In a fiery and combative final Democratic mayoral debate Thursday night, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani were the main sparring partners. However, Cuomo took more attacks from rivals who zeroed in on his past governance, labor issues, and legal scandals in an effort to narrow his lead.
The former governor did have one ally on the stage at John Jay College on Manhattan’s west side: Whitney Tilson. The former hedge fund manager was the only candidate to say who he would rank second on the ballot, giving the moderate Cuomo the nod. He said after the debate that he has no interest in a job in a possible Cuomo administration, only that he wants to stop the progressive Mamdani from winning the race.
