NYC Mayoral Debate: A Complete Summary

On the evening of Wednesday, June 4th, nine candidates for the Democratic Mayoral Primary faced off against one another to make their case directly to voters. The debate covered various topics, but only allowed candidates a short time to describe their vision of how to solve New York City’s biggest challenges.

The debate descended into chaos at various times when candidates attacked one another, specifically targeting Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Eric Adams (not present) and Donald Trump.

Below is a summary of each candidate’s repones to the questions, along with data and statistics related to their policy platform. This complete summary is a resource for you to evaluate and compare the candidates against one another.

Table of Contents

• NYC Mayoral Debate: A Complete Summary

  • 1. Affordability: Immediate Solutions & Funding

  • 2. Dealing with President Trump

  • 3. Public Safety (subways)

  • 4. Shoplifting / Bail Reform

  • 5. E-bikes

  • 6. Biggest Regret in Politics

  • 7. Immigration and Trump: Two Scenarios.

  • 8. Improving Public Schools

  • 9. Effective Democratic Leaders

  • 10. Ranked Choice Voting

  • 11. 2020 Democratic Mayoral Primary First Choice

  • 12. Housing Crisis Solutions

  • 13. Trump Threatening Columbia University’s Accred …

  • 14. Mahmood Khalil Case (Deportation)

  • 15. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and City Jobs

  • 16. Lightning Round Questions

• Summary of Attacks on Each Candidate

1. Affordability: Immediate Solutions & Funding

What's your one big idea to make the city more affordable now and how will you pay for it?

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated she is already actively working on housing solutions, noting her existing housing plan. Her focus is on the delivery of new, affordable housing units.

  Claimed to have built and delivered 120,000 new units of housing. Mentioned a new proposal that includes over 80,000 new units of affordable housing that will be coming.

• Brad Lander

  Identified himself as a lifelong affordable housing activist. He emphasized his proven management experience in delivering affordable homes and outlined an ambitious goal for future housing development.

  Stated he has already delivered over 50,000 affordable homes. Pledged to get 500,000 homes built over the next 10 years.

• Jessica Ramos

  Highlighted that affordability has been a primary concern for New Yorkers even before the pandemic, which only worsened conditions. Her key action was to raise the minimum wage and tie it to inflation as Chair of the Labor Committee in the New York State Senate.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Presented three major ideas rather than one: delivering a large number of homes, providing universal after-school care, and extending Pre-K and 3-K hours. Argued for new leadership to restore opportunity.

  Aims to deliver 1 million homes over the next 10 years. Proposed universal after-school for every child in the city from age 3 to grade 12. Proposed extending Pre-K and 3-K hours from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Characterized the city as being in "real trouble" due to management, fiscal, and societal crises. His approach to affordability included raising the minimum wage, increasing childcare options, and building affordable housing, drawing on his experience as HUD secretary.

• Whitney Tilson

  Believed the key to affordability is addressing the housing crisis by unleashing the private sector to build more housing. He suggested that easing zoning restrictions and regulations would allow rents to drop significantly.

  Aimed to drop rents by 20%. Cited Austin as a city that achieved this in "just the past three years".

• Zohran Mamdani

  Stated that New York is the "most expensive city" with a significant portion of its population living in poverty. His plan involves freezing rent for millions of tenants, making buses free and fast, and providing universal childcare, funded by taxing the wealthy and corporations.

  Reported that "one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty". Proposed freezing rent for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. Claimed prior experience raising "$4 billion in new annual revenue" in the state legislature.

• Michael Blake

  Focused on structural changes to housing applications and expanding childcare. Ending credit scores for housing applications, and increasing income limits. Proposed specific vacant apartment taxes and taxing what happens at MSG.

• Scott Stringer

  Proposed leveraging city-owned vacant land to build affordable housing, directing these properties to non-profit and limited-profit developers rather than luxury developers. He emphasized rebuilding "Mitchell Lama 2.0".

  Planned to use "a thousand properties" of city-owned vacant land.

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2. Dealing with President Trump

How do you ensure voters that you would not be compromised in your dealings with the president if you were elected mayor?

• Andrew Cuomo

  Stated he knows how to deal with Donald Trump, having fought him before on issues like ICE and through COVID. He claimed Trump targeting him is a tactic. Regarding the DOJ probe during covid, he said it's politicized and reiterated his stance that his administration's report did not undercount nursing home deaths.

  Claimed New York was number 38 out of 50 states for nursing home death rates, with only 12 states having a lower rate.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Believed Trump's DOJ was not pursuing justice, but vindictiveness and persecution. He stated Trump would target any mayor, but he would fight back as a "progressive Muslim immigrant" not funded by billionaires who supported Trump.

  Cited $80 million being taken out of the city bank account (by Trump and Elon Musk). Mentioned his campaign raised donations averaging about $80 from over 20,000 New Yorkers.

