Final Schedule, Qualified Candidates for NYC’s Official Citywide General Election Debates

10/08/2025

NEW YORK – The New York City Campaign Finance Board, along with its voter engagement initiative NYC Votes, is partnering with WNBC and NY1 to broadcast the citywide debates ahead of the general election on November 4. Participation in these debates is required for candidates who opted into the city’s Matching Funds Program and who meet the debate stage criteria (listed below). Any potential debate with fewer than two qualified candidates will not go forward.  

The official debates program begins on Thursday, October 16, at 7pm ET with the 1st Mayoral debate, sponsored by WNBC.  

The Campaign Finance Board is announcing the final official debates schedule and the candidates eligible to participate in each debate: 

General Debate Schedule

Mayoral – 1st General Election Debate (WNBC)
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 7pm

Qualified Candidates: 

  1. Andrew Cuomo
  2. Zohran Mamdani
  3. Curtis Sliwa

Mayoral – Leading Contender General Election Debate (NY1)
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 7pm

Qualified Candidates: 

  1. Andrew Cuomo
  2. Zohran Mamdani
  3. Curtis Sliwa

Due to a lack of candidates who met the eligibility threshold, there will not be Campaign Finance Board-sponsored debates for Comptroller and Public Advocate.

The Campaign Finance Board will share information about press access to both debates later this week.

Debate Participation Criteria

The following chart represents the objective criteria for participation in the general debates for each office:

Debate 

Office 

Criteria 

First General

Mayor  

  1. On ballot 

  1. Raised and spent $198,300 

Public Advocate  

  1. On ballot  

  1. Raised and spent $123,975 

Comptroller 

  1. On ballot  

  1. Raised and spent $123,975 

Second General
(Leading Contenders) 

Mayor  

      
      1. On ballot 

      2. (a) Raised and spent $2,379,600, OR  
          (b) Raised $250,000 in matchable contributions, including at least 1,000 matchable contributions of $10 or more
          

Public Advocate  

  1. On ballot  

  1. (a) Raised and spent $1,487,700 OR 

          (b) Raised $125,000 in matchable contributions, including at least 500 matchable contributions of $10 or more 

Comptroller 

  1. On ballot 

  1. (a) Raised and spent $1,487,700 OR  

          (b) Raised $125,000 in matchable contributions, including at least 500 matchable contributions of $10 or more 

*All raised and spent amounts as of the disclosure statement due on October 3, 2025.