Zohran Mamdani: NYC Mayoral Debate Shows How He Plans To Lead City

Political experts and fans alike believe, Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious from his first NYC mayoral debate on Oct. 16. Facing off against former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican politician Curtis Sliwa, Zohran Mamdani appeared confident and composed as he tackled a wide range of issues, from policing New York City and addressing the mental health crisis to unveiling an ambitious plan to tax the wealthy to make the city more affordable for millions.

“Well, really, what happened is you had Zohran Mamdani going into this as the clear frontrunner in nearly every poll that we have seen since his upset Democratic primary win back in June. And quite frankly, he left this debate as the clear frontrunner,” said Nick Reisman, a political reporter with Politico, during an interview with CBS News on Oct. 17.

“Mamdani did not have really any major mistakes that he made,” Reisman continued. “Andrew Cuomo tried to trip him up on a few key issues that have been really kind of difficult for Mamdani during this campaign, like Israel and public safety, and Mamdani, for the most part, was able to parry a lot of those attacks, and he got through on his message about affordability and the cost of living.”

Zohran Mamdani On Israel And Hamas

The NYC mayoral debate began with Mamdani addressing his position on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and responding to questions about the recent ceasefire agreement. Earlier in his campaign, Mamdani had said he didn’t hold “opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety,” but on Thursday night, the 33-year-old made his position clear.

“Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms. I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire,” he told the moderators. “Calling for a ceasefire means seizing fire. That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons. And the reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. I, like many New Yorkers, am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.”

On Policing And Mental Health

When it came to tackling the issue of policing in NYC and the city’s mental health crisis, Mamdani stressed that he does not support defunding the NYPD, but instead advocates for reforming the system by implementing a multi-layered response model for mental health crises. He referenced the approach taken in Eugene, Oregon, where mental health professionals are dispatched alongside police during certain emergency calls. Under his plan, operators would be specially trained to assess crises and involve law enforcement only when necessary.

He also made it clear that he would oppose any use of the National Guard in NYC for public safety purposes, contrasting his stance with what’s being done in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles by the Trump administration.

“We do not need the National Guard here in New York City. We do not need them for the purpose of safety, because if it was safety that President Trump was so concerned about, he would send them to the eight out of 10 states that have the highest levels of crime in this country, but he won’t, because they’re all run by Republicans,” Mamdani said.

“What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver on that safety. When Donald Trump sent ICE agents on people in Los Angeles, Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers need not overreact. That is the furthest answer that New Yorkers are looking for. They are looking for someone who will lead.”

On How He Plans To Fund His Vision For The City

Mamdani’s platform includes approximately $10 billion in proposed new spending, which he says will be funded through increased taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. Despite Governor Kathy Hochul’s stance against raising income taxes on millionaires, Mamdani remained firm on his plan during the NYC mayoral debate.

“A lot of people have called even my campaign a non-starter when we first began, and now I stand before you proud to be the Democratic nominee who got the most votes in city primary history. And I believe we will see the same thing with our push to ensure that we are taxing the wealthiest and the most profitable corporations the fair amount that they should pay,” he said with conviction.

The Democrat added, “Now there are those who will say that, because it will be hard, you should give up. We saw what giving up looked like when Andrew Cuomo was the governor. He gave up on fighting for working-class New Yorkers and instead caved in to his billionaire donors.”

On Making New York City Affordable Again

Mamdani outlined several ways to ease the cost of living in the city, with proposals like free and faster bus service, universal childcare, and freezing rents, all while increasing revenue through tax reforms and budget efficiency.

“Look, I’ve said very clearly, making buses fast and free costs about $700 million a year. Making universal child care a reality costs about $5 or $6 billion a year. If you raise the state’s top corporate tax rate to match that of New Jersey, you’ll be raising $5 billion in of itself,” he explained.

“We have also put forward a plan to save money here in New York City with a billion dollars in savings through procurement reform, through following the independent Budget Office’s assessment about hiring more fiscal auditors, and an action to collect the fines and fees from bad landlords,” he continued.

“Freezing the rent doesn’t require any fiscal infusion, so that will be something we’ll be pursuing immediately. And universal childcare—after housing—is the second cost. Childcare is the second cost pushing New Yorkers out of this city, twenty and a half thousand dollars a year is the estimate we’ve seen. That will be a priority.”

Social media users took to Instagram to applaud Mamdani on his performance after the NYC mayoral debate. 

“This brother delivered one of, if not THE best political debate performance I’ve ever seen,” wrote one user in a post shared by the politician Thursday night. “The best,” another added.

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After Winning NYC’s Democratic Mayoral Primary, Zohran Mamdani Reaffirms Support For Reparations

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