With a large lead in voter polls, Zohran Mamdani fended off attacks from Andrew Como over Gaza, policing and his resume.

With less than three weeks before the New York City mayoral race, the three leading candidates have squared off in the first of two televised debates.

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani continues to enjoy a commanding lead in the polls, but the two-hour-long face-off on Thursday provided an opportunity for his rivals to make their case – and attempt to close the gap.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa levelled familiar lines of attack against the 34-year-old Mamdani, an assemblyman who emerged as a breakout star in the Democratic Party.

While the contest is a municipal one, it carries national – if not international – implications.

Mamdani’s resounding primary victory in June against Cuomo sent shockwaves across the United States. It marked a high-profile victory for progressive Democrats as the party searches for new direction, following a trouncing in the 2024 general election.

It also represented a boost for pro-Palestine politics in the US. Mamdani is a vocal critic of Israel and its assault on Gaza, something many mainstream Democrats have been hesitant to speak out about.

That made him a potent contrast to Cuomo, who relaunched his candidacy as an independent following his primary loss.

Cuomo, once a household name in politics, had signed up last year to be part of the legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against war crime charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Much of Thursday’s debate circled around the Mamdani-Cuomo rivalry and