Desperate mayoral hopefuls will likely take aim at President Trump during the final Democratic primary debate Thursday night — after sparring with front-runner Andrew Cuomo last week did little to move the needle with voters, experts said.
Cuomo and repeated runner-up Zohran Mamdani have already seemingly attempted to capitalize on Trump bashing, pitching their plans to fight the White House this week as protests against federal immigration enforcement raids rage in Los Angeles.
“To the people who are open to a Mamdani candidacy, it’s a golden opportunity to further that dynamic,” Andrew Kirtzman, managing director of the consulting firm Actum, said of the Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman, who is known for taking part in dramatic demonstrations.
“But I think a lot of people, majority of New Yorkers, especially ones who are furious at Trump, are hesitant about this descending into violence, and that plays into Cuomo’s hands,” Kirtzman said.
How mayoral hopefuls will deal with President Donald Trump is expected to be a key part of the candidates’ pitches to New Yorkers during the final debate. AP“He could [capitalize] by saying he’s the only one who could keep the city under control.”
The two top polling candidates are slated to square off at 7 p.m. at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater for the final debate, which will be hosted by Spectrum NY1.
Also on stage will be: City Comptroller Brad Lander, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, former Comptroller Scott Stringer and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson.
Mayoral candidate and former governor Andrew Cuomo has been the front-runner before entering the race. Matthew McDermott
DSA lawmaker Zohran Mamdani caught fire early on in the race and has been in second place in the polls for weeks. Gregory P. MangoDemocratic operative and lobbyist Yvette Buckner said the “zeitgeist” of the race has shifted drastically from “an affordability crisis to defending our democracy.”
“We’re going to see the candidates sharpening their talking points around that to use at the debate,” she said.
During the first debate June 4, Cuomo was front and center of the vast majority of jabs and haymakers from the poorer polling hopefuls — but the attacks seemingly failed to move the minds of many voters.
A Honan Strategy Group poll conducted last week and released Wednesday still had the ex-gov pulling in 38% in the first round of the ranked-choice voting contest, compared to Mamdani’s 22%, and winning after seven rounds.
The lack of movement in the polls comes despite Mamdani nabbing the endorsement of lefty firebrand New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But the Honan survey was conducted before Cuomo scored the backing of former Mayor Mike Bloomberg on Tuesday.
The president and his policies could dominate the discussion Thursday as Democratic party leaders struggle to deal with Trump’s second term and the mayoral candidates look to break out of the crowded field with under two weeks to the June 24 primary.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, who has endorsed Cuomo, and former Assemblyman Rev. Michael Blake did not make the cut for the final debate. AP“They can’t tee off on Trump about NYC chaos because he ‘ promised’ (Mayor Eric) Adams he wouldn’t call in the National Guard as long as the mayor keeps a lid on things,” said political operative Ken Frydman, noting The Post’s reporting of the vow the president made to Chief John Chell on the golf course this past weekend.
“But they’ll still go after Trump on his immigration crackdown, provoking protests in the city.”
Kirtzman warned that the recent anti-ICE demonstrations and anti-Trump protests could throw a “major wrench in the race.”
“There is a smoldering anger at Trump in the party that is about to explode,” he said. “All of the candidates, including Cuomo, are going to go really hard on Trump.”
