Republican New York City mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels organization, Curtis Sliwa, announced on October 6 that he has received “credible threats” demanding him to withdraw from the November election. Due to the threats, Sliwa and his wife are now under round-the-clock security protection. However, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) stated that they have not received any related reports.
Sliwa’s campaign team revealed that the threats targeted his wife, Nancy Sliwa, and he is currently being protected by a security team composed of retired and off-duty officers, with the expenses covered by campaign funds.
Following the announcement last week by the incumbent mayor Eric Adams that he will not seek reelection, pressure has been mounting on Sliwa to withdraw, allowing former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to directly challenge the Democratic mayoral candidate and socialist Zohran Mamdani in the November election.
During a press conference on Monday, Sliwa emphasized that he is not accusing any of his opponents, but mentioned, “Some people may have unstable mental states and firmly believe that if I do not withdraw, New York City will be destroyed.”
Sliwa previously ran for mayor in 2021 and was shot five times in an attack believed to be orchestrated by the mob. He stated that this is the first time in his life that he has needed 24-hour protection. He described some of the threats as “quite credible,” although law enforcement has not established any related cases.
In response, the NYPD stated in an email to the media, “The police have not received any credible threat reports.” Law enforcement sources also informed the New York Post that there are no formal records of reports against Sliwa.
Sliwa’s spokesperson insisted that Sliwa and his wife are scheduled to meet with the police on Tuesday, and the security director of the campaign team is in contact with the police intelligence division.
Sliwa had previously accused supporters of Cuomo of attempting to persuade him to withdraw with money, but Cuomo’s campaign team denied these claims. Sliwa reiterated that he will not withdraw from the race.
Amid this heightened security situation, political violence incidents continue to occur across the United States. Mamdani also had to hire a security team this spring due to receiving numerous threats.