The day before the final televised showdown in her first campaign for elected office, Kathryn Garcia started her morning with breakfast on the Upper West Side. 

Her order: "Everything bagel with lox, cream cheese, tomato and capers."

Standing with local Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, the former sanitation commissioner spoke to residents in a neighborhood known for its highly engaged and highly opinionated voters.

Her message was simple — they should select her as their number one pick.

Without the big crowds or theatrics seen in some rival campaigns, Garcia has been able to steadily improve her standing in the race, leading the latest polls alongside Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Her message has been competence, and it seems to be resonating with some voters concerned about the city’s future.  

"This is a campaign that's gotta be about what makes New York work for our families, what makes it a livable, more safe city, so we can come back strong. This is not just about being in a dance party," Garcia said.

And even though she's been attacked by rival campaigns as of late, she has avoided turning negative on the campaign trail.

"I'm able to be nice, but tough. You don't run a department of 10,000, 98% of whom are men, by not being able to be tough when it's called for," Garcia said.

On Wednesday, in front of Julius, one of the iconic gay bars in the West Village, Garcia announced her plans to create an office of LGBTQ affairs if elected.

As the campaign reaches an emotional conclusion, Garcia continues to remind New Yorkers that she's a public servant, not a politician.