The debate turned nasty quickly.
Scarcely 20 minutes in, the two current front-runners in the race for the Democratic mayoral nomination lashed into each other, with former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo criticizing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s relative inexperience and Mr. Mamdani lambasting Mr. Cuomo for the sexual harassment scandal that precipitated his 2021 resignation from office.
“I think inexperience is dangerous,” Mr. Cuomo said. “In this case. Mr. Mamdani had a staff of five people, you’re now going to run a staff of 300,000 employees.”
He added: “He’s never dealt with the City Council. He’s never dealt with the Congress. He’s never dealt with the State Legislature. He’s never negotiated with a union. He’s never built anything. He’s never dealt with a natural emergency. He’s never dealt with a hurricane, with a flood, etc. He’s never done any of the essentials. And now you have Donald Trump on top of all of that.”
Mr. Mamdani’s response was swift and cutting.
“To Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the M.T.A.,” he said. “I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records, and I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.”
Then, noting Mr. Cuomo’s continuing mispronunciation of his name, Mr. Mamdani said, “And furthermore, the name is Mamdani.”
Dana Rubinstein covers New York City politics and government for The Times.
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