Everything to know about NYC Democratic primary mayor debate — and why Eric Adams won't be participating
Nine Democratic candidates for mayor will take the stage Wednesday night to face off on how to fix the Big Apple's biggest issues.
The event, put on by the city's Campaign Finance Board (CFB), will give New Yorkers a thorough look at the candidates in the June 24 primary, their policies and their records.
10 Jessica Ramos attends the Pride Kick Off Mayoral Forum in New York City on May 31, 2025.
Leonardo Munoz
It will be frontrunner Andrew Cuomo's first time sharing the stage with the slew of other hopefuls vying for the party nod.
When and where is the debate taking place?
The first Democratic mayoral primary debate is taking place Wednesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at NBC's iconic 30 Rockefeller Center studios.
The event, which will be hosted by NBC 4 New York/WNBC, Telemundo 47/WNJU and POLITICO New York, will be filmed and aired live.
10 Candidate Adrienne Adams attends the Pride Kick Off Mayoral Forum in New York City on May 31, 2025.
Leonardo Munoz
10 Candidate Michael Blake attends the Pride Kick Off Mayoral Forum in New York City on May 31, 2025.
Leonardo Munoz
10 Candidate Brad Lander speaks at a Mayoral Forum hosted by Queers for Action on May 31, 2025 in New York City.
Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com
'The debates at 30 Rock will be informative, engaging, and help voters make their preferred choices at the ballot box. Our team understands the critical issues facing the city, and we're listening to what New Yorkers want to hear from the candidates,' said Amy Morris, senior vice president of news for NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47.
How to watch the debate:
The debate will be airing live on WNBC — and there are a couple of ways to watch for free.
Viewers can claim a free trial on DIRECTV or Sling TV to access WNBC live if they don't already pay for cable.
10 Former Governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured) is the current frontrunner ahead of Wednesday's debate.
Stephen Yang
Who is participating?
A packed field of nine candidates will be participating in the debate. Here's a brief overview of the mayoral hopefuls, in order of how they'll be standing on stage, left to right:
Adrienne Adams : Speaker of the City Council since 2022 and a member since 2017. She hails from and represents South Jamaica, Queens. She is a progressive Democrat.
: Speaker of the City Council since 2022 and a member since 2017. She hails from and represents South Jamaica, Queens. She is a progressive Democrat. Brad Lander: The City Comptroller since 2022 and a career pol, Lander is a Brooklynite by way of St. Louis, Missouri. He is a progressive Democrat.
The City Comptroller since 2022 and a career pol, Lander is a Brooklynite by way of St. Louis, Missouri. He is a progressive Democrat. Jessica Ramos: Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, Ramos is a state senator representing Queens' 13th District since 2019. She is a pro-labor progressive Democrat.
Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, Ramos is a state senator representing Queens' 13th District since 2019. She is a pro-labor progressive Democrat. Zellnor Myrie: A Brooklyn state senator since 2019, representing its 20th District in Crown Heights, Myrie is a native of the borough and a progressive, pro-real-estate Democrat.
A Brooklyn state senator since 2019, representing its 20th District in Crown Heights, Myrie is a native of the borough and a progressive, pro-real-estate Democrat. Andrew Cuomo : The former governor of New York, hailing from Queens, is making a comeback bid for mayor. Facing a slew of scandals, he resigned in 2021 after serving for 10 years. He is a conservative Democrat.
: The former governor of New York, hailing from Queens, is making a comeback bid for mayor. Facing a slew of scandals, he resigned in 2021 after serving for 10 years. He is a conservative Democrat. Whitney Tilson: A former hedge fund manager originally from Connecticut, the Harvard-educated Tilson is a conservative Democrat.
A former hedge fund manager originally from Connecticut, the Harvard-educated Tilson is a conservative Democrat. Zohran Mamdani: A Queens state Assembly member representing Astoria and Ditmars-Steinway since 2021, Mamdani is a Democratic socialist originally from Uganda, who was raised on the Upper West Side.
