NEW YORK, N.Y. - The three men running to be the next mayor of New York City, the largest city in the United States, clashed on multiple occasions on the debate stage Thursday night on issues ranging from the war in Gaza to public safety to housing costs.

Public safety was discussed throughout the debate, with Mamdani's past disparaging comments about police and his calls to defund the New York City Police Department taking center stage.

"He believes in defunding the police, disarming the police, disbanding the police," Cuomo said. "That's who he is."

Mamdani attempted to distance himself from his past tweets, pointing out that they were from 2020.

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All three candidates discussed their plans to address the housing crisis in New York City with Mamdani's plan to "freeze the rent" drawing sharp criticism from Cuomo and Sliwa.

"Freeze the rent only postpones the rent," Cuomo said about Mamdani's plan, making the case that many of Mamdani's opponents have made that rent freezes would do more harm than good to housing stock.

Mamdani attempted to distance himself from his past support of legislation to decriminalize prostitution and faced criticism from both his opponents on that subject.

Mamdani's past statements on Israel were another flashpoint during the debate. At one point, Mamdani said, "of course" he supports calling on Hamas to disarm, despite dodging questions on that subject the previous day in an interview with Fox News Channel.

"I have denounced Hamas time and time again and it will never be enough," Mamdani said.

Republican Curtis Sliwa told Mamdani, "Jews don't trust that you'll be there for them when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks."

Experience was also brought up several times in the debate, focused on Mamdani and Cuomo making the case that they were the candidate with the right resume to lead the city going forward.

"This is not a job for a first timer," Cuomo said of Mamdani, adding, "he's literally never had a job."

"Thank God I'm not a professional politician because they have helped create this crime crisis in the city that we face," Sliwa said, criticizing both of his opponents' records.

Mamdani shot back with a line directly at Cuomo on the experience issue.

"What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity," Mamdani said to Cuomo. "What you don't have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience."

With under three weeks until Election Day, Mamdani holds a double-digit lead in the race for the nation's most populous city, but Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling.

The tightening contest underscores how Cuomo's independent bid continues to draw support from disaffected Democrats following embattled Mayor Eric Adams' withdrawal from the race.

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Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party's mayoral nomination, stands at 46% support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race, from Quinnipiac University.

Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, had 33% support in the survey, which was conducted Oct. 3-7.

Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democratic-dominated city, stood at 15% in the poll.

Quinnipiac's survey was the only major poll in the field entirely after Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race.

In Quinnipiac University's previous poll, conducted in early September, Mamdani held a 22-point 45%-23% lead over Cuomo, with Sliwa at 15% and Adams at 12%.

Despite Mamdani's lead in the race for Gracie Mansion, the democratic socialist has struggled to secure endorsements from national party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

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Mamdani did recently secure an endorsement from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined Mamdani on the campaign trail this week, but has since refused to return the favor.

"It's a decision that should be made after this general election," Mamdai said when asked if the candidates are supporting Hochul for re-election.

Mamdani clashes with rivals in fiery debate less than three weeks before NYC chooses next mayor