Editor’s Note: This article is based on a 36-minute video interview conducted by Izzo Zwiren with Curtis Sliwa two weeks ago. It has been edited and shortened for clarity and brevity. The entire interview is available to view on our website.
QJL: Curtis, thank you so much for joining me. When I was growing up in the 1990s and the 2000s, we had 20 years of Republican or independent mayors. In the last 12 years, we’ve had Democrats. What’s the difference between then and now?
Curtis Sliwa: First off, the biggest difference between now and then: Way more people voted. Going back to the 1960s, 70% of those eligible would vote in a mayoral election. In the big battles between David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani, over 50,000 people voted. Now you’re lucky if 22–23% of the voting population even cast a ballot for mayor, and even less in the primaries.
Although there’s excitement about this race, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to attract more voters. Eighty-six percent of people in New York City are already registered. They’re just not voting. The old Democratic machines have rusted and broken down, and that’s created a portal for the Democratic Socialists to take over primary after primary. Moderate Democrats don’t know what to do, so they lean on Republicans like me to change registration, which never happens.
QJL: You’re running now for the second time. What’s different this time compared to 2021?
Sliwa: An enormous difference. Last election, I got 28% of the vote against Eric Adams, who was not a tarnished candidate. Right now, he’s last in the polls, corrupt, and can only now get 12% of the Black vote, which is his base. Cuomo still has support, even after running an inept campaign against Mamdani. And Mamdani is doing well with Millennials and Gen Zers, who outnumber baby boomers.
My campaign has Millennials and Gen Zers as the leaders. They are the movers and shakers. We can match fire with fire in the streets with Mamdani. I say all four of us run – nobody drops out. If I go from 28% up to 32%, I’m the mayor. Most of my support comes not from Republicans, but independents. And for the first time, I have an independent line dedicated to protecting animals. No-kill shelters. Animal abusers go to jail. A lot of animal lovers would never have voted for me as a Republican but will on that line.
QJL: How do we make New York City more affordable?
Sliwa: Look at all the ancillary costs. We have more fees and fines: speed cameras, red light cameras, garbage cans you have to buy from the city, congestion pricing. Storefronts are closing because people are avoiding Manhattan. The subways are dangerous, full of rats, garbage, emotionally disturbed people. Women especially are avoiding them.
Half the people don’t pay the bus fare to begin with, because there’s no enforcement. One third of the people don’t even pay the subway fare. As mayor, everybody’s going to pay their fare, with half-price or reduced fares for those who can’t afford it.
Then you look at property taxes. In Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, Adams, Cuomo, and Mamdani are pushing the “City of Yes,” turning private homes into 20- or 40-story apartment buildings. Developers get tax breaks, but communities get destroyed. My plan: Anybody making $100,000 or less who owns a home will not pay property tax. That will keep senior citizens from fleeing.
Landlords are mothballing apartments because they can’t get rid of nightmare tenants. I would meet with small and mid-sized landlords and find ways to get those apartments back on the market. Other candidates promise half a million new units in ten years. That’s a fantasy.
QJL: Is there any policy from Mayor Adams you would keep?
Sliwa: I can’t think of anything. Other than partying to the break of dawn. This guy is so corrupt that when he dies of greed, they’ll need a power drill to get him into the ground.
QJL: Many in the Jewish community worry about being safe wearing a yarmulke or going to synagogue. What would you do to help?
Sliwa: I’m not going to be your Gentile mashiach like Eric Adams and Cuomo tend to. I thought Jewish people were smart. How is it you keep expecting Gentiles to protect you? They have failed you. We’ve never had more anti-Semitic attacks. Who’s in charge? Gentiles. They want your support, your vote, your gelt.
Wake up. I will teach you to defend yourself. You have Shmira. You have Shomrim. You have Jewish patrols. I remember when Kahane started the JDL. Jews were under attack. The cops did nothing. Officials did nothing. Kahane said, we need to organize, we need to protect our communities. Good concept. When you wait for Gentiles to defend you, history shows you’ll be very disappointed.
QJL: You mentioned education. Is school choice a possibility in a Curtis Sliwa administration?
Sliwa: Oh, of course. I’ve had many discussions with my number one supporter in the Jewish community: Dov Hikind. He understands the realities. There is an issue the Orthodox community must deal with: what is taught in synagogues. I’ve been direct about that.
In my early education, I went to parochial schools, Catholic schools taught by nuns. Once a month, an inspector from the Department of Education sat in class to make sure the basics were taught: math, English. He didn’t care about catechism.
I’ve been in many Jewish schools. The focus is clearly on education: six days a week, long hours, like Japan. But some kids come out not able to speak English. I tell the immigrant community: f you’re going to assimilate, you have to speak English. If you can’t, you can’t function in society or on a computer.
I want tuition tax credits for parents who send their kids to parochial schools. I’m a big supporter of charter schools. Catholic schools have suffered because charter schools filled the gap, but they gave kids a better education. The more opportunities we give parents to provide their children with a good education, the better.
QJL: You’ve painted a stark picture of both affordability and safety. What’s the uniting theme of your campaign?
Sliwa: Taking power away from government and making people more self-reliant. Whether it’s protecting your community, fighting for affordability, or improving schools, we can’t wait for politicians like Adams or Cuomo. They’ve failed. We need to organize ourselves, enforce the laws, and take care of one another.
Izzo Zwiren is the former host of the Jewish Living Podcast. Follow him and his brothers on their health journey on their YouTube Channel, Brotherly Lovehandles. Izzo lives on Long Island with his wife and three adorable, hilarious children.