A Queens state Assembly member representing Astoria and Ditmars-Steinway since 2021, Mamdani is a Democratic socialist originally from Uganda, who was raised on the Upper West Side. Michael Blake : A reverend from the South Bronx, Blake served as a state Assemblyman from 2015 to 2021 in The Bronx's 79th District. He is a progressive Democrat.
: A reverend from the South Bronx, Blake served as a state Assemblyman from 2015 to 2021 in The Bronx's 79th District. He is a progressive Democrat. Scott Stringer: The city comptroller from 2014-2022, the longtime pol was born and raised in Harlem. Though Stringer ran a progressive ticket in the 2021 mayoral race, he is a tad more center this go-around.
Read more about the candidates here:
10 Mayor Eric Adams (pictured), will not be attending the debate as he has forfeited the Democratic race to run as an Independent.
REUTERS
Why isn't Mayor Eric Adams participating?
The 110th mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, will not be on the debate stage.
Though he ran as a Democrat in 2021, he withdrew from the Democratic primary this April — opting instead to seek re-election as an independent candidate.
Will there be another debate?
Yes! Leading Democratic candidates will have a second, smaller, but just as fiery debate next Thursday, June 12.
Ramos and Blake didn't meet the CFB's fundraising requirements to make it to the second round — so Wednesday will be voters' only chance to see them square up against their opponents.
10 Candidate Zellnor Myrie pictured in an interview.
Robert Miller
Will there be live mics?
WNBC has not yet confirmed if mics will be turned off after candidates' allotted time — like they were in 2024's presidential debate.
10 Candidate Whitney Tilson (left) at The Roosevelt House at Hunter College for a NYC mayoral candidate debate.
James Messerschmidt
10 Candidate Scott Stringer speaking at a United Federation of Teachers meeting.
Robert Miller
Will there be an audience?
There won't be a studio audience at this round of debates — with only select guest credentials being provided to campaign staff.
10 Candidate Zohran Mamdani (pictured) is polling in second place behind the former governor.
Leonardo Munoz
What to look out for:
MAMDANI vs. CUOMO : Mamdani has been slashing Cuomo's lead in recent polls — though the two candidates are on opposite ends of the Democratic spectrum. Wednesday's debate is likely to see both the conservative-leaning former governor and the socialist Queens Assemblyman go toe to toe on various issues and refute each other's policy proposals.
: Mamdani has been slashing Cuomo's lead in recent polls — though the two candidates are on opposite ends of the Democratic spectrum. Wednesday's debate is likely to see both the conservative-leaning former governor and the socialist Queens Assemblyman go toe to toe on various issues and refute each other's policy proposals. CUOMO GANG-UP : Expect to see a barrage of blows fired at the former governor by all candidates on stage, particularly about his resignation and his handling of the COVID-19 nursing home crisis.
: Expect to see a barrage of blows fired at the former governor by all candidates on stage, particularly about his resignation and his handling of the COVID-19 nursing home crisis. ANTI-SEMITISM : With rising antisemitsm in the Big Apple and the conflict in the Gaza Strip, expect this topic to bring up heated points of view from candidates. Keep an eye out specifically for a sparring match between Cuomo, who is staunchly pro-Israel, and Mamdani, who has a history of Palestinian activism and controversial views on the Jewish state.
