“I’d go half-and-half,” Cuomo said, trying to appeal to both sides. Laughter erupted inside the room as Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, the republican nominee in the debate, both threw their hands up.

Newsweek’s latest tracking poll shows Mamdani widening his advantage in the New York mayoral race, securing 45 percent support.

“Republican voters are not going to vote for Andrew Cuomo,” the city’s five GOP county chairs said in a joint statement, which included Manhattan GOP Chair Andrea Catsimatidis, John Catsimatidis’ daughter.

Polling places open Saturday for in-person voting in two of the year’s most closely watched elections: The New York City mayor’s race and the contest to pick New Jersey’s next governor