The New York City mayoral race just got a little hotter. In a fiery debate Wednesday night, frontrunners Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo wasted no time tearing into each other, with both sides bringing up personal scandals that have plagued their political careers. And let’s just say, it was a spectacle—if you’re into watching political egos crash and burn.

Mamdani, with his self-proclaimed socialist views, and Curtis Sliwa, the GOP candidate, took turns hammering Cuomo over past allegations of sexual harassment that led to his 2021 resignation. It wasn’t long before Mamdani pointed to Cuomo’s alleged poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis, including the now-infamous guidance that forced nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients—because, of course, that was a great idea. Mamdani also criticized Cuomo’s failure to engage with Muslim constituents until the pressure of his mayoral campaign started mounting.

But Cuomo wasn’t about to let Mamdani off the hook. No, Cuomo went in hard, calling Mamdani a "divisive force in New York" and accusing him of ties to radical politics that are anything but conducive to leading a city like New York. "He’s never run anything, managed anything. He’s never had a real job," Cuomo slammed. Ouch. And Cuomo wasn’t done. He highlighted Mamdani’s controversial photo with Ugandan lawmaker Rebecca Kadaga, known for pushing policies that imprison people for being gay. Clearly, that’s not the kind of international diplomacy we should be promoting.

Let’s not forget the cherry on top of Cuomo’s attack—Mamdani's alleged disrespect for Italian Americans, thanks to a viral video showing him flipping off a statue of Christopher Columbus. Classy. But wait, there's more! Cuomo also pointed out Mamdani's questionable stance on Israel, his comments about decriminalizing prostitution (because that’s totally what New York needs), and his unfortunate photo op with a Muslim cleric who had ties to the 9/11 mastermind.

Mamdani fired back, claiming that his politics are grounded in consistent human rights values, and that had he known about Kadaga’s role in Uganda’s anti-gay legislation, he would’ve never taken the photo. The socialist candidate also accused Cuomo of hiding behind smears and distractions to avoid addressing his own scandals.

But the real low blow came when Mamdani threw Cuomo’s sexual harassment allegations right back at him. “Mr. Cuomo. In 2021, 13 different women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment. Since then, you’ve spent more than $20 million of taxpayer funds defending yourself,” Mamdani declared. He didn’t stop there, bringing up the infamous case where Cuomo allegedly sought to access a woman’s private gynecological records. The crowd was left waiting for Cuomo’s response—but as always, Cuomo sidestepped any real accountability.

This debate has left New Yorkers with plenty to think about as they prepare for the mayoral race. Will they choose a seasoned politician with a tainted past or a self-proclaimed socialist with little political experience? It’s anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure—this election will be a bumpy ride. But hey, at least it's not boring. Stay tuned, folks!