: With rising antisemitsm in the Big Apple and the conflict in the Gaza Strip, expect this topic to bring up heated points of view from candidates. Keep an eye out specifically for a sparring match between Cuomo, who is staunchly pro-Israel, and Mamdani, who has a history of Palestinian activism and controversial views on the Jewish state. SAFETY and AFFORDABILITY: Two hot-button issues on the ballot right now are safety and affordability — particularly when it comes to housing. Expect to hear a lot of talk about police, subway safety and housing solutions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Top Armed Services Democrat calls Trump-Putin summit ‘very disappointing'
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he was very disappointed by the historic summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. In an interview on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday,' Smith criticized the U.S. president for appearing to emerge from his meeting more aligned with Putin in pushing for an end to the war in Ukraine without first agreeing to a ceasefire. 'The summit in Alaska was very disappointing,' Smith said in the interview. 'We took the demand for a ceasefire off the table in exchange for nothing.' Smith also criticized Trump's 'deference' to the Russian leader, contrasting that approach with the antagonism on display during the explosive Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February. 'The deference that President Trump showed to Putin—never once just stating the basic notion that Ukraine has a right to exist as a sovereign, democratic country and that the invasion was illegal, unlawful,' Smith said. 'And you contrast that with the way President Trump and Vice President Vance treated Zelensky when he was in the West Wing back in February — it sends the wrong signal if we're trying to force Putin to the table and get a negotiated end to this war,' he continued. Smith said it 'makes sense' for Trump to be trying to get Putin and Zelensky in a room together, saying, 'I applaud that effort, but you have to understand what Putin wants out of this.' 'Putin wants all of Ukraine, and he's just trying to play President Trump and buy time to get in a better position to do that,' he continued. 'That's the calculation of Putin that has to be changed.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Melania Trump's Message to Putin Sparks AI Claims
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Melania Trump's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked speculation over whether the first lady used AI to pen a missive to the Kremlin chief. In a message posted to the first lady's social media, Melania Trump appealed to Putin to "singlehandedly restore" the "melodic laughter" of children caught up in the nearly three and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine. Why It Matters President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska on Friday with relations soured by Russia's refusal to ink a ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S. to stop fighting in Ukraine. Although no deal was reached in Anchorage, Trump described the summit as "useful" and pivoted his position on a ceasefire, saying he would move straight to a permanent peace deal. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who will visit Washington on Monday, said on Saturday that Russia's refusal to sign a ceasefire "complicates the situation." First lady Melania Trump listens as President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. First lady Melania Trump listens as President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, To Know The message sent by the first lady, dubbed a "peace letter" on her official Instagram account, quickly prompted online commentators to question whether the letter had been generated using AI. Democrat strategist, Keith Edwards, said in a post to X the letter "says a whole lot of nothing," and "may have been written by AI." Chris Jackson, a long-time supporter of former president Joe Biden and Democrat activist, said in his own social media post that he had run the letter through AI, which had deemed the message to the Kremlin AI-generated. Grok, a tool developed by Elon Musk's company xAI, said the letter "shows strong signs of AI generation" with "minor human edits for tone." There is no concrete evidence that the letter published on the first lady's accounts was generated using artificial intelligence. Newsweek has reached out to Melania Trump's office for comment. As tools improve, it becomes harder to work out when AI is responsible for published writing. When Newsweek asked AI's opinion on the letter, it said it had "qualities that resemble AI writing," including a lofty, idealistic style. "Words like purity, innocence, humanity, love, possibility, dignity are stacked densely without much concrete policy or detail. AI models tend to default to these universal values when asked to 'sound inspirational,'" according to one AI response. But AI also said the letter did not feature the types of tonal shifts or awkward phasing often associated with content generated using artificial intelligence. Zelensky Thanks The First Lady for 'Sincere Attention' President Trump hand-delivered a letter from his wife to Putin during the summit, which focused on the fate of Ukrainian and Russian children, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed White House officials. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha said in a post to social media that Zelensky had "conveyed his gratitude" to Trump during a conversation on Saturday for the first lady's "sincere attention and efforts to bring forcibly deported Ukrainian kids back." The version of the letter published by the first lady on her social media does not directly mention Ukrainian children taken to Russia. Ukraine has consistently said Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children throughout its full-scale invasion of the country and relocated them to Russia or Russian-controlled areas. Kyiv has called this a war crime. The International Criminal Court in March 2023 issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's children's rights commissioner, for being "allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation." Moscow has said children were moved away from conflict areas to protect them. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said earlier this year that children had been subject to "summary executions, arbitrary detention, conflict-related sexual violence, torture and ill-treatment" in the four regions of Ukraine Russia claimed to have annexed in fall 2022. The Kremlin declared Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were part of Russia after referendums widely condemned as a sham. Russia had seized Crimea, to the south of the mainland, from Ukraine in 2014. The first lady has released an audiobook touted as "created entirely with artificial intelligence audio technology." The seven-hour-long audiobook is narrated by Melania Trump's "official AI voice." Melania Trump faced accusations in 2016 that she had plagiarized a previous address given by Michelle Obama during a section of her own speech to the Republican National Convention. Trump's team at the time said Melania Trump had used "common words" and not copied Michelle Obama's speech. The First Lady's Letter in Full "Dear President Putin, Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger. As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation's hope. As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all – so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded. A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation's descendants begin their lives with a purity – an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology. Yet in today's world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them – a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future. Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter. In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone – you serve humanity itself. Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today. It is time."