• Brad Lander

  Stated he stands up and fights Trump, referencing his actions when funds were allegedly stolen from New York City's bank account. He emphasized having a budget ready for federal cuts and fighting corruption. He also brought up the nursing home death report, accusing Cuomo of lying.

  Claimed to have uncovered and forced the mayor to court over $80 million stolen from New York City's bank account by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. He was the first financial officer to lay out how federal money comes into the budget.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Stated he would be a mayor with a backbone, standing up for New Yorkers, including immigrants. He emphasized the need to grow the city's tax base to be independent from the federal government.

  Reiterated his plan to deliver 1 million homes over the next 10 years, and expanding Pre-K and 3-K hours.

• Jessica Ramos

  Suggested using a blueprint from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on negotiating tariffs. She would litigate to protect immigrants and gender-affirming care, and be ready to withhold federal taxes if funding is unlawfully taken.

• Scott Stringer

  Emphasized his experience fighting Trump, including divesting $4 billion from fossil fuels, private prisons, and gun manufacturers. Proposed setting aside $1 billion in a rainy day fund. He would not engage in quid pro quo but organize the city to fight in Washington.

  Mentioned divesting $4 billion from fossil fuel, private prisons, and gun manufacturers. Proposed setting aside $1 billion in a rainy day fund.

• Whitney Tilson

  Stated he has been fighting Trumpism since 2016. He believed Democrats should stop giving Trump "gifts" by letting the far left (referencing Mamdani) define them with ideas like "defund the police" and "open borders," which he claimed cost elections.

  Stated Trump has doubled his share of the New York City vote in the last three elections from 17% to 30% due to socialist ideas.

• Michael Blake

  Claimed experience defeating Trump. Proposed withholding taxes to DC if Trump and Elon Musk try to take city funds, and banning ICE at schools and places of worship, designating them as safe havens. References his experience in the White House, the State House, and your house.

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated her approach is to sue Trump when he causes problems for New Yorkers. Referenced an executive order allowing ICE on Riker's Island which she has a temporary restraining order against, claiming it's illegal.

  Stated the executive order to allow ICE on Riker's Island has been illegal since 2014.

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3. Public Safety (subways)

What plan to improve public safety, specifically in subways?

• Jessica Ramos

  Proposed recruiting and retaining police officers through a workforce housing initiative and increasing entry-level pay. Will reduce robo-cops and drones. Advocated for assessing deployment and upskilling EMS workers to respond to mental health emergencies.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Stated things feel different on subways despite numbers. Proposed police and clinician teams 24/7 throughout the city, esuring everyone feels safe no matter where they live.

  Proposed 150 police and clinician teams 24/7 throughout the city.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Blamed current safety issues on others who supported "defund the police". His plan included immediately removing every homeless person from trains and subway stations to get them help.

  Claimed police were reduced by 3,000, and costs were $1 billion in overtime.

• Whitney Tilson

  Fully supported increased police presence in the MTA. Believed the key to reducing crime is fully staffed police enforcing laws and lower-level crimes (quality of life crimes like drinking, smoking on subway cars).

  Stated transit crime is down this year. Claimed 30% of arrested individuals have criminal records.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Proposed dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers deployed to top 100 subway stations with high levels of mental health crises and homelessness. Attributed police leaving the force to forced overtime and being asked to respond to social safety net failures.

  Proposed deploying mental health outreach workers to the top 100 subway stations. Claimed 200 police officers are leaving the force each month. Stated police pick up hundreds of thousands of mental health crisis calls a year.

• Michael Blake

  Focused on structural changes and expanding childcare. Proposed 1,000 mental health professionals on subways and streets for precision policing with body cameras, noting police are not trained for mental health.

  Proposed 1,000 mental health professionals on subways and streets.

• Scott Stringer

  Highlighted excessive police overtime due to low police count. Proposed hiring 3,000 more cops and making the department attractive to diverse citizens. Emphasized aligning policing with mental health initiatives.

  Stated $1.3 billion is spent on police overtime. Proposed hiring 3,000 more cops.

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated she never called for defunding the police. Stated her public safety agenda calls for police to be taken out of social work and mental health, to be paid what they are worth, and supported budgets reinforcing the police department.

• Brad Lander

  Stated he has a detailed plan to end street homelessness for people with serious mental illness on day one, focusing on a "housing first" approach to address repeat cycles from subway to street to hospital to jail.

  Referred to "a couple thousand" mentally ill neighbors cycling through the system.

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4. Shoplifting / Bail Reform

Do you think bail reform is working and how would you stop shoplifting and other low level crimes?

• Andrew Cuomo

  Used his time to address an earlier accusation from Brad Lander, not directly the bail reform question.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Stated anyone who breaks the law needs to be held accountable and that changes to criminal justice laws were needed. Describes personal story. Proposed returning police headcount to 2018 levels.

  Proposed returning police headcount to 2018 levels.

