NEW YORK (AP) — The final mayoral debate in New York City on Wednesday night was marked by heated exchanges, as Democrat Zohran Mamdani aimed to protect his frontrunner status against sharp criticisms from former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who both questioned his readiness for the role.

Mamdani opened with a critique of his opponents’ preoccupation with conflict, proposing instead to concentrate on his aspirations for the city. Despite his initial stance, the state assemblyman soon found himself embroiled in the contentious back-and-forth with his challengers.

Throughout the campaign, Mamdani has faced attacks concerning his limited political experience, his advocacy for Palestinian causes, and threats from President Donald Trump, who has suggested he might intervene or even arrest Mamdani if he secures victory.

Cuomo, having shifted to an independent run after being defeated by Mamdani in the Democratic primary, has been actively encouraging Sliwa to withdraw from the race. He has been appealing to conservative and moderate voters by presenting himself as a more credible alternative.

Sliwa, known for founding the Guardian Angels crime prevention group, remains unwavering in his campaign. He has intensified his critique of Cuomo, refusing to bow out and asserting his continued commitment to the contest.

Here are some key takeaways from the debate:

Barbs all around

Mamdani entered the debate saying he would try to stay above the fray and keep his focus on voters and issues — like affordability — that have defined his campaign.

But the Democratic nominee landed plenty of digs against his rivals, whom he accused of spending more time calling on each other to drop out “than actually proposing their own policies.”

Cuomo and Sliwa, he said, “speak only in the past because that is all they know.”

“I am the sole candidate running with a vision for the future of this city,” he went on, calling Cuomo “a desperate man, lashing out because he knows that the one thing he cares about, power, is slipping away from him.”

Cuomo, meanwhile, touted his experience, and portrayed Mamdani as out of his league. “It’s Bill de Blasio rehash and we know how that turned out,” he said.

“I did things. You have never had a job. You’ve never accomplished anything,” he said, insisting Mamdani lacks the merit and qualifications to run the nation’s biggest city or handle an emergency. “Shame on you!”

Sliwa accused both men of “fighting like kids in a school yard,” but piled on as well.

“Zorhan, your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin. And, Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library in New York City,” he quipped. He also made frequent references to Cuomo’s decision to resign as governor amid a barrage of sexual harassment allegations, which Cuomo denies.

Canal Street raid

Candidates were asked within minutes about an immigration enforcement sweep targeting vendors on Manhattan’s famed Canal Street that led to 14 arrests.

Cuomo responded by touting his squabbles with Trump during the Republican’s first term. Cuomo said the city does not need Immigration and Customs Enforcement to handle quality-of-life crimes like dealing in counterfeit bags.

Mamdani similarly pledged to oppose federal interventions in the city, saying “ICE is a reckless entity that cares little for the law and even less for the people that they’re supposed to serve.”

The Trump factor

Trump again took center stage, as each of the candidates insisted that they would be most adept at handling the notoriously mercurial president.

Cuomo spoke repeatedly about how he had held Trump at bay during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and said a Mamdani win would be a “dream” for the president.

“He has said he’ll take over New York if Mamdani wins, and he will! Because, he has no respect for him. He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to kick him on his tuchus,” Cuomo said.

Mamdani, meanwhile, tried to depict Cuomo as Trump’s “puppet” and too aligned with the president.

“He wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him,” Mamdani said.

Sliwa accused his rivals of trying to out-macho each other, and warned both were taking the wrong approach by antagonizing the president.

“You can’t beat Trump,” he said.