Andrew Cuomo is gearing up for a decisive showdown in the final mayoral debate on Wednesday. As he prepares to challenge Zohran Mamdani, who currently leads by a significant margin in the polls, Cuomo aims to make a memorable impact. With less than two weeks until the election, the pressure is on for the former governor to shift the narrative in his favor.

However, Cuomo is likely to encounter a familiar obstacle in Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Known for his combative style, Sliwa is expected to once again target Cuomo, potentially diverting his attempts to unsettle Mamdani, the socialist contender. Political analysts suggest that Sliwa’s presence could serve as a buffer, shielding Mamdani from Cuomo’s planned offensive.

“Cuomo faces a significant challenge,” remarked seasoned communications expert Andrew Kirtzman. “With Sliwa interfering and turning the focus back on Cuomo, it will be tough—though not impossible—for him to achieve the breakthrough he needs.”

“Cuomo is in a precarious position,” Kirtzman continued, highlighting the complexities of the three-way dynamic. “Sliwa is firmly positioned between Cuomo and his primary target, making strategic attacks more difficult.”

This pivotal face-off will take place at 7 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City. It marks the second and final debate of the campaign, presenting a crucial opportunity for both Cuomo and Sliwa to sway voters and overcome the formidable lead held by the Democratic front-runner, Mamdani.

The two candidates would have to work together in one of the most improbable team-ups in recent political history to stand any chance of making a dent in Mamdani’s sizable support, according to experts.

“Ideally, Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa need to get Mamdani off his game a bit,” said Democratic operative Ross Wallenstein. “Rile him up. Get him angry. Have him show his true colors on an issue.

“But really, the only thing Cuomo and Sliwa could do is one of them should drop out,” Wallenstein said. “On stage, one of them should selflessly urge their supporters to vote for the other one in order to save New York City from a Mamdani administration.”

But pundits agreed that scenario, while made-for-TV, was as improbably as a fairytale, with Sliwa more likely to use his time to unload on his longtime foe Cuomo.

The thrice-elected Democratic governor has been pushing hard to get the firebrand Guardian Angels founder to exit the race — but Sliwa has remained defiant, even when his longtime friend and boss John Catsimatidis publicly called on him to unite behind Cuomo in a bid to meet Mamdani this week.

“Unfortunately, Curtis will again muck up the works,” Democratic strategist Ken Frydman said.

The mad rush to get Sliwa to end his campaign with the November 4 election fast approaching came on the heels of a new survey from AARP and Gotham Polling that had Cuomo within the margin of error if solely facing off against Mamdani.

For his part, Mamdani will walk on stage with little to prove to come out on top — as long as he stays upright for 90 minutes, according to insiders, who believe the debate will do little to change voters’ minds.

Kirtzman said Cuomo would have to land a few punches on Mamdani to spur “some kind of game-changing gaffe.”

“But Mamdani hasn’t made a gaffe all campaign,” he noted.

Political operative Alyssa Cass, a partner at Slingshot Strategies, set the bar even lower for the Democratic Socialists of America hopeful.

“If Mamdani can avoid literally self-immolating on stage, he will be mayor,” she said.

“For Cuomo, the opportunity is different: it isn’t a debate but an opportunity to shape and refine the last three sentences of his obituary.”

When and where is the debate taking place?

The debate hosted by Spectrum NY1 will be held at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City.

It will start at 7 p.m. and run 90 minutes.

The moderators will NY1’s Errol Louis, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and THE CITY’s Katie Honan.

How to watch the debate:

The debate will be hosted by Spectrum’s NY1. It will air live on the channel and be streamed on its website.

Who is participating?

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa

Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo

Will there be an audience?

Yes. There will be a small studio audience with members of the New York City press corps also in attendance.

What do the polls say?

The latest poll on Monday had Mamdani in first with 43% of the vote, followed by Cuomo with 29% and Sliwa in third with 19% of support.

That survey also found Mamdani with a slight lead over Cuomo, 44.6% to 40.7%, if Sliwa were to drop out of the race.