• Jessica Ramos

  Noted there are "a little more than 1,000 recidivists" in the city. She's working on treatment courts for kleptomania and emphasized the need for NYPD to take down organized rings. Stressed a balance with job opportunities.

  Stated there are "a little more than 1,000 recidivists" in the city.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Opposed hiring more cops above current authorized levels, but supports hiring mental health professionals. Proposed sustaining the current police headcount and listening to officers' concerns about being asked to do mental health work. Advocated for increased staffing in stores (Walgreens, Duane Reeds) and police holding organized theft accountable.

  Stated police officers pick up hundreds of phone calls a day for mental health crises.

• Michael Blake

  Proudly supported bail reform in the assembly but believed it needs to be "different and stronger now" to hold repeat offenders more accountable. Proposed addressing root causes by helping New Yorkers make and keep more money (local median income, guaranteed income) to prevent shoplifting.

• Scott Stringer

  Observed empty shelves in drugstores. Proposed putting cops on the beat working with small businesses to root out repeat offenders. Also emphasized getting services (housing, etc.) to those doing the stealing. He believed there's a need for "further changes" to bail laws but didn't give a direct yes/no, but attacked Cuomo.

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated the state just made adjustments, so she would wait to see how they go. Focused on taking down "ring leaders" and filling over 2,000 vacancies within the NYPD in her first eight months as mayor.

  Proposed filling over 2,000 vacancies within the NYPD in her first eight months as mayor.

• Brad Lander

  Has a detailed plan to combat retail theft, including a "panic button" for stores to quickly report incidents and thorough investigations. Advocated for drug treatment courts as central to the response.

• Whitney Tilson

  Believed there's a need for substantial changes to bail reform and discovery reform arguing they "de-criminalized all low-level crime". Advocated for more police officers enforcing the law and changing legislation to allow prosecutors to punish repeat offenders.

  Stated a Midtown North precinct was down from 300 cops to 120 and that there is too much paper work to prosecute effectively.

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5. E-bikes

How will you improve safety for e-bike riders and pedestrians? Do you agree with the 15 mph speed limit proposed by Mayor Eric Adams?

• Adrienne Adams

  Acknowledged e-bike riders are food delivery workers with families. Believed there needs to be a closer look at regulation in the city council, and felt the 15 mph speed limit is a "penalty that wasn't collaboratively decided.

• Brad Lander

  Noted pedal-assist city bikes go 17 mph. Advocated for holding Uber Eats, Seamless, and DoorDash accountable for safety using their data. Proposed treating mopeds as motor vehicles, requiring licenses, license plates, and holding sellers accountable.

• Jessica Ramos

  Emphasized ending the criminalization of delivery workers, noting enforcement has shifted to criminal tickets which can lead to deportation issues for immigrants. Advocated for posting speed limits, adapting street design for bikes/e-bikes, getting them off sidewalks, and public education in multiple languages

• Zellnor Myrie

  Acknowledged things feel different on streets and vehicles are not built for current infrastructure. Proposed regulation, holding companies accountable, and smart, collaborative enforcement to ensure safety for older adults.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Attributed the issue to dysfunctional city management, as the city has done nothing despite state law allowing e-bikes and warnings. Proposed bringing down speeds (citing city bikes voluntarily coming down to 17 mph) and requiring apps to register, license, and pay tickets for e-bikes.

• Whitney Tilson

  Stated the issue is personal as he bikes daily. Agreed with the speed limit noting that police issuing citations has led to e-bikes "behaving themselves a lot more".

• Zohran Mamdani

  Criticized Andrew Cuomo for accepting money from DoorDash while claiming to want to regulate apps. Argued the economic model incentivizes e-bike riders to break laws.

  Stated Andrew Cuomo's super PAC received $1 million from DoorDash.

• Michael Blake

  Criticized Cuomo's "I don't care who gave me what" comment as indicating lack of commitment to fighting corruption. Stated increased tickets would lead to harassment of communities of color and immigrants. Advocated for focusing on speed limits and reimagining city infrastructure.

• Scott Stringer

  Believed 15 mph is reasonable and the mayor is right. Raised concerns about the $1 million DoorDash contribution to Cuomo, calling it "buying the mayor" and recalling the "city for sale" era.

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6. Biggest Regret in Politics

What is your biggest regret in politics?

• Michael Blake

  His biggest regret was dealing with the Campaign Finance Board "illegally not having me on the second stage" and their admitted "incorrect determinations" of his matching funds.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Regretted having trusted leaders within his own party (like Andrew Cuomo), as that leadership led to the current affordability crisis and external attacks from the Trump administration.

• Whitney Tilson

  His biggest regret was not seeing Joe Biden's decline and calling for his resignation earlier, believing it was too late after the debate and resulted in handing Donald Trump the presidency.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Regretted that the Democratic Party allowed Trump to be elected and that rhetoric has no connection with reality. He defended his positions around Medicaid, healthcare, and PPE after being attacked by Adams. He denied sexual harassment allegations, stating they were political and disproven by DAs.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Regretted not having secured more funding for after-school programs earlier in his career. He also attacks Cuomo for taking $5 million during covid. Cuomo responded it's not true, defended his actions during Covid.

