New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani voiced support for closing Rikers Island during Wednesday night’s final mayoral debate, setting himself apart from opponents Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo, who both opposed the 2027 shutdown deadline.

Speaking about the city’s largest jail complex, Mamdani called Rikers a “stain on the history” of New York and maintained Mayor Adams had made the 2027 goal “nearly impossible” to reach, though he vowed to continue pursuing the closure. Cuomo countered that the plan would “release 7,000 criminals into New York City.”

The debate came months after a May 2025 federal court ruling that transferred oversight of Rikers Island from New York City officials to an independent “remediation manager.” Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued the order, c

See Full Page