The three leading candidates to become New York City’s next mayor will face each other Thursday evening on a debate stage.

The debate is expected to include independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo initially ran as a Democrat but lost in a primary to Mamdani.

Mamdani enters Thursday’s debate as the favorite, given he is polling well ahead of Cuomo and Sliwa. In a poll released last week by Quinnipiac University, Mamdani led Cuomo 46-33, with Sliwa polling a distant third.

The same poll also showed voters being more enthusiastic about Mamdani, with 90% of his supporters saying they are somewhat or very enthusiastic about voting for him. Only two-thirds of Cuomo supporters said the same thing.

RELATED STORY | Ne

See Full Page