• Jessica Ramos

  Regretted not running for mayor in 2021, believing she needed more experience despite passing over a dozen bills in the Senate. She made a jab directed at Mamdani that you only need to make good videos to run for Mayor.

• Brad Lander

  Wished he had pushed for even more housing in his district when he was a city council member. He also passionately reiterated his accusations against Andrew Cuomo regarding sexual harassment, the nursing home report, and using tax payer dollars for legal bills. Cuomo defended himself and attacked Lander for being sued as well. Lander said all accusations are false.

• Adrienne Adams

  Her biggest regret was believing Eric Adams would be a good mayor, stating she had to restore budget cuts from him, saving Pre-K, 3-K, libraries, and cultural institutions. She had to restore all of the services that were cut by Mayor Adams.

• Scott Stringer

  His biggest regret from a policy perspective was not being able to build a COVID recovery plan for the city before leaving the controller's office, especially after his mother died of COVID.

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7. Immigration and Trump: Two Scenarios.

Scenario 1: ICE notifies city-run hospitals to stop offering medical care to undocumented patients, and threaten to withhold millions in federal funding.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Stated one "cannot give in to Mr. Trump and his demands" as he is a "bully" and "you have to fight him". Proposed fighting back by suing (though acknowledged Trump is often sued) and by forming a "national coalition" of like-minded states and cities. Also suggested eventually beating him politically in Congress.

• Whitney Tilson

  Agreed that if Trump "does act illegally to try and blackmail us," one "has to sue to restore that funding". Expressed being "appalled by what Trump is doing to terrorize immigrant communities and demonize immigrants in general" and vowed to "fight him tooth and nail".

• Zohran Mamdani

  Described the city as "under attack by an authoritarian Trump administration," with attacks "echoed by Trump's allies right here in New York City". As a potential "first immigrant mayor," he vowed to "actually fight back". Emphasized ensuring "our local institutions continue to provide the services to each and every New Yorker". Proposed protecting institutions by telling them "we will provide them that funding," obtained by "taxing the 1% and the wealthiest corporations right here in New York City".

• Michael Blake

  As the "son of Jamaican immigrants," he stressed expanding the conversation. Proposed creating protections by designating hospitals, schools, community centers, and places of worship as "safe havens where ICE is not permitted to enter unless there's a signed judicial warrant". Emphasized remaining a "sanctuary city" and rejecting rhetoric against immigrant communities, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-blackness, and anti-Latino rhetoric. Also called for protecting and reimbursing nonprofits that help immigrants.

• Scott Stringer

  Stated "the buck does not stop with Donald Trump". Suggested his proposed "rainy day fund" would "immediately allow us to build back the health services that the federal government could take from us financially". Highlighted his experience fighting Trump and winning battles during COVID. Called for working with "Washington partners" to stop Trump.

Scenario 2: Candidates are asked what they would do if they learned that ICE was planning to stop immigrants outside hospitals for possible roundups, specifically, "would you warn them and how would you handle this situation?"

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated this is "work that I'm already doing as speaker of the city council" and she has "refused to erode our sanctuary city laws". Her mission as mayor "will be to protect the immigrants of the city of New York". Vowed to "absolutely use my bully pulpit as the mayor to warn immigrants". Stated, "Donald Trump will know that New York will remain a sanctuary city regardless of his threats and his chaos".

• Brad Lander

  Emphasized that "40% of the 8 million New Yorkers are foreign born" and "50% live in mixed status households including 1 million children". Was a "co-sponsor of those sanctuary city laws". Proposed three specific things: (1) Ensuring every New York City employee understands the sanctuary city laws to create a "network to get this information out and absolutely warn people before they walk into ICE". (2) Creating an "independent health authority to segment off city money from Medicaid money". (3) Expanding "NYC care so it's not just in health and hospitals but in our federally qualified health centers as well".

• Jessica Ramos

  Starts by speaking in Spanish. Stated she would "not give in to Mr. Trump and his demands" as he is a "bully" and "you have to fight him". Proposed fighting back by suing Trump with New York City Lawyers paid for by tax dollars, expanding Action NYC. She wants work opportunities for immigrants.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Shared his personal experience of his undocumented parents taking him to Kings County Hospital and knowing "the city had their back". Vowed to "be warning" and "assuring them that we had their back". Proposed a "frontline agenda" including hiring "50 more lawyers to the law department," going "on the offensive," and utilizing the "10th amendment to ensure that we are not carrying out the federal government's immigration policies".

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8. Improving Public Schools

How will you address the lack of performance in our public schools given the high costs per student?

