With just under three weeks left before New York City’s gubernatorial election, the three remaining candidates, Republican Curtis Sliwa, Independent Andrew Cuomo, and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, faced off at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan on Thursday night, each making their case for why voters should trust them to lead the nation’s largest city and the financial capital of the world.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo sought to narrow the gap with Mamdani, who, according to the latest polling, is still more than 10 points behind Zohran Mamdani.
In one exchange, Cuomo attacks Maudani's complete lack of experience. The self-described socialist has held various jobs, including rapper, employee at a housing nonprofit, campaign worker, and city councilman. Apparently, those jobs are all someone needs to fancy themselves ready to turn the capital of American capitalism into a socialist wasteland.
"This is not a job for someone who has no management experience, to run around 300,000 people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget," Cuomo said of his opponent. "He literally has never had a job. On his resume, it says he interned for his mother. This is not a job for a first timer. 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 will die."
Andrew Cuomo calls out Zohran Mamdani for having no experience on his resume except working for his mother.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) October 17, 2025
But what was most interesting was how Mamdani’s face changed when Cuomo mentioned 9/11.
Gone was Mamdani’s fake smile, replaced by his jihadist scowl.
(nbcnewyork on TT) pic.twitter.com/25geGFHbqC
"If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn to the governor who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experience that’s on offer here today," Mamdani fired back. "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."\
What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 16, 2025
And what Andrew Cuomo lacks in integrity, he could never make up for with experience. pic.twitter.com/Toe2sTE8NR
Andrew Cuomo dismissed the nursing home claim as a political investigation that "went nowhere."