Debate day, part II

Politico

12-06-2025

Presented by
With help from Cris Seda Chabrier
Seven candidates will face off tonight in the second and final televised debate of the Democratic mayoral primary — a last chance for the mayoral hopefuls to make their case directly to voters before June 24.
NY1 will air and moderate the faceoff, alongside WNYC and The CITY — and the fire may be directed at Zohran Mamdani as well as Andrew Cuomo, who took most of the heat in last week's debate.
The candidates will be doing so as a stunning new poll, first reported by POLITICO, showed Mamdani narrowly defeating Cuomo, 35 percent to 31 percent, in a head-to-head that didn't account for ranked-choice voting.
Yes, it's just one survey, commissioned by Democrat Justin Brannan's city comptroller campaign and conducted by Public Policy Polling. The poll found Brannan had narrowed the gap compared to other surveys, but opponent Mark Levine was still ahead by double-digits.
Cuomo's team Wednesday night was quick to point to a different survey by Honan Strategy Group that found him defeating Mamdani 56 percent to 44 percent in the seventh round of voting.
But the buzzy PPP result after months of comfortable, double-digit leads for the ex-governor affirms the growing perception the mayoral race is coming down to two extraordinarily different candidates with divergent plans for the nation's largest city. One is a 67-year-old establishment politician and the other, a 33-year-old democratic socialist running as an upstart.
The survey signals a potential re-ordering of the race for Cuomo, who launched his bid for a political comeback on March 1 as the prohibitive favorite against lesser-known candidates.
Mamdani, the socialist with scant accomplishments in the state Assembly, entered the race as a long shot. He has since captured the interest of lefty New Yorkers who are eager for a sharp change in New York's direction.
The poll dropped before early voting begins Saturday and a week after he was repeatedly blasted by his opponents in the first debate — a dynamic that benefitted the former governor.
Attacks on Cuomo gave him more oxygen — not just to defend his record, but also to counterpunch at his rivals.
In that forum, Mamdani did not connect in the same way he does in his well-produced videos. City Comptroller Brad Lander — who now appears to be running a distant third in a two-person contest — took Cuomo's bait after the former governor attacked him for approving contracts for groups connected to his wife.
The second debate stands to be different.
Mamdani's growing support will likely train attacks on him — his thin resume, Israel stance and lefty campaign promises of offering free services by taxing the rich will face further scrutiny.
In last week's debate, the former governor questioned his rival's lack of experience and suggested President Donald Trump — the bogeyman of the race — would easily tear a Mayor Mamdani apart.
The Cuomo-allied super PAC Fix the City has already started with a mailer knocking Mamdani on Israel, per The Forward's Jacob Kornbluh. That attack dovetailed with a recent TV ad criticizing the Queens assemblymember's tax proposal that's aimed at wealthy New Yorkers.
An offensive against Mamdani would help Cuomo — a moderate Democrat — to draw a sharper contrast with his principal rival, especially for voters who may be just starting to pay attention.
The final phase of the primary starts today. — Nick Reisman
HAPPY THURSDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
WHERE'S KATHY? In Washington, delivering remarks to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
WHERE'S ERIC? In New York City, making a public safety and quality of life-related announcement with NYPD Commissioner Tisch and DSNY leaders, and speaking at a ceremony honoring former U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'We certainly got this. … The NYPD has a responsibility to maintain safety and order, and we are not going to abdicate that responsibility.' — NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Fox 5, via the Daily News, saying the city doesn't need the National Guard after 86 people were arrested in anti-ICE protests Tuesday night.
ABOVE THE FOLD
HOCHUL IN THE HOT SEAT: Gov. Kathy Hochul and two of her fellow Democratic governors are set to be grilled today by House Republicans over blue-state policies limiting cooperation between federal immigration officers and local law enforcement.
Hochul, Tim Walz of Minnesota and JB Pritzker of Illinois are responding to a House Oversight Committee invitation to testify at a 'Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors.'
Hochul plans to come armed with data about how the state has worked with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on criminal matters, with a reminder that she supports strong borders, according to a memo and prepared opening remarks shared with Playbook.
