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Mamdani stood out, Cuomo didn't have substance: Desis react to final NYC mayoral debate
A debate watch-party was held by South-Asian and Indo-Carribean rights group DRUM Beats in Ozone Park, Queens.
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Biplob Kumar Das - Thu, 23, Oct 2025
- 03:17 EDT
- 43
DRUM's mayoral watch part / Biplob Kumar Das
As New York City is set to elect a new Mayor, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo faced off in the last election debate on Oct. 22.
The three candidates sparred on issues including immigration, dealing with President Donald Trump, affordable housing and homelessness and how to organize the city's police, among other issues.
ALSO READ: Who do netizens think won the first NYC mayoral debate?
At a debate watch-party organized by South-Asian and Indo-Carribean rights group DRUM (Desis Rise Up and Moving) Beats in Ozone Park, Queens, attendants said Mamdani stood apart from the other candidates.
"I think Zohran stood out because of his policies and his firm stances," said Jennifer, a 48-year-old local resident, who only goes by her first name.
"He was able to explain what kind of Mayor he's going to be and he explained it in a way that I can understand," she said.
Her views were echoed by Oma Anderson, who believes Mamdani won the debate. Anderson said she is going to vote for Mamdani in the coming weeks.
The debate turned out to be the most heated contest between the three candidates with each one taking jibes at each other. But the predominantly desi audience at the watch party were not impressed by either Cuomo or Sliwa.
“In Mamdani, we see a brown Muslim man speaking to us in our language,” said Andrew Singh, a 27-year-old local resident, who believes Cuomo and Sliwa just can’t connect to immigrant communities, particularly South Asians.
Meanwhile, other audience members believe despite Cuomo’s aggressive attacks on Mamdani, he was still unconvincing in his issues.
“He just lacked substance,” said Jennifer, adding that Cuomo’s record of COVID deaths while he was governor and allegations of sexual harassment make him a non-starter to being with.
During the debate, Mamdani questioned Cuomo’s history of allegations of sexual harassment and noted that one of the women who accused him was in the debate audience and asked what Cuomo had to say.
Sherry Padilla, an organizer at DRUM Beats who was also organizing the watch party, said that Cuomo’s record of sexual harassment allegations automatically puts him at a big disadvantage with women of New York City in the elections.
“As a survivor of sexual harassment myself, the fact that not one, not two, but 13 women accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, gives me the ick,” Padilla said.
Audience members also pointed out that Mamdani could have fared better on some questions such as the one on ballot proposals. On the election ballot, New Yorkers will also vote on three ballot proposals that seek to make housing construction easier and faster but with fewer regulatory hurdles.
Mamdani has abstained from revealing his stance on the issue despite affordable housing being a core issue of his election agenda.
“I believe he should have taken a stance for or against it,” said Jennifer, who added that it would have instilled more confidence in the audience while cautioning that she herself wasn’t fully aware of the proposals.
“I don’t think it will matter, he will still win,” said Padilla about Mamdani’s fumble when asked about the ballot proposals.
If he wins, Mamdani is set to be the first South-Asian and Muslim Mayor in New York City's history. The 34-year-old is currently leading the election polls with a comfortable margin.
Early voting in the election starts on Oct.25 and election day is on Nov. 4, when the results will also be declared.
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