Challenging the Status Quo: Curtis Sliwa in the NYC Mayor Race

In the forthcoming New York City mayoral race, a large group of the city’s population appears to be significantly focused on a unifying theme: ‘Any candidate but Zohran Mamdani’, the nominated Democrat. As of now, three main contenders stand tall against Mamdani. These include the former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and the current Mayor, Eric Adams, usually listing in the mentioned sequence when it comes to polling.

Interestingly, Curtis Sliwa, the red-beret-wearing Republican, is keen on moving up in rank in this race. It’s worth noting that this is not Sliwa’s first pursuit at the mayoral seat, as he previously ran against Mayor Eric Adams in the 2021 elections. This time, Sliwa finds himself ahead of Adams in preliminary voter opinion metrics.

Famed for his time as a radio talk show host and his characteristic use of Yiddish colloquialism, his recognition extends beyond this role. He is also the founder of the nonprofit crime prevention group, the Guardian Angels, which started its mission on the perilous streets of NYC in the 1970s donning red berets. This experience makes him distinctly familiar with maintaining peace and control in New York City’s urban hubs and subway systems.

Although Sliwa’s background might add to his appeal, his canvas for victory seems to present a steep climb up. This is mainly due to the city’s political alignment where Democrats lead Republicans by 8 to 1. However, during an exclusive conversation at his midtown office, he presents an equally compelling persona off the microphone.

While discussing various pressing issues faced by New Yorkers, Sliwa brings depth to the conversation through historical references and a sprinkling of his confident anecdotes. He suggests that elevating a socialist to the prestigious seat at Gracie Mansion would be unacceptable, a ‘shandah’. According to him, the ramifications of Mamdani becoming mayor could be beyond repair.

His strategy to win the election includes pulling together a varied voter base consisting of Republicans, Independents, moderate Democrats, and individuals leaning towards the Right. However, an interesting element to his electoral strategy is his focus on animal protection, which appeals to female voter base, especially.

Laying out his plans for ‘no kill’ animal shelters and severe punishments for animal abusers, Sliwa hopes to win votes from those who have a deep love for animals. For Sliwa, this could be the winning edge. However, the big question is, will all these factors be enough to catapult him to victory?

Despite being a beloved figure, many still hold the conception, ‘Everyone likes Curtis, but he is unlikely to win.’ However, he quickly counters this by turning to statistical proof – his favorability ratings, standing at 35%, outperform those of Cuomo and Adams.

He also draws attention to the less favorable side of the statistics. Particularly, Mayor Eric Adams’ unprecedented unfavorability score stands at a staggering 65%. In Sliwa’s analysis, this indicates a large number of people who will decidedly not vote for him.

On the financing side, Sliwa is now focused on improving his election campaign funds. As he points out, lack of a primary could affect fundraising, which this time he hopes to change. Unlike his wealthy opponents, his financial backing comes from everyday, working-class benefactors, without support from billionaires. The recent news of Mamdani receiving backing from Soros and his descendants has only reignited his fundraising efforts.

Separately, Sliwa is also devoting time and resources to understanding NYC’s economic landscape. Recently, he convened with entrepreneurs in the Hamptons to discuss the political flip-flopping within the community, who seemed to move their support from Cuomo to Adams and now back to Cuomo.

With regard to the city’s Jewish community, Sliwa voices deep concern over the dual menace of antisemitism and socialism. Given the city’s status as a home to the largest Jewish population nationwide, these issues are significantly magnified at a time when antisemitic incidents peak. In particular, Mamdani’s inclinations towards defunding the police and association with known antisemites pose significant concern.

True to his character, Sliwa candidly reveals his perspective, supporting it with his largely positive engagement with the Jewish community and his earnest intent to expand his reach among them. Ultimately, it boils down to whether all these factors will sway the voter base in his favor come November. Only time will tell.