NYC NOW - Midday News: NYC Mayoral Candidates Clash in First Debate, Trump Administration Threatens to Block 34th Street Busway, and More on the Race for City Hall

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

New York City’s three mayoral candidates, Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa faced off last night in the first of two general election debates, sparring over their experience, the city���s affordability crisis, and how they’d work with President Trump. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has ordered the city to halt work on a new 34th Street busway, warning it could withhold funding for other projects if New York doesn’t comply. Finally, WNYC’s Brigid Bergin joins us with a recap of the mayoral debate.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Friday, October 17th. Here's the midday news from Alec Hamilton. Voters are making up their minds on who they want to be New York City's next mayor. All three candidates faced each other last night in the first of two general election debates. They were asked about what their relationship with President Trump would be like should they win. Democratic nominee Zeron Mandani said he would, first and foremost protect New Yorkers.

What I tell the president is if he ever wants to come for New Yorkers in the way that he has been, he's going to have to get through me as the next mayor of this city. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed the president directly. I'd like to work with you. I think we can do good things together, but number one, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York. And Republican Curtis Sliwa warned that New Yorkers could suffer if the next mayor doesn't have a working relationship with the president.

Look, you can be tough, but you can't be tough if it's going to cost people desperately needed federal funding. A second debate is next week. Election Day is November 4th. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is ordering the city to stop work on a new busway on 34th Street in Manhattan. If not, it says it could withhold funding and federal approvals for other New York projects. In a letter to city and state officials, the administration claims New York ignored a previous letter that had raised concerns. about a lack of coordination between agencies and about how truck traffic will access 34th Street. A spokesperson for the city's DOT says he's confident that design complies with all federal laws and regulations and that the city will work with the federal government.

Sunny and breezy today with a high around 62. Right now, it's about 57 degrees out there. This is WNYC in New York City. NYC. I'm WNIC. WNIC and Michael Hill. New York City mayoral candidates, made their case to voters in the first of two mayoral debates. Democratic nominee, Zeran Mamdani, independent candidate, Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Lewey, traded Barbes over experience how to deal with President Trump and the persistent issue of affordability in the city. WNYC's Bridget Bergen has had a long night and she joins us

with a recap. This was the first general election debate. How much did it differ from the primary debate we all recall. Well, obviously, it was a much smaller field of candidates. As you mentioned, Cuomo, Sliwa and Mamdani at the podium, so less of a free-for-all than those primary debates. We saw Mamdani take this stage with really a distinct advantage as the frontrunner, the Democratic nominee. He's polling ahead of his challengers. So that also meant he received the most incoming from his rivals, but a lot of it didn't really stick. He stayed very much on his affordability message, focused most of his attacks mainly on Cuomo. Early in the debate, this issue of experience came up. It was very reminiscent of the primary debate. Cuomo attacked Mamdani's lack of experience. And Mamdani responded by arguing

Cuomo lacked integrity. And Sliwa ultimately said he was just glad he wasn't a career politician. Cuomo has been trying to make this a two-person race between himself and Mamdani, but Republican Curtis Slewa was with them on stage. How did he factor into this debate? Yeah, Michael, Sliwa had some pretty strong moments and some weaker ones. There were a handful of times when he seemed to really kind of misunderstand the questions or answered when it was a question directed to somebody else. But he was at his best when he was calling out both candidates on their positions. One real standout moment was during a question about how the candidates would deal with President Trump. Sliwa criticized both of them, but first he targeted Mamdani. Zohan Mondami, the president has already said

it's going to take $7 billion out of the budget right from the start. if you're elected mayor. People are going to suffer in this city. People who need those federal funds. And then when it was about Trump possibly sending the National Guard to the city, Slua went after Cuomo. You think you're the toughest guy alive.

But let me tell you something. You lost your own primary, right? You were rejected by your Democrats. And you have a difficult understanding that what the term no is. You're not going to stand up to Donald Trump. I agree. with Curtis. Yeah, so you hear Mamdani chiming in there, backing up Sliwa. Now, Slewa says he would sit down and

negotiate with Trump or whoever the president designates to do things like Winback funding for the gateway tunnel, that crucial infrastructure project between New York and New Jersey that the president has said he's defunding. And he would persuade the president to send his National Guard troops somewhere else to cities facing higher crime problems. How did Cuomo and Mamdani say they would deal with President Trump? Yeah, now, this is obviously a really challenging issue for all of them. Cuomo pointed to his experience during the COVID pandemic, dealing with Trump day after day. And both Cuomo and Mamdani say they would want to work with the administration if they could,

but they would fight back if it was there any harm to New Yorkers. Although they differed on when and how they would fight. Here's Cuomo explaining what he'd say to Trump with Mamdani's interjection. I'd like to work with you. I think we can do good things together. but number one, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York. Unless he weaponizes the justice system

to go after the attorney general of this state, in which case you'll issue a statement that doesn't even name the president. And no matter what you think about Donald Trump, you know that not even being able to name him is an act of cowardice. Now, of course, Mumdani is referencing that indictment of New York Attorney General

Tish James last week. And the statement from Cuomo initially that didn't mention her or Trump. Her office, of course, led the investigation into the sexual harassment allegations, which Cuomo has denied and called political, but did ultimately lead to his resignation

when he was governor in 2021. Bridget, do you think voters learned anything new from the candidates last night? Well, we were talking a lot about this last night. We did learn, if you haven't seen Curtis Lee on the campaign trail, you might have seen him for the first time without his signature red beret.

He took his hat off to sort of project a seriousness that he is taking to this race. Cuomo was asked directly what he learned from losing the Democratic primary, which really was an opportunity to offer some reflection. And he basically said he should have gotten in social media more, but that his agenda remains the same. He wants to bring his decades of experience to the job, supports mayoral control of schools, expanding specialized high schools and adding 5,000 police officers. I should note that platform alone obviously didn't win him the primary. And Momdani really remained focused on his affordability agenda, but his weakest moment was when he was when he was. He was pressed on how he would pay for it.

He continues to say he wants to raise personal income taxes on the top 1% and increase the corporate tax. But you can't do that as mayor. And Governor Hokel, who's running for re-election next year, has signaled she doesn't favor that approach. So those funding battles are really serious. Much more to talk about about this debate, but we have to end it there for time reasons. WNIC's Bridget Berg and recapping last night's mayoral debate. Thanks, Bridget. Thank you.

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