Story perspectives

Candidates Join Forces on Colbert to Challenge Cuomo

10/10/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Two weeks before the primary, Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was polling third, appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
They cross-endorsed each other as part of an anti-Cuomo strategy backed by the Working Families Party and progressive groups.
Their appearance targeted voters in affluent neighborhoods and aired the night before the election.
Colbert's producers prepared questions, including a segment on Mamdani's views on Israel, after a letter from prominent Jewish figures requested this focus.

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Story summary

Two weeks before the primary, Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was polling third, appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
They cross-endorsed each other as part of an anti-Cuomo strategy backed by the Working Families Party and progressive groups.
Their appearance targeted voters in affluent neighborhoods and aired the night before the election.
Colbert's producers prepared questions, including a segment on Mamdani's views on Israel, after a letter from prominent Jewish figures requested this focus.