'Immigration is fundamentally a federal issue,' Hochul plans to say at the start of the hearing. 'But the influx of migrants and asylum-seekers we saw across the United States caused New York and other states to shoulder the burden of a broken immigration system.'
The governor and her team expect the Republicans on the panel to prod the Democratic governors with 'wild accusations, twisted characterizations and flat-out falsehoods,' according to the memo.
'I will hold Kathy Hochul accountable for the horrific crimes she has allowed to happen on her watch,' Rep. Nick Langworthy, the only New York Republican on the committee, posted Wednesday on X.
Defenders of 'sanctuary' policies say they allow for state resources to be used for criminal immigration enforcement but not civil infractions. Hochul has said that the approach allows state police to focus on violent and gun crimes.
The hearing is expected to be markedly different than when Mayor Eric Adams took incoming from his own party at a March mayors' hearing over his warmer relationship with President Donald Trump. — Emily Ngo
CITY HALL: THE LATEST
JEWS FOR SHAHANA: A group of progressive Jews is organizing to boost pro-Palestinian Council Member Shahana Hanif's reelection effort as she defends a challenge from political hopeful Maya Kornberg.
Two hundred sixty Jewish constituents signed a letter, first shared with Playbook, urging fellow Jews to back the progressive lawmaker ahead of the June 24 primary.
'As Jews, we're proud to have elected NYC's first Muslim woman to the City Council, and committed to continuing to work with her to make our city safe for all who live here,' the supporters wrote.
The group, which is being supported by the left-leaning Jews for Racial & Economic Justice Action, is also door-knocking around the district.
In a statement, Sara Forman, the treasurer of Solidarity PAC, a group backing pro-Israel candidates including Kornberg, slammed the effort.
'Of course we are not a monolith and people are free to support whomever they choose, but the idea that anyone would claim to represent 39th District Jewish voters but are unable to recognize Shahana Hanif's revolting initial refusal to condemn Hamas or her blatant ignorance about antisemitic slurs graffitied in her district, is laughable,' she said. — Jason Beeferman
HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN: Nearly 500,000 people watched the first mayoral debate last week on broadcast TV — a slight boost over NBC and Telemundo's primary debate in 2021, even as New Yorkers continue to cut the cord.
More than 235,000 views were recorded on the networks' digital and streaming platforms, which aired the full, two-hour debate on June 4.
Together, it was a 47 percent increase over the debate four years ago. That's according to viewership numbers from NBC New York, which co-hosted the debate with POLITICO. That suggests there's a lot of attention on the race. Some 942,000 Democrats voted in the mayoral primary in 2021. — Jeff Coltin
PRIDE MONTH PICK: First in Playbook, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, a left-leaning LGBTQ club, is ranking Adrienne Adams first on its mayoral endorsement slate, followed by Mamdani, city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and former Assemblymember Michael Blake.
'We missed the chance to elect Bella Abzug in the 1970s,' said Allen Roskoff, the club's president, referring to the late Congressmember who ran for mayor against Mario Cuomo in 1977. 'It's time' for a woman mayor, he added.
The club announced its unranked slate in April, but now replaced Jessica Ramos with Myrie and Blake after she endorsed Cuomo. — Jeff Coltin and Joe Anuta
More from the city:
— The City Council voted to clear a hurdle for a hotly debated casino bid in the Bronx — buoyed by crucial, last-minute support from Mayor Eric Adams. (POLITICO Pro)
— It's not just Cuomo. At least five men are running for City Council and hoping to redeem themselves after losing office or having their political careers clouded by scandal. (City & State)
— Department of Investigation officials have been monitoring the NYPD's response to anti-ICE demonstrations as part of a settlement after 2020 protests. (Gothamist)
NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY
RAMOS FUNDRAISES: State Sen. Jessica Ramos held an 'Albany Send-Off' fundraiser three blocks from the Capitol last night. Tickets ranged from $250 to $5,000.
