, leading to a heated exchange. Other candidates joined in, criticizing Cuomo’s handling of the crisis.
The debate intensified as candidates challenged each other on various issues, including public safety, with Lander and others accusing Cuomo of being out of touch with the community. Amidst the clashes, candidates found common ground on issues like opposing anti-Semitism and supporting education.
Despite the attacks on Cuomo, he remains the frontrunner in the polls, supported by various unions and community endorsements, including from Asian-American NYC Council Member Zhang Wenyi and education organization PLACE NYC.
Recent reports suggest that Cuomo’s sights may be set beyond the mayoral seat to the presidency. Cuomo has expressed his ambition to spend time in Washington, attending national conferences and engaging in national politics.
In response to the question of who should rank second on the ballot, Cuomo asserted that decision should be left to the voters, underscoring his confidence in their choice.