![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/D32B916188C3305AA84776198B05995A.jpg\")
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NEW YORK<\/strong> – Just days before early voting begins, New York City\u2019s mayoral candidates will take the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza for their first debate this Thursday, giving voters a clearer look at where each contender stands on the city\u2019s biggest challenges.<\/p>\n The race has narrowed to three major candidates: a Democrat, a Republican, and an Independent, each vying to convince New Yorkers they\u2019re best suited to lead the city forward.<\/p>\n What we know:<\/p>\n The live debate kicks off at 7 p.m. and will air on WNBC and Telemundo 47 in partnership with POLITICO.<\/p>\n The event will focus on key issues including public safety, affordable housing, transit reliability, and the future of city leadership as New Yorkers prepare to head to the polls.<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at the candidates and where they stand on the major issues shaping this race.<\/p>\n Meet the candidates <\/p>\n SKIP TO: <\/strong>Andrew Cuomo<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>Zohran Mamdani<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>Curtis Sliwa<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Returning to the mayoral race after his 2021 defeat to Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa brings his tough-on-crime message back to the Republican forefront. The Guardian Angels founder and outspoken radio host is banking on his core base in conservative outer-borough neighborhoods.<\/p>\n Sliwa\u2019s law-and-order platform remains central, and he has wasted no time labeling Mamdani “too extreme for this city,” positioning himself as the voice of traditional values and public safety.<\/p>\n He has focused his campaign on public order and community-focused housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sliwa’s affordability plan <\/p>\n His seven-point housing plan includes converting empty commercial spaces into homes, restoring vacant rent-controlled units, and returning zoning control to local neighborhoods. Sliwa supports hiring thousands of new police officers and reinstating the NYPD\u2019s Homeless Outreach Unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n On education, he vows to overhaul the system to focus on measurable achievement, restore school safety agents, and expand gifted and vocational programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sliwa also pledges to preserve traditional Medicare for retirees and improve city sanitation and pest control to promote public health.<\/p>\n New York City mayoral candidates are turning to social media in an attempted to revitalize their campaigns, but is it working? Also, Republican Curtis Sliwa says he will take of his signature red beret for good if elected. FOX 5 NY’s Morgan McKay breaks down the state of the race.<\/p>\n After conceding defeat in the Democratic primary, former Governor Andrew Cuomo has officially qualified to run as an independent in the general election, staging a late comeback that could reshape the race. Cuomo is presenting himself as a steady hand with deep experience, seeking to appeal to moderates, independents, and disaffected Democrats wary of both Mamdani\u2019s progressivism and Sliwa\u2019s conservatism.<\/p>\n He has focused his campaign on restoring public safety and affordability.\u00a0<\/p>\n He calls for adding 5,000 officers to the NYPD and increasing patrols in subways and retail corridors.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cuomo’s housing plan <\/p>\n On housing, Cuomo supports building across income levels, enforcing rent-stabilization laws, and offering tax relief for working- and middle-class residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n His education priorities include reducing class sizes, expanding after-school programs, and addressing teacher shortages.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cuomo also wants more school-based health centers and expanded community health partnerships to improve access and pandemic preparedness.<\/p>\n ![\"Sliwa](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/BF73117B7031FC6737582E27C6C0EB1D.jpg\")
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Cuomo considering new strategy in NYC mayor race<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Mamdani](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/97D93A3B862704B4CBCEBD6595CD4BC9.jpg\")
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