Staten Island Voters Struggle with Cuomo-Sliwa Choice as Mayoral Election Looms. The conservative voters in Staten Island who are voting early in the New York City mayoral election are divided on whether to support Andrew Cuomo or Curtis Sliwa, despite polls indicating that Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is leading.
While some Staten Islanders are reluctantly casting their ballots for Cuomo, citing concerns about Mamdani's policies and perceiving him as a communist. Others have explicitly stated they are voting against Mamdani but are instead supporting Sliwa due to a combination of personal connections and policy disagreements.
One Staten Island resident, Nick Ponzio, said he is a registered Republican who supports Sliwa because the Guardian Angels protected him from robbers when he was a teenager. Despite knowing Cuomo won't win, Ponzio refused to vote for Mamdani.
For others, such as Valerie Scotto, voting against Mamdani and supporting Sliwa was simply about not agreeing with Mamdani's agenda and considering Cuomo's experience a more attractive option.
Cuomo's campaign has been actively courting Republican and right-leaning voters in the district. Despite having won some supporters, Sliwa remains a popular candidate, particularly among those who may typically only vote in presidential elections.
Sliwa's refusal to concede or back down from the race appears to be making it increasingly difficult for Cuomo to catch up to Mamdani, with Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi stating that voters are choosing between "lighting their votes on fire" and supporting Mamdani indirectly by voting for Sliwa.
Sliwa's team has taken a hard stance against Cuomo, labeling his campaign as an attempt to "gaslight New Yorkers into thinking they are fools."
While some Staten Islanders are reluctantly casting their ballots for Cuomo, citing concerns about Mamdani's policies and perceiving him as a communist. Others have explicitly stated they are voting against Mamdani but are instead supporting Sliwa due to a combination of personal connections and policy disagreements.
One Staten Island resident, Nick Ponzio, said he is a registered Republican who supports Sliwa because the Guardian Angels protected him from robbers when he was a teenager. Despite knowing Cuomo won't win, Ponzio refused to vote for Mamdani.
For others, such as Valerie Scotto, voting against Mamdani and supporting Sliwa was simply about not agreeing with Mamdani's agenda and considering Cuomo's experience a more attractive option.
Cuomo's campaign has been actively courting Republican and right-leaning voters in the district. Despite having won some supporters, Sliwa remains a popular candidate, particularly among those who may typically only vote in presidential elections.
Sliwa's refusal to concede or back down from the race appears to be making it increasingly difficult for Cuomo to catch up to Mamdani, with Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi stating that voters are choosing between "lighting their votes on fire" and supporting Mamdani indirectly by voting for Sliwa.
Sliwa's team has taken a hard stance against Cuomo, labeling his campaign as an attempt to "gaslight New Yorkers into thinking they are fools."
I'm low-key surprised that Staten Islanders aren't just jumping ship to Zohran Mamdani like everyone else in the city. I mean, Cuomo's not exactly the most popular guy and Sliwa has some serious street cred with those Guardian Angels vibes 
. It's all about the perception vs reality thing - for some people, it's about the label of being a "communist" or whatever and they're just trying to distance themselves from that association 
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. Cuomo's campaign has been a bit underwhelming, but I'm still surprised Sliwa is doing so well considering his... let's say "checkered past" 
. Not sure how this will all play out in the end, but one thing's for sure - Staten Island voters are about to make some interesting choices 
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. Like, some people are really concerned about Mamdani's policies and think he's too left-wing for their taste, which is understandable. And then you got others who are just not vibing with his agenda at all.
- "gaslighting" New Yorkers? That's some dirty politics right there 
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. If Cuomo is the more "establishment" option that some people feel safer with, then maybe he's worth considering 
. But if Sliwa's message resonates with you, then that's a totally valid choice too 
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. Let's just hope we can have a respectful conversation about the issues that matter most to us 
.
. I mean, have you ever seen that? It's like the cat is all "I'm gonna get in there and show you who's boss" and then it just can't even... Anyway, what's up with Staten Island voters and their mayoral election choices? Like, Cuomo or Sliwa? Can't they just pick one already? 
. Cuomo's team is trying to attract R's with promises of experience 
but Sliwa's getting the youth vote 
I mean, 45% of 18-24 year olds support Sliwa in this election - that's some crazy momentum for a indie candidate 
. The thing is, 60% of Staten Islanders who voted early went for Cuomo... but that's not the same as a full-on primary win 
. Can't wait to see how this plays out on election day 
. Polls are showing Zohran Mamdani leading by 10 points 
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Cuomo's strategy of courting Republicans might just work in their favor. it's like they're trying something new instead of playing it safe with Mamdani, who seems to have a clear majority but people aren't exactly thrilled about his agenda. meanwhile, Sliwa's refusal to back down is keeping things interesting and kinda proving that you don't need to be in the mainstream to make a difference 
. Others are still holding out for Andrew Cuomo, even though he's not exactly a popular guy right now 
. Can't wait for the results! 
. It's like they're voting against their own interests because of fear or discomfort.
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. But in the end, it's all about who you want to be your mayor and who you think can get stuff done 
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. But in the end, isn't that what it's all about?
And what's up with Cuomo trying to woo Republican voters? It feels like he's desperate to win over a group that might not even vote for him. 
. The thing is, both candidates have some major flaws - Cuomo just because of his past, Sliwa for being kinda divisive 
. Maybe this whole thing will be a silver lining for someone