Cuomo has arrived at the Rockefeller Center for tonight’s debate.
As he entered NBC’s New York headquarters, he told reporters that his goal for tonight was for “New Yorkers to hear the truth”.
Mamdani has maintained a substantial lead in the race for New York City mayor in a poll released before Thursday’s debate.
The Fox News survey found Mamdani had 49 per cent support among registered voters, while 28 per cent backed Cuomo and 13 per cent favoured Sliwa.
The Democrat rose to 52 per cent among those likely to vote, with Cuomo trailing on 28 per cent.
Since the previous Fox News poll in September, Mamdani’s support has increased by five points among likely voters and four points among registered voters.
Mamdani supporters out in full force
Mamdani hugs a supporter in midtown Manhattan
AP/ANGELINA KATSANIS
Mamdani has arrived for tonight’s debate at the Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan to a warm welcome from his supporters.
The Democrat marched from Trump Tower on 5th Avenue with a large entourage, which included a New Orleans-style brass band. His team struggled to clear a path for him through several blocks of rush-hour traffic.
After passing by Radio City Hall, Mamdani shook hands with fans lined up behind metal barricades.
Who is Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate?
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate
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Curtis Sliwa is a crime safety activist and radio host who is best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels.
Sliwa launched the volunteer crime-prevention organisation in 1979 during a period of high crime in New York. The group quickly gained national attention for the beret-wearing volunteers, though it also drew controversy and scepticism from city officials and police unions.
The 71-year-old Republican nominee has consistently polled between 11 and 17 per cent, and has no realistic path to victory. However he has resisted pressure to drop out and give Cuomo a clearer run to defeat Mamdani.
After his loss to Eric Adams in the 2021 campaign, Sliwa maintained a visible presence in city politics, continuing to comment on policing, homelessness and quality-of-life issues.
A lifelong animal lover, Sliwa and his wife Nancy Regula have rescued and fostered hundreds of cats over the years at their Upper West Side apartment.
Does Andrew Cuomo still have a chance at his redemption arc?
Andrew Cuomo
JOHN LAMPARSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
After his surprise defeat in the primary, Andrew Cuomo relaunched his campaign as an independent in July with the declaration: “I’m in it to win it”.
The former governor brings universal name recognition and significant baggage to the race.
He resigned as governor while preparing to run for a fourth consecutive term in August 2021, amid sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied.
A Department of Justice investigation found that he subjected at least 13 women to a “sexually hostile work environment” while in office. Criminal charges were later dismissed.
Cuomo was a reassuring figure in the early months of the Covid pandemic, but his reputation took a hit after it emerged that his administration released incomplete data on the number of deaths at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
He has pledged to build more affordable housing, expand affordable healthcare, and increase wages. Cuomo is seen as a more business-friendly candidate than Mamdani.
He hails from a political dynasty – his father Mario was a three-time governor of New York state.
Who are the candidates in tonight’s debate?
Zohran Mamdani arrives for the debate on Thursday night
AP/ANGELINA KATSANIS
Zohran Mamdani cemented his favouritism to become the next New York City mayor when he defeated a large field, including Cuomo, in the Democratic primary in June.
The state assemblyman was born in Uganda, and moved to New York with his family at the age of seven. A self-described Democratic socialist, Mamdani’s campaign platform has focused on lowering living costs for New Yorkers and improving their quality of life.
To do so, he has pledged to freeze rent on rent-controlled apartments, build more affordable housing, and provide free childcare and city-run grocery stores.
Mamdani has pledged to make the city safer by investing in citywide mental health programmes and crisis response teams to people suffering mental health crises, while freeing up police to focus on serious crime. He has also proposed making city buses free for all riders.
All eyes on debate as early voting looms
Tonight’s New York City mayoral general election debate will provide the three remaining candidates with one of their final chances to make an impression on voters before early voting begins in just over a week.
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic candidate, has a double-digit lead in the latest poll and will be looking to avoid any major mishaps.
His nearest rival is Andrew Cuomo, 67, the former New York governor who is running as an independent after his defeat to Mamdani in the Democratic primary in June.
Curtis Sliwa, the 71-year-old Republican, is the founder of the Guardian Angels crime-fighting group and is running for mayor for a second time after being defeated four years ago by Eric Adams, the present mayor.