HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — The major candidates in New York City’s mayoral election engaged in a debate Thursday night.

New York State Asm. Zohran Mamdani, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels crime prevention group, spoke on a variety of issues raised by the moderators in Manhattan.

The candidates, who represent Democratic, Independent and Republican parties, discussed matters like their experience, rhetoric, problem-solving abilities and President Donald Trump.

Cuomo, the independent, called attention to Asm. Mamdani’s lack of experience as a government executive early in the debate, claiming the lawmaker would be unable to handle the country’s most populated city.

“This is not a job for someone, who has no management experience, to run 300,000 people, no financial experience to run $115 billion budget … This is not a job for a first-timer,” the former governor said, adding that Asm. Mamdani has never been employed. “Any day, you could have a hurricane, God forbid a 9/11, a health pandemic. If you don’t know what you’re doing, people could die.”

Asm. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, said earlier he has the experience of “being a New Yorker,” someone who has lived in the city, rode its public transit and bought groceries at its stores. The lawmaker also discussed scandals within Cuomo’s office while he headed New York, particularly sexual harassment allegations and the state’s issues with COVID-19 in nursing homes.

Cuomo used public funds to defend himself against the harassment allegations and “sent seniors to their deaths” at the nursing homes, Asm. Mamdani said.

“What I don’t have in experience I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity you could never make up for in experience,” the lawmaker added, speaking to Cuomo.

The former governor has said there is no basis to the harassment allegations and claimed reports about it and pandemic nursing home deaths are political in nature.

He highlighted Asm. Mamdani’s speech on controversial topics to draw a contrast between the candidates’ character. The lawmaker has represented himself as a terrorist sympathizer by not condemning Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and by not denouncing some Palestinian activist phrases, Cuomo claimed.

“The assemblyman created the perception himself. Why wouldn’t he condemn Hamas? Why wouldn’t he condemn Hasan Piker?” the former governor said, referring to an online streamer who believed the U.S. deserved the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“He still won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means ‘kill all Jews.’ Just say, ‘I denounce it,’ Cuomo continued. “He won’t do it.”

Asm. Mamdani said he hopes fighting in Gaza will stop and that conditions which enabled it will be addressed.

Each of the candidates also discussed how they would handle potential intervention from Trump, who has targeted cities run by Democrats. Sliwa, the Republican nominee, proposed a working relationship with the president.

“Sit with the president and whoever he delegates and try to negotiate. But if you try to get tough with Trump, the only people who are gonna suffer from that are the people of New York City,” he said.

Cuomo and Asm. Mamdani cast each other as potential puppets of the president.

Asm. Mamdani claimed Cuomo asked Trump how to win the election, while the former governor predicted Trump will take over New York City should Asm. Mamdani win.

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.