In New York City’s mayoral election countdown, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels, has released a new campaign advertisement featuring current Democratic city councilman Robert Holden of Queens endorsing him. In the ad, Holden openly expresses his support for Sliwa, crossing party lines to boost the Republican candidate in a predominantly blue constituency.
The approximately 30-second ad is currently airing on television, online, and social media platforms. At the beginning of the video, Holden declares, “I am a Democrat, but I’ve had enough. Corruption, scandals… and now socialism. New Yorkers deserve better. We need to focus on affordability, safety, and sensible leadership. We need Curtis Sliwa.”
The ad also flashes black and white images of former Governor Andrew Cuomo and socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, clearly pointing out the opponents, and concludes with “Vote for Sliwa” (Sliwa for Mayor).
Sliwa is currently ranked third in the polls, trailing behind the Democratic socialist Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent under the “Fight and Deliver” banner.
According to the latest poll by Fox News, Sliwa only has the support of 2% of Democratic voters, facing a difficult situation in New York City, where Democrats make up the majority of the electorate.
Although Holden is a Democrat, his political stance leans conservative. He has previously received endorsements from the Republican party and supported Republican candidate Lee Zeldin over Democrat Kathy Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Early voting for the New York City mayoral election will begin this Saturday, October 25, lasting for 9 days. The official election day is November 4.