{"id":18684,"date":"2025-10-27T18:02:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/18684\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T18:02:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:02:12","slug":"meet-the-candidates-running-for-nyc-mayor-heres-where-mamdani-cuomo-and-sliwa-are-on-the-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/18684\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the candidates running for NYC mayor. Here’s where Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa are on the issues."},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York City mayoral election is heating up, with early voting well underway<\/a>. Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Adams<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So far, early voting totals this year are vastly outpacing the 2021 election<\/a>, according to the City Board of Elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As New Yorkers cast their ballots for the next leader of the city<\/a>, here’s a look at the candidates’ positions on key issues and their pitch to voters.<\/p>\n

The list below appears in the latest polling order<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Democrat Zohran Mamdani<\/p>\n

\"Election<\/p>\n

Democratic candidate Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani smiles before the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in the Queens on Oct. 22, 2025.<\/p>\n

Hiroko Masuike\/The New York Times via AP, Pool<\/p>\n

Mamdani joined CBS News New York’s Marcia Kramer for an interview in September and outlined his plan for public safety<\/a>, including creating the Department of Community Safety. His campaign also centers heavily around affordability, calling for a\u00a0rent freeze for rent stabilized units<\/a>,\u00a0free bus service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0universal child care<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How does he plan to pay for these proposals? In part, he says, by increasing the corporate tax rate to 11.5% — the same as New Jersey — and instituting a flat 2% tax rate for individuals earning $1 million or more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kramer asked Mamdani about\u00a0pressure from the White House<\/a>\u00a0and concerns from business leaders about his campaign.<\/p>\n

“My vision for making the most expensive city in the United States of America affordable is actually one that benefits all of us,” he said.<\/p>\n

On crime and safety, Mamdani says his Department of Community Safety would employ mental health outreach workers who would be deployed to subway stations. He says it would cost $1 billion, and said his his proposal is backed by former NYPD Chief of Department\u00a0Rodney Harrison<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite past statements, Mamdani said he believes the NYPD’s current headcount is “appropriate,” and he hopes his strategy will help retain officers<\/a>\u00a0by making their job more achievable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mamdani, who is\u00a0endorsed by the city’s largest teachers’ union<\/a>, said he wants to\u00a0eliminate the Gifted and Talented program<\/a>\u00a0for public school students ages 5 and younger and that he does not support\u00a0expanding the cap on charter schools<\/a>. Both of his opponents have said they would like to expand the program and the number of charters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A\u00a0CBS News poll conducted last month<\/a>\u00a0found affordability is top of mind for NYC voters — 37% of likely voters said the cost of living is their most important issue, followed by crime and safety at 31%. The poll, taken before Adams ended his campaign, showed Mamdani was seen as the candidate most likely to “bring change” and “get things done.”<\/p>\n

After\u00a0winning the Democratic nomination<\/a>, the Queens assemblyman will also appear on ballots as the Working Families candidate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE<\/a> to watch Mamdani’s full interview on “The Point with Marcia Kramer,” and\u00a0CLICK HERE<\/a>\u00a0for a closer look at his campaign policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Independent Andrew Cuomo<\/p>\n

\"Election<\/p>\n

Independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo arrives to participate in the first New York City mayoral debate on Oct. 16, 2025.<\/p>\n

Angelina Katsanis \/ AP<\/p>\n

Cuomo most recently appeared on The Point earlier this month and said affordability, crime and public education are the key issues, but that the city has a perception problem<\/a> and he wants to restore its image.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“[New Yorkers] feel the city is headed in the wrong direction. There’s a sense of chaos, the city’s out of control, the city’s in decline,” the former governor said. “And that’s how I feel also, by the way.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cuomo wants to\u00a0hire 5,000 more NYPD officers<\/a>\u00a0and crack down on\u00a0e-bike violations<\/a>, endeavors he says people would notice in his first 100 days and feel safer from. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Cuomo’s\u00a0affordability policies<\/a>\u00a0call for expanding access to housing, child care, health care and transportation.<\/p>\n

Unlike Mamdani, he would not freeze the rent, which he called “a gimmick that comes back and bites you in the tuchus later on.” His plan is to build 80,000 new, affordable units and have the market take it from there.<\/p>\n

“The real answer is build more housing because we have a 1% vacancy rate,” he said.<\/p>\n

Cuomo is\u00a0running as an independent<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0losing the Democratic primary<\/a>. He will appear on the ballot under an independent line for his “Fight and Deliver Party.”<\/p>\n

He\u00a0resigned as New York’s governor in 2021<\/a>\u00a0after nearly a dozen women accused him of\u00a0sexual harassment<\/a>. He\u00a0denied the allegations<\/a>\u00a0but\u00a0ultimately stepped down<\/a>\u00a0in the face of\u00a0an impeachment investigation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was also\u00a0accused of lying to Congress<\/a>\u00a0about his administration’s\u00a0reporting of nursing home deaths<\/a>\u00a0during the COVID pandemic. The Justice Department\u00a0started a probe into those claims<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE<\/a> to watch Cuomo’s full interview on “The Point,” and\u00a0CLICK HERE<\/a>\u00a0for a closer look at his campaign policies.<\/p>\n

Republican Curtis Sliwa<\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is seen prior to the first New York City mayoral debate on Oct. 16, 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Angelina Katsanis \/ AP Photo \/ Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Sliwa has been a figure of New York City politics since founding the Guardian Angels safety patrol group in the 1970s. While he’s known for his signature red beret, he says he would be willing to change up his look if elected.<\/p>\n

The Republican considers himself a “law and order” candidate and says he wants to\u00a0hire 7,000 additional police officers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He previously told Kramer he hopes to be viewed as a combination of former Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Giuliani has since\u00a0endorsed Sliwa in the race<\/a>, after Bloomberg came forward to\u00a0endorse Cuomo in the primary<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Sliwa has repeatedly brushed off calls for him to leave the race<\/a> and make it a two-way matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani<\/a>. He says it’s up to voters to decide the outcome, even parting with his longtime WABC boss John Catsimatidis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I’m the only one standing between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, who I call Zohran lite,” Sliwa told CBS News<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n

He will appear on the ballot as both the Republican nominee and as an independent candidate for his “Protect Animals Party.” He is a staunch animal rights advocate who says he wants to\u00a0eliminate horse drawn carriages<\/a>\u00a0and kill-shelters citywide.<\/p>\n

Sliwa\u00a0previously ran for mayor in 2021<\/a>\u00a0and lost to Adams.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE<\/a>\u00a0to watch Sliwa’s July interview on “The Point,” and\u00a0CLICK HERE<\/a>\u00a0for a closer look at his campaign policies.<\/p>\n

\n

Marcia Kramer<\/a><\/p>\n

contributed to this report.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New York City mayoral election is heating up, with early voting well underway. Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[80,154,9,24,11,10,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-18684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-andrew-cuomo","9":"tag-curtis-sliwa","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-city","12":"tag-new-york-headlines","13":"tag-new-york-news","14":"tag-zohran-mamdani"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}