On a spirited summer evening in southern Brooklyn, Republican and Independent mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa rallied supporters with a bold message: “I’m in this race until the end — November 4th.” The gathering, held at the Knights of Baron DeKalb on Emmons Avenue on Thursday, June 26th, was more than just a fundraiser — it was a show of defiance, determination and grassroots momentum.
Hosted by New Yorkers First and organized by its president Ron Canterino, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd that included Assemblywoman Jaime Williams and State Senator Steve “The Man” Chan. Both leaders praised Sliwa’s consistent advocacy for underserved neighborhoods, the blue-collar working class and the everyday New Yorker.
“Curtis has been there for us, time and again,” Williams said. “He speaks truth to power and shows up in our communities when no one else will.” Chan echoed those sentiments, calling Sliwa “the one Republican who walks the walk.”
The evening featured a buffet dinner, a meet and greet and a no-holds-barred Q&A. Sliwa fielded questions on everything from public safety and education to rising rents, lithium-ion battery warehouse fires and the future of the outer boroughs.
During the Q&A, Sliwa tackled hot-button issues with characteristic bluntness. On the city’s Medicare Advantage shift for retirees, he said: “They were promised traditional Medicare — and I’ll keep that promise. People deserve to see the doctors they trust.” When asked about disruptive pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, he responded: “Protest is a right — intimidation and harassment are not. No permit, no protest. Break the law, get cuffed.”
On housing, he blasted the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity as a betrayal of working-class homeowners: “They want to replace your house with high-rises. I say build truly affordable housing — where it belongs — not homeless shelters next to homes and schools.” Addressing education, Sliwa noted: “We spend $41 billion, yet two-thirds of 4th-graders can’t read or do math at grade level. I’ll put money into classrooms, hiring more teachers, restoring arts and after-school programs and bringing civics back — not into bureaucrats.”
With the surprise Democratic primary win by self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani and a crowded field including Mayor Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo and Jim Walden, Sliwa detailed a clear, math-based path to victory.
“This is a five-way race now,” he told the crowd. “And anyone doing the analytics can see the opportunity here. I got nearly 30% of the vote in 2021 — I only need to pick up 3 to 5% more, and I’m mayor.”
With concerns rising over Democrat primary winner Mamdani, Sliwa addressed rumors he might quit to clear the field, if offered a top job — like in the White House or as deputy mayor — and made it clear he’s not going anywhere.
“You could offer me anything in the world — power, position, money, a corner office in D.C. — I’m not leaving this race,” he said to loud cheers. “If you cut my veins, I bleed New York City. I only want to be mayor — to bring this city back from the brink.”
Unlike his opponents, Sliwa insisted, he has no other ambitions. “I’m not here to climb political ladders,” he said. “I’m here to fight for this city.”
Sliwa drew a sharp contrast with Mamdani’s defund-the-police platform, declaring instead that he would “refund” the NYPD and hire 7,000 additional officers to restore public safety.
He also outlined his opposition to Mayor Adams’ City of Yes, which has enabled lithium-ion battery warehouses to be built dangerously close to homes, schools and businesses. “These are ticking time bombs,” he said. “We’ve got 12 in Brooklyn alone. This is an environmental disaster waiting to happen, an injustice and political malpractice.”
He criticized massive, misused taxpayer funds for migrant shelters that were shoehorned into a flood zone, and homeless shelters switched from affordable housing in residential areas, calling for the reopening of mental health facilities and properly placed homeless shelters to get these people off the subways and streets to get the help they need.
“I’m the only candidate talking about this,” Sliwa said. “The only one showing up in these neighborhoods — talking to the people living through it, and I am the only one that rides the subways every day.”
Acknowledging Mamdani’s strength among younger voters, Sliwa made it clear that his campaign is fighting fire with fire.
“Our campaign is filled with millennials and Gen Z,” he said. “They’re our volunteers, our ground game. They’re the ones going door to door, signing up new voters, handing out flyers. And guess what — they believe in law and order, in fairness, in a clean and safe New York.”
“The socialists don’t have a monopoly on energy,” he added. “We’ve got the passion — and the plan.”
One supporter put it simply: “Curtis has our backs. He’s shown up when no one else would.”
For over 40 years, Sliwa has led the Guardian Angels — his international volunteer safety patrol born in the Bronx and Canarsie. They patrolled the subways, made citizen arrests, helped the homeless and elderly, and rescued animals across all five boroughs. “His compassion is real, and he is authentic,” noted another attendee.
Now, as a candidate running on both the Republican and an Independent line called Protect the Animals, Sliwa is positioning himself as the mayor of the outer boroughs, where the hardworking middle class live. “He is a true people’s champion; he’s been with us since Day One, and the ‘People’s Mayor,’” Canterino said with enthusiasm when he introduced Sliwa.
As the event closed, Sliwa differentiated himself from all the other candidates: “You can’t buy me, rent me or lease me,” he said. “I’m here for the people — always have been, always will be.” Leaving the crowd with a final charge, he said: “Don’t wait for November. Talk to your neighbors. This is our city — and we’re taking it back.”
For more information, visit www.sliwafornyc.com
New Yorkers First is hosting another fundraiser for Sliwa on Sunday, July 13th, at 12 p.m., at Sky Wise Lounge, 2027 Emmons Avenue — Brunch on the Bay, a summer social meet and greet event. For more information and to RSVP: FriendsOfSliwaNY1.com. Entrance fee is $75.
