The recent New York City mayoral debate, which pitted Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani against former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, has drawn sharp criticism from political analyst Mark Halperin.
Halperin, speaking on “Special Report with Bret Baier” on Friday, argued that the primary failing of the Thursday night debate lay not with the candidates, but with the moderators for their insufficient questioning of Mamdani’s economic plans.
“The tragedy for me is in two hours, the moderators never really tried to pin Mamdani down on the economic policies that he’s espousing. And how he proposes to pay for things that are not currently affordable,” Halperin stated. He added that the other candidates also failed to press Mamdani on the issue.
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Halperin suggested that, despite another debate being scheduled, Mamdani could win the mayoral race without ever having to adequately explain the financial viability of his proposals. “I think he’s going to be elected mayor of New York City without even [coming] close to explaining how his numbers add up on the outside,” Halperin remarked.
While criticizing the debate’s moderation, Halperin also offered a bleak assessment of Cuomo’s chances, saying, “I never like to take it away from the voters or declare it’s over, but I think it’s as cooked as a Twinkie and a pizza oven for 35 minutes. It’s very difficult to see how Cuomo changes the dynamic of the race.”
Conversely, Halperin viewed Sliwa’s performance favorably, arguing, “I’d argue he was probably the best person on the stage.”
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The debate also saw contentious exchanges on other political fronts. Mamdani was questioned by moderators about his refusal to endorse Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, even after she publicly backed his campaign. Mamdani defended his position, saying, “It’s a decision that should be made after this general election.”
Furthermore, Mamdani notably did not deny an accusation from Cuomo that he had not voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The socialist Democrat confirmed that he had left his ballot blank to protest what he termed “the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.”
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