Frontrunner Cuomo parries attacks from Democratic candidates during New York City mayoral debate
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- It was a crowded and contentious debate stage Wednesday night, as the Democratic candidates running to become the next mayor of New York City squared off.
While the candidates disagreed on topics like immigration and affordable housing, they were in unison on attacking frontrunner Andrew Cuomo.
"One of my regrets is having trusted leaders like Andrew Cuomo," said State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will endorse Mamdani on Thursday, a widely expected backing coming the morning after the debate.
The endorsement will be announced later Thursday in a statement, the campaign first shared it with the NY Times.
"Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said in the endorsement. "In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that."
From almost the first moment of the debate, it was open season against the former New York governor.
"The people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo, that's the greatest threat to public safety in New York City," said Democratic candidate for mayor Michael Blake.
"It's not only that Andrew Cuomo lied to Congress, which is perjury, he also lied to the grieving families whose loved ones he sent into those nursing homes to protect his $5 million book deal," City Comptroller Brad Lander said.
"Andrew Cuomo has the nerve to talk about defund when he signed the bail reform bill that you didn't even read," former City Comptroller Scott Stringer said.
"No regrets when it comes to cutting Medicaid or healthcare," New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said. "No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of COVID to Black and Brown communities. Really? No regrets."
The former governor, and current mayoral frontrunner spent the night parrying attacks from many of the eight other Democrats on stage, all vying for the party's nomination.
Cuomo targeted just one, Mamdani, the only challenger to break through in the polls.
"Donald trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter," Cuomo said. "He's been in government for 27 minutes. He passed three bills."
The attacks went for two hours on Wednesday night, as moderators steered the conversation through a wide range of issues, from housing to public safety, to dealing with Donald Trump, but because all the candidates had only 30 seconds to respond, they often just focused on the frontrunner.
"And the difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in D.C.," Mamdani said.
"Sexually harassed 13 women, marked up that state Health Department report to undercut nursing home deaths," Lander said.
Cuomo resigned as governor in the face of a sexual harassment scandal, though he has denied any actual wrongdoing. He's also been criticized for requiring nursing homes to take on COVID patients.
"In terms of the rate of deaths in nursing homes, New York is number 38 out of 50. Number 38. Only 12 states had a lower rate of death, which is really something when you consider that we had it first and worse than anyone else," Cuomo said.
The candidates have real difference on many of the issues, but like the race as a whole, many seemed to bicker more than break through.
"Kids it's grown-up time, so just give me a second," Stringer said.
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