• Michael Blake:

  Attributed the problem to a lack of proper literacy and pedagogy and also highlighted the presence of anti-blackness in schools. He attacks Cuomo for his "Shuck and Jive" comments. He proposes improving teaching methods and directly confronting discriminatory practices.

• Zohran Mamdani

  First he attacked Cuomo's record. Then he argued that the educational challenges are "downstream" from the fact that 500,000 children go to sleep hungry every night and 100,000 are homeless for the ninth consecutive year. His solution focuses on ensuring children have food and stable housing, alongside the full implementation of class size reduction.

  Stated 500,000 children go to sleep hungry every night and 100,000 are homeless.

• Whitney Tilson

  Described the school system's failure as "bad management," citing a lack of rewards for success and consequences for failure. He advocated for learning from charter schools, specifically mentioning his 20+ years on the board of Kip charter schools, which he stated are held accountable and are among the best public schools in the city. He contrasted NYC's spending of $40,000 per student with Mississippi's $12,000 per student for better outcomes.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Attributed the issues to dysfunctional city management and a lack of accountability. He proposed reforming the education system by starting with the DOE, which he claims spends hundreds of millions on consultants without clear results. He also called for a real analysis of the curriculum and more paraprofessionals in schools, acknowledging that one out of eight children are homeless, which impacts teachers' capacity.

  Stated 1 out of 8 children are homeless in New York City Public Schools.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Stated his success is due to NY Public Schools. Pointed to learning loss during COVID-19 as a primary factor. To counteract this, he proposed universal after-school programs to help make up for lost learning time.

• Jessica Ramos

  Acknowledge her public school in Astoria. Acknowledged the lapses in developmental and social skills suffered by children during the pandemic. Her plan includes establishing teacher centers for increased support, dedicating more time to learning in NYC, and providing full funding to District 75 schools.

• Brad Lander

  Stated he enrolls his children in public schools. Identified the root causes as mental health crises, homelessness, and chronic absenteeism among students. His detailed plan includes measuring key metrics, recruiting, retaining, and supporting teachers (including a teacher center in every school), and transforming every school into a community school to comprehensively support students.

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated her children go to public schools. Stated that the Department of Education (DOE) has the highest budget of all city agencies. Her plan involves redeploying resources and tackling the DOE's bureaucracy, leveraging her mayoral authority to streamline the process for children's benefit.

• Scott Stringer

  Stated his children go to public schools. He highlighted the ongoing impact of COVID on children, noting the lack of mental health services and extra tutoring despite the $40 billion budget. He also mentioned auditing the DOE and finding missing computers and iPads during COVID. His solution includes ensuring baseline child care (PreK 3K) and implementing after-school programs specifically focused on tutoring to support children without adequate parental financial resources.

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9. Effective Democratic Leaders

Who is the Most Effective Democrat in the Country?

• Scott Stringer: Hakeem Jeffries

• Michael Blake: Himself

• Zohran Mamdani: Mayor Wu of Boston

• Whitney Tilson: Cory Booker

• Andrew Cuomo: Hakeem Jeffries

• Zellnor Myrie: Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins

• Jessica Ramos: Maryland Governor Moore

• Brad Lander: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu

• Adrienne Adams: The next speaker, Hakeem Jeffries

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10. Ranked Choice Voting

Who Would You Pick as Second Choice for Mayor in Ranked Choice Voting?

• Andrew Cuomo: Would leave it to the voters

• Whitney Tilson: Hasn't decided, but "ABZ" (Anybody But Cuomo/Zohran)

• Zohran Mamdani: "ABC" (Anybody But Cuomo), will tell voters who to rank second before election day

• Michael Blake: Would not answer (taking Cuomo's approach)

• Scott Stringer: Will base it on who would be the second best mayor

• Adrienne Adams: Will not be "breaking news" tonight

• Brad Lander: Andrew Cuomo should not be on the ballot

• Jessica Ramos: This debate is "food for thought," hoping for a better idea by end of night

• Zellnor Myrie: Stay tuned

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11. 2020 Democratic Mayoral Primary First Choice

Who Did You Rank First in the Previous Democratic Primary Ballot?

• Scott Stringer: Himself

• Michael Blake: Maya Wiley

• Zohran Mamdani: Maya Wiley

• Whitney Tilson: Kathryn Garcia

• Andrew Cuomo: Eric Adams

• Zellnor Myrie: Maya Wiley

• Jessica Ramos: Maya Wiley

• Brad Lander: Maya Wiley (1), Kathryn Garcia (2)

• Adrienne Adams: Eric Adams (1), Maya Wiley (very close 2nd)

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12. Housing Crisis Solutions

What is Your Proposed Solution to the Housing Crisis in New York City?

• Whitney Tilson

  Proposed unleashing the private sector to build a lot more supply, aiming to drop rents by 20%. Suggested easing zoning restrictions, fighting NIMBYism, properly staffing city departments to streamline processes, and speeding up building times from four years to two. He stated his plan was the opposite of Zohran Mamdani's, believing the city is bad at building/operating housing.

