HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) \u2014 The major candidates in New York City\u2019s mayoral election engaged in a debate Thursday night.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The candidates, who represent Democratic, Independent and Republican parties, discussed matters like their experience, rhetoric, problem-solving abilities and President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Cuomo, the independent, called attention to Asm. Mamdani\u2019s lack of experience as a government executive early in the debate, claiming the lawmaker would be unable to handle the country\u2019s most populated city.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d the former governor said, adding that Asm. Mamdani has never been employed. \u201cAny day, you could have a hurricane, God forbid a 9\/11, a health pandemic. If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing, people could die.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asm. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, said earlier he has the experience of \u201cbeing a New Yorker,\u201d someone who has lived in the city, rode its public transit and bought groceries at its stores. The lawmaker also discussed scandals within Cuomo\u2019s office while he headed New York, particularly sexual harassment allegations and the state\u2019s issues with COVID-19 in nursing homes.<\/p>\n
Cuomo used public funds to defend himself against the harassment allegations and \u201csent seniors to their deaths\u201d at the nursing homes, Asm. Mamdani said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I don\u2019t have in experience I make up for in integrity, and what you don\u2019t have in integrity you could never make up for in experience,\u201d the lawmaker added, speaking to Cuomo.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He highlighted Asm. Mamdani\u2019s speech<\/a> on controversial topics to draw a contrast between the candidates\u2019 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe assemblyman created the perception himself. Why wouldn’t he condemn Hamas? Why wouldn\u2019t he condemn Hasan Piker?\u201d the former governor said, referring to an online streamer who believed the U.S. deserved the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cHe still won\u2019t denounce \u2018globalize the intifada,\u2019 which means \u2018kill all Jews.\u2019 Just say, \u2018I denounce it,’ Cuomo continued. “He won\u2019t do it.”<\/p>\n Asm. Mamdani said he hopes fighting in Gaza will stop and that conditions which enabled it will be addressed.<\/p>\n