Curtis Sliwa, the GOP nominee for New York City mayor, blasted Democrat Andrew Cuomo’s failed primary campaign on WMAL’s O’Connor & Company, accusing the former governor of laziness and arrogance in the face of rising support for socialist Zohran Mamdani.
“Andrew Cuomo mailed it in. He didn’t campaign. He felt he was entitled to a coronation,” Sliwa said on Wednesday, following Mamdani’s Democratic victory in the primary for New York City mayor. “He basically stayed in his cocoon and acted like, ‘Hey, why should I go out and shake the hands of the peasants?’”
Sliwa’s critique came just hours after Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary, marking a possibly historic moment in the city’s political landscape. The 33-year-old state representative told supporters Tuesday night, “Tonight, we made history.”
With 93% of first-round votes counted, Mamdani held 43.5% compared to Cuomo’s 36.4%. Cuomo conceded late Tuesday night, acknowledging Mamdani’s edge and telling supporters, “Tonight is his night.”
But Sliwa, running as a Republican, sees a path to victory, especially if the progressive movement alienates moderate voters and the Democratic vote fractures further.
“Cuomo did not appeal to the new base of the Republican Party, which is the blue-collar working class — the people who work, pay taxes, obey the laws, and support the police,” Sliwa said. “He depended on the old guard of the Democratic Party, which in urban America no longer exists.”
Speaking with WMAL Radio hosts Larry O’Connor and Julie Gunlock, Sliwa sought to position himself as the only viable candidate capable of stopping what he called New York City’s slide into chaos. He pledged to carry the American flag “into this race” and prevent Mamdani from winning the mayoralty.
“This is a long campaign,” Sliwa said. “I will not allow this city to fall into the abyss.”
He also emphasized his personal connection to the city’s working people, contrasting himself with candidates who he says are insulated by wealth and elite circles.
“I’m in the subways. I’m in the streets. I’m not up in the suites, getting wine-dined and pocket-lined by billionaires and millionaires,” the Guardian Angels founder said. “The people want someone who understands what they’re going through.”
Sliwa described New York as a city still reeling from COVID-era lockdowns, high crime, and a mass exodus of middle-class families. He argued that only someone with a proven record of grassroots activism, referencing his decades of work with the Guardian Angels, can unite working-class voters across party lines.
“I can go into neighborhoods where the only Republican they’ve ever seen is Abraham Lincoln on a $5 bill,” Sliwa said. “Not only get respect, but get votes.”
Sliwa also reiterated his support from key Republican figures, including former Gov. George Pataki and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), while calling for massive budget cuts to New York’s “humongous” $118 billion budget.
“This budget is sucking the life out of taxpayers and chasing them out of the city,” he said. “No other candidate is talking about cutting the budget. They want to add to it. I’m going to do the opposite.”
REPUBLICANS SEE OPPORTUNITY IN ZOHRAN MAMDANI NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY WIN
As the mayoral race shifts into the general election season, Sliwa is betting that a split left between Mayor Eric Adams, Cuomo, and Mamdani could lead to a Republican upset in November.
“If I get my percentage up to 32% [or] 33%, you’re talking to the next mayor of New York City,” Sliwa declared.