Who won fiery final NYC mayoral debate? Post panelists rate the Dem candidates: Finally landed some punches

Ex-Gov.Andrew Cuomo took the harshest personal hits from rivals Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander in the second and final mayoral primary debate — but likely not enough to topple his perch as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, a Post panel of political experts said.But Mamdani, who has emerged as a top threat to Cuomo, took some jabs as well.

And the panel of seven analysts questioned whether criticisms about the charismatic 33-year-old Democratic socialist assemblyman’s thin resume and experience will blunt his momentum.“Cuomo, Mamdani and Lander were more vitriolic, throwing haymakers,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.“But I don’t think the debate changed the dynamics of the race.”Campaign strategist O’Brien “OB” Murray said Cuomo, Lander and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams were the debate winners.

“Democratic opponents finally landed some punches on Andrew Cuomo, but none of these punches will leave any bruises,” said Murray.Still, Murray said: “Lander went right at Cuomo and was a different debater from the start.”Republican campaign strategist Bill O’Reilly agreed, saying, “Cuomo likely did well enough to keep his polling lead, but Lander improved on his last performance and may siphon away some Cuomo votes.” One of the signature moments in the debate was when Lander, the city comptroller, recognized Peter Arbeeny, whom he invited as a guest to the debate hosted by NY1 and The City at John Jay College Thursday night.Arbeeny’s father, Norman, died from COVID-19 after a rehab stint in a nursing home.The stunt allowed Lander to personalize Cuomo’s controversial COVID-19 policy that required nursing homes to admit recovering infected patients, which critics claimed accelerated the spread of contagion and deaths of vulnerable, elderly residents.Cuomo has long denied that was the case.The panelists said Lander’s super aggressive performance was perhaps his last attempt to try t...