Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo heads into Wednesday’s debate, possibly his last, seeking to dent Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s lead in the New York City mayor’s race. With early voting three days away, Cuomo trails the Democratic nominee by at least a dozen points and is unlikely to catch up unless Republican Curtis Sliwa exits. Running on an independent line, Cuomo signaled no major shift from last week’s performance, calling his approach a delicate balance: too aggressive risks looking like a bully; too restrained, too soft.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.