Democratic mayoral candidates are expected to pounce on ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Wednesday night’s hotly-anticipated debate — as they aim to make more of a name for themselves by targeting the frontrunner.
But the crowded field of low-polling Dems will have to walk a political tightrope — attempting to sling mud at the ex-governor while remaining viable in voters’ eyes, experts told The Post.
“If people go out there and fire away at the frontrunner, it will turn people off,” said political strategist and lobbyist Yvette Buckner.
“They have to find something that sticks, that people will remember them by.”
The first mayoral primary debate — co-hosted by WNBC and Politico and airing live starting at 7 p.m. — will mark Cuomo’s first time sharing the stage with the eight other candidates vying for the party’s nomination.
Cuomo, who had locked up his frontrunner status even before he formally joined the race March 2, is set to be in candidates’ crosshairs after his monthslong “Rose Garden campaign” shying away from public grilling.
Political operatives said the bar is set quite low for Cuomo, with the ex-gov just needing to calmly bat away or counter the attacks and he’ll come out on top.
But all eyes will be on the surging socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani to see if the can keep his momentum going.
The relatively unknown state Assemblyman from Queens jumped from single digits to a close second place in the polls, behind Cuomo.
The rest of the hopefuls — City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, ex-Comptroller Scott Stringer, the Rev. Michael Blake, former hedge funder Whitney Tilson, and state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos — will have to capitalize on their time on stage to make a mark with voters.
“This is the time where the most eyes are going to be on the candidates,” Buckner said of the exposure the debate will grant the pack of candidates.
“People are going to be looking for the candidates who have bold, thoughtful ideas that are distilled into bite-sized pitches that people can digest.”
The debate will not include incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who will be running as an independent in the general election in November.
A second debate is set for June 12 that will feature the top polling Democrats, leaving Ramos and Blake off the dais.
The primary is set for June 24, with early voting on June 14-22.