Notably, the fundraiser was for her state account — the one she'd use if she doesn't wind up winning the mayoral election and seeks another term in her current office next year. That account had only $9,000 in the bank as of January, far less than the $100,000 it had in January 2023. Her city-level account owes a quarter million dollars in debt.
Ramos said she has 'an end of session fundraiser every year.'
It is indeed far from the senator's first Albany event. Back in 2019, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi called Ramos a 'fucking idiot' for criticizing the governor for holding a budget-time fundraiser while she had done the same. — Bill Mahoney
More from Albany:
— A measure to protect people with developmental disabilities has stalled again in the Legislature. (Times Union)
— Former Assemblymember Danny O'Donnell is heading to the state Parole Board. (City & State)
— A bill could enable political party bosses to kick out members at will. (New York Post)
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
SALT TO BE SHED?: The chair of the Senate Finance Committee said in a meeting Wednesday that three major business tax provisions will be made permanent in the GOP megabill while the House deal on the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, will be scaled back, according to attendees.
The pledge to restore larger tax deductions for research-and-development costs, business equipment purchases and interest on debt fulfills a major priority for Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho and members of his panel, who consider them a major driver of economic growth.
But making the breaks permanent is costly, and it will require tradeoffs that could cause political problems as GOP leaders seek to finish work on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.'
Crapo is targeting a hot-potato House priority in the SALT deduction that's critical to highly taxed states like New York.
He told GOP senators in the Wednesday briefing that he plans to cap SALT at a lower level than the $40,000 deal Speaker Mike Johnson cut with his members.
New York and other blue-state GOP lawmakers are already raising warning bells over the plan, which Senate Majority Leader John Thune first outlined to POLITICO.
'I can guarantee you: Any bill that passes here will have a SALT provision of $40,000 or more,' Rep. Nick LaLota said.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis warned Senate Republicans are 'running the risk of this entire bill imploding' if they alter the House SALT deal, adding that 'they will be responsible for the largest tax hike on the American people.' — Benjamin Guggenheim and Jordain Carney
More from Congress:
— Democratic governors facing potentially big budget problems exacerbated by the GOP megabill are considering emergency measures to soften the blow. (POLITICO)
— Rep. Ritchie Torres donates to the fund demanding freedom for Andry Hernández Romero, a gay asylum-seeker imprisoned in El Salvador. (Advocate)
— Lobbyists pick Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the most likely leader of the Democrats. (Punchbowl News)
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
— A jury convicts Harvey Weinstein of the top charge in the retrial of his landmark #MeToo sex crimes case. (CNN)
— Business groups are concerned about an emissions measure being considered in the final days of Albany's legislative session. (POLITICO Pro)
— Long Island leads the state in dog attacks on postal workers. (New York Post)
SOCIAL DATA
IN MEMORIAM: Jim Katocin, vice president of advertising at City & State has died (City & State)
MAKING MOVES: Adriana Pezzulli has joined NYC Kids RISE as chief of development. She was previously with the Community Service Society of New York … Amaia Errecalde has been promoted to be an account executive at strategic comms firm Infinite
MEDIAWATCH: 'New York Times Names Co-Chief Restaurant Critics: The pair, Ligaya Mishan and Tejal Rao, are part of an effort to expand starred restaurant reviews across the country, the company said,' by NYT's Katie Robertson
WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Alexa Kissinger, an attorney at Kirkland and Ellis and an Obama White House alum, and Gareth Rhodes, managing director at Pacific Street Group, on June 1 welcomed Felix Arthur Kissinger Rhodes, who joins big sister Inez. Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former Assemblymember David Buchwald … Jerika Richardson of the National Urban League … Gerstman's Nicole Epstein … JTA's Philissa Cramer … Columbia's Erin Hussein … Marc Greenberg … NBC's Carrie Budoff Brown … Dag Vega … Bloomberg's Kevin Sheekey … Chris Lu … Julie Andreeff Jensen … Rachel Cordova D'Oro … Alexis Levinson … Nathanael Massey … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Steven A. Cohen ... Michael J. Schoenfeld ... Scott Gottlieb
Missed Wednesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.