Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa has launched a new advertisement featuring notable conservative Democrats who are crossing party lines to endorse him.
During a campaign rally, Queens Councilman Robert Holden expressed his discontent, stating, “I’m a Democrat and I’m disgusted,” while pointing fingers at Andrew Cuomo for “corruption” and “scandals.” An image of Cuomo appeared prominently in the ad.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct—claims he denies—is vying for the mayoral position with his own “fight and get it done” platform after losing the Democratic primary to socialist Zoran Mamdani.
In the advertisement, Holden declared himself a “fed up” Democrat. He noted, “And now it’s socialism,” while including Mamdani’s image in a 30-second clip that will air across various media—from television to social platforms.
“You deserve better,” Holden said to potential voters. “New York needs someone who values affordability, safety, and sanity. We need Curtis Sliwa.”
Currently, Sliwa holds the third spot in polls, trailing behind frontrunners Mamdani and Cuomo.
As the founder of the Guardian Angels, Sliwa faces challenges in appealing to the city’s Democratic voters, who significantly outnumber Republicans in predominantly blue New York.
A recent Fox News poll indicates that Sliwa garners only 2% support among Democrats.
Holden isn’t your typical Democrat; he’s aligning with Republicans and endorsing other Republican candidates, including gubernatorial hopeful Lee Zeldin, who defeated Democrat Kathy Hochul in 2022.
On the advertising front, Cuomo recently released a spot targeting Mamdani, labeling him “Bill de Blasio 2.0,” a jab at the former mayor he frequently clashed with during his governorship.
In Cuomo’s own ad, the narrator criticizes Mamdani’s proposal to freeze rents for only a quarter of New Yorkers, equating it to de Blasio’s past attempts that ended unsuccessfully.
Cuomo’s ad contends that while Mamdani and de Blasio would only freeze rents for a portion, he promises to lower rents for everyone.
Early voting begins this Saturday, nine days ahead of Election Day on November 4th.
The last mayoral debate will be held by NY1 on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
