GOP NYC Mayoral Candidate Curtis Sliwa Draws Business Attention
The business sector is cautiously considering GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, but will they be willing to contribute financially?
After my column on Sliwa’s noticeable lead in polls, it turned out that the NYC Partnership was set to meet with him and the Guardian Angels’ founders on Thursday morning.
This meeting, hosted at the Battery Park Plaza office, will be conducted by Cathy Wald, but it’s uncertain how many business figures will participate. Many in the city’s elite seem to be choosing between current Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“Thanks to your column, I’ll meet Kathryn Wilde and her group today,” Sliwa mentioned in a text. This unexpected connection could pave the way for support for businesses of all sizes, aiming to ease tax burdens and cut through bureaucratic red tape.
Wilde, however, had no comment. Still, her issues resonate with businesspeople who have expressed concerns about rising taxes and regulations, as well as quality of life problems like increasing crime, particularly since Bill de Blasio’s time as mayor.
The situation has been worsened by the recent primary victory of Zohran Mamdani, a far-left politician, over Cuomo for the city’s Democratic nomination.
Sliwa plans to bring along staff from New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox and conservative Democrat Robert Holden for the meeting.
The timing is crucial as Sliwa’s support appears to be growing. A recent HarrisX poll showed him closely trailing Mamdani (26%) and Cuomo (23%) in a four-way race, with Sliwa at 22%, well ahead of Adams at 13%.
Yet, it’s worth noting that Sliwa raised only $169,000 in the last reporting period, a stark contrast to Adams’ $1.5 million. Mamdani, who also met with the partnership recently, spoke of government acquisition of grocery stores and police funding but avoided criticism of the far-left’s rallying cries despite their controversial nature.
Business leaders expressed skepticism after hearing their responses to pressing questions.
Despite this, many haven’t fully committed to either Adams or Cuomo, both of whom come with their baggage. Adams is currently embroiled in a significant corruption scandal, while Cuomo resigned amid his own controversies in 2021.
Sliwa also has his own history to contend with. He has never held elected office—having lost to Adams four years ago—and he is renowned for leading the Guardian Angels, a crime-fighting group that he founded in the 1980s to patrol New York City’s subway system.