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Vladimir Putin 'Got Everything He Wanted' at Trump Alaska Summit—Senator
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, did not hold back on his assessment of the Trump-Putin summit that took place last week, saying in a Sunday appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press that the meeting was a "disaster" that gave Russian President Vladimir Putin "everything he wanted." Newsweek reached out to the White House by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday morning for comment. Why It Matters President Donald Trump hosted Putin in Alaska for a summit during which they spoke for two-and-a-half hours and addressed various aspects of a potential ceasefire deal that would end Russia's assault on Ukraine, which started with its invasion of the Eastern European country in February 2022. The two leaders took no questions immediately after their talk, and Trump walked away from the high-stakes summit without a deal, leading many to criticize the entire meeting, which included a lavish red-carpet ceremony, a gift to Putin, a shared ride between the two leaders in Trump's armored limousine, and a military flyover. What To Know Prior to the talks, Trump told Fox News that he would consider the meeting a failure if he did not secure a deal, and Putin walked away from the meeting saying he found it "constructive and useful," emphasizing a desire for a long-term resolution that must not be obstructed by Europe. Murphy gave a harsh assessment of the meeting, telling NBC News' Kristen Welker that he saw the meeting as a "disaster" and "an embarrassment for the United States." "It was a failure. Putin got everything he wanted," Murphy said, adding that Putin "wanted that photo op" and "to be absolved of his war crimes in front of the world." "He was invited to the United States: War criminals are not normally invited to the United States of America," Murphy said. "He is intentionally murdering civilians, he's kidnapping children, and now he got to stand next to the president of the United States, legitimized in the view of the world." However, the senator focused most on the outcome of the meeting, saying Putin "didn't have to give up anything" and that "it appears the ceasefire wasn't even seriously discussed." "Trump said, 'If I don't get a ceasefire, Putin is going to pay a price,' and then he walked out of that meeting saying, 'I didn't get a ceasefire, I didn't get a peace deal, and I'm not even considering sanctions,'" Murphy said. "You heard Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio downplay sanctions. And so, Putin walks away with his photo op with zero commitments made and zero consequences. What a great day for Russia." Further talks are planned, with Putin inviting Trump to Moscow. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska. Inset: Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, is seen on February 8, 2024, in... President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska. Inset: Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, is seen on February 8, 2024, in Washington, D.C. More//What People Are Saying President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday: "It's incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me. There is NOTHING I can say or do that would lead them to write or report honestly about me. I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden's stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!" Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday: "Trump marvels at Putin's statement that the 2020 election was rigged, and that Trump really won. Can Trump really be so gullible as to think Putin is doing anything more than telling him what he wants to hear? Yes he can. And yes he is." What Happens Next? Trump has discussed plans to secure a trilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, which he is likely to discuss with the Ukrainian leader when he visits the White House on Monday along with some European leaders.