  Aims to drop rents by 20%. Cited Austin achieving this in three years. Proposed reducing building time from four years to two.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Described housing as a "desperate problem" and drew on his experience as HUD secretary building hundreds of thousands of units nationwide. Proposed to "blow up HPD" (Housing Preservation and Development) and stated the City Council is a bottleneck. Advocated for using vacant city land and highlighted his track record of getting things done (LaGuardia airport, Kosciuszko Bridge, Second Avenue subway).

  Claimed to have built hundreds of thousands of units as HUD secretary.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Emphasized his personal experience growing up in a rent-stabilized apartment. His plan is to deliver 1 million homes over the next 10 years. He also wants to extend Pre-K and 3-K from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and provide universal free after-school to attract and retain families. He stated his plan would not require raising taxes but incentive private development.

  Aims to deliver 1 million homes over the next 10 years. Proposed extending Pre-K and 3-K from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• Jessica Ramos

  Believed property tax reform is at the crux of the crisis. Proposed helping homeowners and landlords bring down costs (e.g., water rates) and freezing rent for rent-stabilized tenants. She wants to "un-warehouse the 5,000 apartments that NYCHA is hanging on to" and repair them. Also wants to bring back the "co-op city model" to attract city service workers (nurses, teachers, police, firefighters) by building low-income rentals and modest equity homeownership opportunities.

  Stated 5,000 NYCHA apartments are being "warehoused". Mentioned a 200,000 New Yorker waiting list for housing.

• Brad Lander

  Highlighted his three decades of experience delivering affordable housing, including renovating abandoned buildings and vacant lots, championing the Gowanus redevelopment (8,000 new units, 3,000 affordable), and saving 35,000 units of Signature Bank rent-stabilized housing. He plans to declare a housing emergency on day one. Proposed building 500,000 homes over the next 10 years, including 50,000 units on city-owned golf courses. Also has detailed plans to fix HPD and NYCHA.

  Championed Gowanus redevelopment with 8,000 new units (3,000 genuinely affordable). Saved 35,000 units of Signature Bank rent-stabilized housing. Plan to build 500,000 homes over the next 10 years. Proposed 50,000 units on four of the city's 12 city-owned golf courses.

• Adrienne Adams

  Reiterated she is "already doing the work". Highlighted projects under her leadership including Innovation Queens (largest privately developed structure), Bronx Metro North rezoning, and Atlantic Avenue rezoning. Also mentioned "City for All" which will create affordable units.

  Stated she has "already delivered thousands of affordable units" and mentioned the "City for All" proposal would create over 80,000 brand new units.

• Scott Stringer

  Called the crisis "real" and stated past mayors did the "maximum" (e.g., LaGuardia, Mitchell Lama). Criticized luxury developers proposing projects that lead to "unaffordable affordable housing". His plan is to take a thousand vacant lots and build affordable housing by giving land to non-profits and community-based organizations. He expressed skepticism about plans to build a million or 500,000 homes in 10 years. Highlighted his experience financing affordable housing as Controller and doing "life's work" of rezonings as Borough President.

  Proposed using "a thousand vacant lots".

• Michael Blake

  Shared his personal experience overcoming homelessness. Proposed local median income (instead of area median income), ending credit scores for housing applications, and increasing income limits. Advocated for protecting residents of places like Rodale Village, Co-op City, Concourse Village, and Tracy Towers from unfair tax increases. Demanded accountability for individuals in NYCHA involved in bribery schemes who failed to provide heat and hot water.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Proposed to freeze rent for close to 2.5 million rent-stabilized tenants, claiming it would bring nearly $7 billion back into pockets and the local economy. He stated the mayor has the power to do this, referencing a previous mayor doing it three times. Additionally, he plans to build 200,000 truly affordable homes for families with a median household income of $70,000. He would tackle "bad landlords" and real estate developers (who fund Andrew Cuomo's campaign) who violate housing code and have $800 million in uncollected fines.

  Proposed freezing rent for close to 2.5 million rent-stabilized tenants. Claimed it would bring nearly $7 billion back into pockets. Proposed building 200,000 truly affordable homes. Stated landlords have $800 million in uncollected fines. Claimed Andrew Cuomo's campaign received $2.5 million from real estate developers.

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13. Trump Threatening Columbia University’s Accreditation

What your reaction to this move by Trump?

• Andrew Cuomo

  Believed there are two separate issues: growing anti-Semitism in the city and Trump's "overreach" to take over academic universities, calling it an attack on democracy that must be opposed.

• Whitney Tilson

  Appalled by Columbia's failure to act quickly after Oct 7th regarding a dangerous environment for Jewish students, which he attributed to activists like the Democratic Socialists of America. Even more appalled by the Trump administration "pretending to care" about anti-Semitism and accreditation.

