Cuomo, Mamdani Spar in New York City Mayoral Election’s Democratic Primary Debate

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 the first face-to-face 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. In recent weeks, Mamdani—a 33-year-old Indian American immigrant and progressive candidate from Queens—has narrowed the gap, now trailing within the margin of error in some polls....