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.