• Zohran Mamdani

  Viewed it as another "gross overreach of the Trump administration" that will continue to target universities. Emphasized the need for a mayor who will stand up to Trump and is "unbought and unbossed" by billionaire donors.

  Stated his campaign donors are "working-class New Yorkers" with an average donation of about $80.

• Michael Blake

  Called for all hostages to come home, rejecting anti-Semitism while having humanity for Palestinians. Called Trump's overreach unacceptable and would withhold sending New York City taxes to DC in such instances.

• Scott Stringer

  Acknowledged real anti-Semitic hate on campuses and the need to hold universities accountable. However, called Trump's move "against everything that's American" and suggested Trump should fully fund civil rights divisions instead of cutting programs.

• Adrienne Adams

  Stated all New Yorkers deserve to feel safe. As Speaker, she has allocated over $18 million to combat anti-Semitism. As mayor, she would continue to combat anti-Semitism and stand up against the Trump administration's "terrorizing" of college students.

  Stated that she help allocate over $18 million to combat anti-Semitism in New York City.

• Brad Lander

  Called it a frightening time for Jews. Has a detailed plan for hate crimes and anti-Semitism in NYC. Believed Trump "platforms white nationalists and anti-Semites all the time" and his move to disaccredit universities is about "destroying higher education and democracy," not keeping Jews safe.

• Jessica Ramos

  Stated Trump has no interest in funding education, only making it less accessible. Wished Columbia fought like Harvard. Stated she would fight back and sue to protect Jewish and Muslim students and fight bigotry.

• Zellnor Myrie

  Acknowledged a clear rise in anti-Semitism in the city and country, calling for unequivocal action. Called Trump's move a "shameful unconstitutional overreach" and patterned practice.

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14. Mahmood Khalil Case (Deportation)

• Zohran Mamdani: Should be set free.

• Whitney Tilson: Can't answer without all facts, but it looks like Trump overreach; Trump needs to prove case, otherwise, he should be set free.

• Andrew Cuomo: Should be released, shouldn't have been detained.

• Zellnor Myrie: Should be immediately set free.

• Jessica Ramos: He deserves due process, as stated in the constitution, he belongs home with family.

• Brad Lander: Should be at home with his family, along with Dylan Contreras.

• Adrienne Adams: Should be released immediately; no due process in Trump's America.

• Scott Stringer: Taking him off streets without charges is a "horrifying moment for our Constitution"; Trump should be ashamed.

• Michael Blake: Should be home with his family "full stop".

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15. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and City Jobs

Is there an area where you would consider replacing city workers with AI if it saves tax dollars? And would you also offer any protections?

• Zohran Mamdani

  Proud to be endorsed by DC37 (largest city worker union). His approach would focus on *efficiencies in contracts and consultants, not using AI as a justification for layoffs of city workers.

• Whitney Tilson

  Believed AI is a "home run for this city" as NYC is a tech hub. Argued that any job losses would be offset by gains if the city attracts entrepreneurial AI businesses and large companies like Amazon. Suggested using AI to bring permitting online.

• Andrew Cuomo

  Endorsed by over 650,000 working men and women (labor unions). Stated AI is undeniable and a "tremendous opportunity for economic development" by bringing AI businesses to New York. We want to protect job and AI can also help.

• Zellnor Myrie

  As the son of a city worker, he highlighted the value of city workers. Stated the city has thousands of vacancies and he wants to hire more city workers. Believed AI will have a role but wants to attract AI industry growth while also building 1 million homes.

• Jessica Ramos

  Wrote a law protecting artists/actors from AI's use of image/likeness. Wants to put power in workers' hands to lead the transition to AI, ensuring workers have a say. Suggested repurposing workers for mental health capacities where there are deep shortages.

• Brad Lander

  Proposed three strategies to use AI to make government more efficient without costing jobs but saving money. These include using machine learning/AI to find patterns in the $2 billion paid out for 12,000 claims to reduce agency errors. Also proposed NYCHA vendor scorecards using resident ratings for repair vendors.

• Adrienne Adams

  As a non-career politician from corporate America, she understands and embraces the benefits of technology and AI for New York City. Believed there is a balance between AI and workers, aiming to reconcile it so the city does not lose its workforce, but instead trains them to embrace AI.

• Scott Stringer

  Believed AI is a "great opportunity" for NYC's economy that should be embraced. Emphasized the mayor's job to protect workers and citizens. Saw AI as a vehicle to train new kids at CUNY for the tech economy. Stated his record as a pro-labor elected official is without question.

• Michael Blake

  His campaign theme is "tomorrow begins today" and believes AI can be used for good. Suggested utilizing AI for tracking residential repairs. Advocated for reducing regulation and red tape to create jobs alongside AI implementation.

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16. Lightning Round Questions

How much do you pay each month for rent or a mortgage?

• Adrienne Adams: Home is paid, homeowner.

• Brad Lander: Mortgage on home with one rental unit: $3,300.

