STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
New York City voters are soon to choose a new mayor. Three candidates debated last night, including the leaders, state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Their exchanges included this.
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ANDREW CUOMO: He literally has never had a job. On his resume, it says he interned for his mother. This is not a job for a first-timer.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI: What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity. And what you don't have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience.
INSKEEP: NPR's Brian Mann was watching. Brian, good morning.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: Reporter with integrity and experience, we'll just note.
MANN: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: What was the backdrop for that exchange?
MANN: Well, the Democratic Party's huge generation gap was on full display, Steve. Mamdani, of course, the rising star, the newcomer. And he's led this race by double digits. Cuomo, who's 67, is running as an independent. He lost the Democratic primary. Of course, he resigned in scandal in 2021. Now he's trying to stage this comeback. These guys don't like each other, and things got fierce last night.
INSKEEP: This has gotten a lot of national attention. Leila has interviewed Mamdani on this program. People are closely following this. He's a star on Fox News, we should note. And one of many things they talked about was the Israel-Hamas war. Why is that a big deal in a mayor's race?
MANN: Yeah, well, New York is home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. And Mamdani, who's Muslim, has been outspoken, calling for Palestinian rights, criticizing Israel's war in Gaza. This was one of Cuomo's lines of attack. Here he is speaking to Mamdani.
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CUOMO: There are a lot of Jewish New Yorkers who support me because they think you're antisemitic.
MANN: And here's Mamdani firing back.
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MAMDANI: I have denounced Hamas again and again. And it will never be enough for Andrew Cuomo because what he is willing to say, even though not on this stage, is to call me, the first Muslim on the precipice of leading this city, a terrorist sympathizer.
MANN: And Mamdani has been doing a lot of outreach to Jewish leaders in the city. He's won some key endorsements. So far, Steve, this tension hasn't seemed to slow his momentum.
INSKEEP: And Donald Trump also was a big figure in this, a former New Yorker.
MANN: Yeah, he's a big player in this. He's intervened in the city's politics repeatedly since returning to office, threatening to cancel major federal projects, including that $16 billion Hudson River tunnel. He's blasted Mamdani on social media, describing him falsely as a communist. And actually, one of Mamdani's attack lines against Cuomo last night was his claim that the former governor is too friendly with Trump. Cuomo responded by saying he would try to avoid battles with Trump.
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CUOMO: I'd like to work with you. I think we can do good things together. But I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York.
MANN: One interesting thing, Steve. All three of these candidates last night, including the Republican, Curtis Sliwa, opposed two of Trump's big policies. They called on ICE agents to stop arresting migrants who don't have criminal records. And they agreed there's no need for National Guard troops on the streets of New York City.
INSKEEP: How big a factor was that third candidate, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican?
MANN: Yeah, Sliwa was a big deal last night for one reason. His presence on that stage made it harder for Cuomo to stay dialed in on Mamdani. Sliwa kept attacking Cuomo.
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CURTIS SLIWA: You think you're the toughest guy alive. You lost your own primary, right? You were rejected by your Democrats.
MANN: And again, Cuomo faced a lot of criticism last night over that sexual misconduct scandal that forced him to resign. He again denied any wrongdoing.
INSKEEP: Big debate last night. Just over two weeks ago. NPR's Brian Mann is following it all. Brian, thanks so much.
MANN: Thank you, Steve.
(SOUNDBITE OF GREG FOAT'S "SNAKE PLANT SHUFFLE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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