Good morning. It’s Wednesday. Today we’ll look ahead to the Democratic mayoral primary debate, happening tonight at 7 p.m. Below are some pointers for how to watch and what to expect.

Tonight, the New York City mayoral race shifts into high gear with the first primary debate, where the top Democratic hopefuls will vie to be ranked first (or at least fifth) on New Yorkers’ primary ballots. The debate, the first of two, kicks off a 20-day slate of events that comes to a head on Primary Day, June 24. (Early voting starts on June 14.)

What to know

Nine candidates have qualified to participate in tonight’s debate. The biggest names among them are Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment accusations; Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens who has charmed constituents and fellow lawmakers alike with his progressive ideas; Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker; Brad Lander, the city comptroller; and Scott Stringer, the former city comptroller.

Also debating are Michael Blake, a former state assemblyman from the Bronx; Zellnor Myrie, a state senator from Brooklyn; Jessica Ramos, a state senator from Queens; and Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund executive.

The hot-button issues that candidates may spar over, if their campaign TV ads are any indication, include crime and safety, President Trump, affordable housing and corruption. Other topics that could come up are homelessness, congestion pricing, immigration and public schools.