• Jessica Ramos: Rent: $2,500.

• Zellnor Myrie: Rent-stabilized apartment: $1,300.

• Andrew Cuomo: $7,800.

• Whitney Tilson: Owns, pays about $5,000 in maintenance and taxes.

• Zohran Mamdani: $2,300 for one-bedroom.

• Michael Blake: $1,800 for home owned with family.

• Scott Stringer: $6,400 (claimed "getting ripped off").

Should helicopter traffic around Manhattan be limited?

• Scott Stringer: Yes.

• Michael Blake: Absolutely.

• Zohran Mamdani: Yes, should ban all non-essential helicopter travel.

• Whitney Tilson: Yes.

• Andrew Cuomo: Should be limited.

• Zellnor Myrie: Yes, co-sponsored legislation to that effect.

• Jessica Ramos: "Stop the chop."

• Brad Lander: Yes.

• Adrienne Adams: Already doing the work, passed a bill in City Council.

Where would you go for your first foreign visit as mayor?

• Adrienne Adams: The Holy Land (Israel).

• Brad Lander: Canada (due to Trump's actions and partnership opportunities).

• Jessica Ramos: Colombia (parents' homeland).

• Zellnor Myrie: The Caribbean (as son of Caribbean immigrants).

• Andrew Cuomo: Israel (given hostility and anti-Semitism in New York).

• Whitney Tilson: Fourth trip to Israel, followed by fifth trip to Ukraine.

• Zohran Mamdani: Stay in New York City to focus on five boroughs. (Clarified he believes Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, and every state should be a state of equal rights).

• Michael Blake: Jamaica to "mash up the place."

• Scott Stringer: Israel (wife's life work, may coincide with son's Bar Mitzvah).

Favorite go-to pizza spot and order?

• Andrew Cuomo: Gabby's in Queens.

• Zellnor Myrie: Gino's Pizza, Flatbush Ave.

• Jessica Ramos: Louise on Baxter Avenue in Elmhurst.

• Brad Lander: Di Fara in Midwood.

• Adrienne Adams: Alba, Queens Boulevard.

• Scott Stringer: Joe's.

• Michael Blake: Vinnie's, Grand Concourse Burnside.

• Zohran Mamdani: Coronets (Morningside Heights).

• Whitney Tilson: Denino's, Staten Island.

Reaction to the Knicks firing head coach Tom Thibodeau? (Thumbs up/down)

• Adrienne Adams: 👎️

• Brad Lander: 👎️

• Jessica Ramos: 👎️

• Zellnor Myrie: 👎️

• Andrew Cuomo: 👎️

• Whitney Tilson: 👎️

• Zohran Mamdani: 👎️

• Michael Blake: 👍️

• Scott Stringer: 👍️

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Summary of Attacks on Each Candidate

Below is a summary of the attacks on each candidate. To understand the interactions between candidates, please refer to the original video. All candidates defended themselves against the attacks, generally calling them lies or misrepresentations.

Andrew Cuomo

• Investigations & Compromise: Questioned about potential compromise with Trump due to DOJ investigation

• Nursing Home Report: Accused of lying about COVID nursing home deaths

• Police Funding: Criticized for "defund the police" stance

• Campaign Funding: Scrutinized for Super PAC donations from DoorDash and real estate developers

• Obama Comments: Accused of making racially insensitive remarks about Obama

• Leadership & Accountability: Criticized for toxic work environment and lack of COVID response regrets

• Book Deal: Questioned about $5M book deal during COVID

• Housing Plan: Plan criticized as unconstitutional and fiscally irresponsible

• Legal Fees: Accused of costing taxpayers $60M in legal bills

Zeron Mandani

• Trump Targeting: Questioned about potential targeting as a socialist

• Experience: Criticized for lack of government experience and effectiveness

• Obama Comments: Accused of calling Obama "evil" and a "liar"

• NYPD Stance: Criticized for anti-NYPD tweets and defund position

• Housing Plan: Plan criticized as impractical and unconstitutional

• Israel Position: Questioned about stance on Israel's right to exist

Brad Lander

• Campaign Finance: Accused of conflicts of interest with wife's organizations

• Lawsuits: Criticized for multiple lawsuits against his office

• City Management: Implicated in corruption allegations

Eric Adams (Current Mayor, not present on stage)

• Corruption: Accused of administrative corruption

• Fiscal Management: Criticized for budget and management crises

• Trump Collaboration: Accused of working with Trump administration

• Executive Orders: Criticized for illegal ICE order at Rikers

• Budget Cuts: Accused of cutting essential services

• Rikers Island: Criticized for poor management and conditions

Scott Stringer

• Campaign Finance: Implied to not represent working people effectively

• Bail Reform: Criticized for supporting problematic bail reform

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_{Note: This content was summarized ay AI and fact checked for accuracy. Any questions or concerns, please reach out at: [email protected].}