5 Takeaways Surprises From The First Democratic Primary Debate For Nyc

NEW YORK CITY — The first 2025 Democratic mayoral primary debate took place Wednesday night. It was the first time voters saw Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander, Adrienne Adams, Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Michael Blake and Whitney Tilson on the same stage. The candidates fielded questions about affordability in the city, public safety, education, the future of New York City, and the Trump administration, among other issues brought up. Here are the important takeaways from Wednesday's debate: A majority of the field went after the former governor, forcing him to address his sexual harassment scandal back in 2021. Welcome to Politomix -- the political news wire where left, right and center mix.

Politomix aggregates the day's political news on the web and your mobile device. Politomix Home Trending Sites Search About 2025 GlassWave A crowded field of Democrats took to the debate stage on June 4 to vie for their party’s nomination to lead New York City as mayor. With Adams running as an independent—after what he said was a “bogus case” against him—threatening to split the Democratic vote, tensions are high among New York City Democrats. A total of nine candidates competing to replace Adams made it to the stage, presenting competing visions for the city’s future while making sweeping promises about the reforms they’ll institute if elected. The Democratic primary, to be held on June 24, will rely on ranked-choice voting.

Voters will choose up to five candidates, and underperformers will be eliminated until one candidate achieves 50 percent, making it difficult to predict the final outcome with much certainty. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has won the endorsement of the Working Families Party, which has a relatively influential position among progressives in the city. The group has declared a goal of defeating both Adams and Cuomo, a strategy they’ve dubbed “D.R.E.A.M.,” or “Don’t Rank Eric or Andrew for Mayor.” Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, has introduced the Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act, to make all Americans eligible for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). I’ve lived in the same spot for 30 years, but lately, my Social Security check is gone before the month ends.

I was literally eating toast for dinner to save money. Then a friend at the senior center showed me Food Radar. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. The map showed five different spots within 2 miles of my apartment giving away food today. I drove to the closest pin—a local church pantry. They filled my trunk with fresh vegetables, milk, and canned goods.

I didn't know this help was right under my nose the whole time. A bombshell came crashing into the White House health narrative Monday when longtime cardiologist Jonathan Reiner publicly rejected the official spin on President Trump’s recent MRI, calling the explanation “laughable” and suggesting the whole... In a striking sign of change across the American food and beverage landscape, two of the world’s most iconic beverage companies — Coca-Cola and PepsiCo — have recently announced multiple plant closures and major... This is the reality for so many of us in California. I applied for SNAP benefits because I was struggling to eat, but I got a letter saying my Social Security income was slightly over the limit. I was devastated.

I was apparently "too rich" for help, but I still couldn't afford eggs. From left, candidates Adrienne Adams, Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Andrew Cuomo, Whitney Tilson, Zohran Mamdani, Michael Blake and Scott Stringer Screengrab/YouTube Wednesday night marked former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s first appearance on a stage alongside his fellow candidates – a striking fact given how little time there is left in the New York City mayoral primary. Early voting starts on June 14 and it’s crunch time for candidates to spend what money they have left in a bid to break ahead of Cuomo, who still leads in polls. Even with a handful of other super PACs opposing Cuomo or spending on other candidates, the pro-Cuomo PAC Fix the City’s $10 million haul puts dollars spent on the former governor far ahead of...

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani has come closest to Cuomo in polls, with a late May Emerson College poll putting Cuomo at 54% and Mamdani at 46% after 10 rounds of ranked-choice voting. Those polling numbers aligned with the level of shade cast in each candidate’s direction Wednesday night. Cuomo was the No. 1 target of the eight other candidates’ criticism, but Mamdani also caught a few barbs. This first mayoral debate was co-hosted by WNBC, Telemundo 47 New York and Politico. A second and final debate will be held on June 12.

If you missed it, or are just looking to relive its highlights, here are some of the moments that broke through for us on the crowded stage. After months of press conferences and attention-grabbing gimmicks, the trailing candidates in the mayor’s race got to take their fight against Cuomo himself.

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