The New York City mayoral race is also influenced by Donald Trump, who endorsed Andrew Cuomo and threatened federal action if Zohran Mamdani wins. The debate highlighted key campaign issues as the November 4 election nears.
New York (United States): In a dramatic confrontation that electrified the final mayoral debate on Wednesday night, Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani directly challenged former Governor Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations, revealing that one of Cuomo’s accusers was sitting in the LaGuardia Community College audience. The exchange marked one of the most intense moments in a race that has grown increasingly contentious as Election Day approaches on November 4.
“Mr. Cuomo, in 2021, 13 different women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment,” Mamdani stated, his voice cutting through the tension in the Queens venue. “Since then, you have spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as entirely political. You have even gone so far as to legally go after these women.” Then came the revelation that stunned the debate hall. “One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening,” Mamdani continued. “You sought to access her private gynecological records. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?”
The sexual harassment allegations that forced Cuomo from the governorship in 2021 remain a central issue. Investigators with the state attorney general found that Cuomo had “sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees,” though Cuomo claims the cases have been “legally” closed. Litigation in several cases continues.
Cuomo Attacks Mamdani’s Credibility
Cuomo fired back defensively, attempting to deflect the question by attacking his opponent’s credibility. “If you want to be in government, then you have to be serious and mature,” he responded. “There were allegations of sexual harassment. They were then, went to five district attorneys, fully litigated for four years, the cases were dropped, right?” He accused Mamdani of making a “misstatement” and pivoted to attacking the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist’s qualifications, “My main opponent has no new ideas. He has no new plan. It’s Bill de Blasio rehash, and we know how that turned out.”
With less than two weeks until voters head to the polls, Mamdani maintains a substantial lead in polling after his surprise primary victory in June. His campaign has centered on affordability, promising free buses, rent freezes, and universal childcare, funded partly through increased taxes on the wealthy. However, the race will be much tighter if Curtis Sliwa decides to opt out at the last moment.
Cuomo has repeatedly attacked Mamdani’s proposals as unrealistic and has sought to paint his younger opponent as dangerously inexperienced. “You’ve never accomplished anything,” Cuomo charged during the debate. “There’s no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for eight and a half million lives,” he added. The former governor pointed to Mamdani’s legislative record, claiming he “had the worst attendance record in the assembly” and “missed 80% of the votes.”
The Donald Trump Effect
Mamdani dismissed these attacks as the flailing of a politician desperate to cling to relevance. “Andrew Cuomo will spend much of tonight attacking me,” he said. “He is a desperate man, lashing out because he knows that the one thing he’s always cared about, power, is now slipping away from him.” The debate unfolded just hours after federal immigration agents raided Manhattan’s Chinatown, bringing the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement policies into sharp focus. President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard and cut federal funding if Mamdani wins. This has been used as a campaign by Cuomo, who expressed willingness to work with Trump despite differences.
Mamdani countered by calling Cuomo “Donald Trump’s puppet,” noting that the president has publicly endorsed the former governor. “He wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor, not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him,” Mamdani said. Curtis Sliwa criticized both opponents for their approach to dealing with Trump. “My adversaries have decided to bump chests with President Trump to prove who’s more macho,” he said. “You can’t beat Trump. He holds most of the cards.”