NYC Mayoral Election 2025: Curtis Sliwa

Curtis Sliwa, the fiery founder of the Guardian Angels, is once again fighting for New York’s streets – this time from the ballot box.

The 71-year-old Republican is running for mayor with a pledge to restore safety, accountability, and what he calls “common-sense leadership” to the nation’s largest city.

A native New Yorker and lifelong showman, Sliwa first made headlines in the late 1970s when he launched the Guardian Angels, an unarmed volunteer patrol group that became a fixture on the city’s subways during its most violent years. Known for their signature red berets and bomber jackets, the Angels embodied Sliwa’s streetwise defiance and community spirit.

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Sliwa’s mayoral campaign channels that same energy. He promises to boost police funding, restore cash bail, and tackle homelessness through strict enforcement and expanded shelters. His “No Fear in New York” slogan has resonated with some middle-class voters who feel the city has grown unsafe and unmanageable.

Despite his loyal following, Sliwa faces long odds in a heavily Democratic city. Polls show him trailing Democrat Zohran Mamdani and independent Andrew Cuomo by wide margins. Yet, he has refused to withdraw, even after former President Donald Trump urged conservatives to unite behind Cuomo.

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Unmoved, Sliwa has accused both rivals of being “career politicians” who abandoned the working class. “I’m the only candidate who has lived New York’s struggles on the streets,” he declared at a rally in Brooklyn, surrounded by volunteers in red berets.

Win or lose, Sliwa’s campaign has injected raw populist energy into the race – and reminded voters that in New York politics, the fight never ends.