With fewer than 100 days before voting begins in the New York City primary, NY1 is sitting down with candidates running for mayor.
On Wednesday, Guardian Angels founder and longtime radio host Curtis Sliwa joined NY1 to make his case to voters.
Sliwa, who is running as a Republican, has already received endorsements from Republican parties in all five boroughs. He wasted no time laying into Mayor Eric Adams.
“When I was here four years ago, did I not warn you about Eric Adams? Did I not tell you that this myth that was created — that he would be the new face of the Democratic Party, a moderate Democrat, and would bring order to the chaos of the de Blasio years — would not be true? And now people are saying, ‘Well, you were right,’” Sliwa said.
Sliwa maintained that Adams is no longer capable of running the city effectively, as the mayor has spent months battling federal corruption charges that the Justice Department has asked a court to dismiss.
Asked about his message to voters, Sliwa said he’d focus on making New Yorkers feels safe, while pushing for affordability.
“Nobody out there in any of the neighborhoods in the five boroughs feels safe, but we have to push for the affordable housing. Just the cost of living here is so extreme,” Sliwa said, adding that he could unite both liberals and conservatives on building affordable housing.
Addressing safety and homelessness within the subway system remains at the top of his priority list, too.
“Nobody knows more about the subways than me. Even my adversaries would say that. I'm down in the subways, and this is who I feel for: the homeless, the emotionally disturbed, every day,” he said. “These people need dignity. They need privacy. I've seen them cry as they're sleeping on the subways. Are you going to tell me that this administration, whether it's Governor Hochul, Adams or previously, Cuomo and de Blasio, cares anything about these people?”
“They deserve affordable housing, privacy and dignity, and we’re not giving that to our fellow citizens,” he added.
