The NYC Mayoral Debate and Upcoming Election

by Catherine Polatidis '26

On Thursday, October 16th, Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo came together at Radio City Music Hall for the NYC general election debate. All three candidates voiced why they should be NYC’s next mayor and stated key aspects of their campaign and policies they plan to implement. 

Cuomo, who lost the Democratic election to Mamdani earlier this year, is running

independently and has previously served almost three terms as NY State's Governor before

he resigned in early 2021. Now Cuomo is running for Mayor of NYC, which has many New Yorkers divided. Particularly, the sexual assault allegations from 2021 have left a notable impact in Cuomo’s reputation for many New Yorkers. Furthermore, many New Yorkers believe that Cuomo is out of touch with the current issues in New York City, especially since he only recently registered to vote in the city, and has long been based upstate. 

Mamdani, the official Democratic Party nominee for Mayor of New York City, has amassed a large fan base in 2025. A huge part of his campaign’s success comes from his

online engagement, particularly from Gen Z and Millennials. Mamdani plans to implement more progressive policies such as government mandated supermarkets and reallocating police funding to social services. Critics of Mamdani often point to his lack of political experience and ambitious policies when questioning his adequacy for the job. 

Sliwa, the official Republican nominee, has previously ran for mayor in 2021 against

Mayor Eric Adams. Notorious for sporting a red beret, Sliwa advocates for tough on crime policies and founded the Guardian Angels in 1977 to combat crime on the subway. Sliwa is also a huge advocate of getting proper resources for the homeless and mentally ill. Sliwa’s policies lean more conservative in general, which puts him at a disadvantage in most regions of New York City. 

Despite the many differences each candidate has, all offer a diverse perspective on New York City and what they want to do to make it a better place. The official Mayoral Election is scheduled on Tuesday, November 4th where our 110th mayor will be determined. 

All Photos Courtesy of NYTimes and Wikipedia

Sources: NYtimes.com and Wikipedia.org

Edited By: Kavya Chacko '26, Catherine Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant

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