Cuomo Tries to Make Prostitution an Issue in Mayor's Race [View all]

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has sought to paint Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani as an extremist, has homed in on questions about Mr. Mamdani’s stance on prostitution.

Prostitution is illegal in New York City, but district attorneys usually choose not to prosecute, focusing instead on cases that relate to sex trafficking. In recent months, Mr. Cuomo, who is running for mayor on an independent line, has claimed that Mr. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, wants to go further to legalize prostitution, pointing to his previous support for state bills that would decriminalize it.

Mr. Cuomo has said Mr. Mamdani’s past positions show that, if elected, he “would bring New York City back to the bad old days of rampant crime, decreased public safety and deteriorating quality of life.”

Mr. Mamdani has stressed that he has never supported legalization and called Mr. Cuomo’s comments smears. Mr. Mamdani’s campaign has indicated that he broadly supports decriminalizing sex work, but he has not said whether he still favors legislation that would remove criminal penalties for adults 18 or older who buy or sell sex. Here’s what to know about how the issue is playing out in the mayor’s race.



https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/nyregion/mamdani-cuomo-prostitution-nyc.html