In Staten Island, a traditionally Republican stronghold, conservatives are grappling with a difficult choice in the NYC mayoral election: should they support Democrat Andrew Cuomo or GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa?
While polls show Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead going into Election Day, Cuomo - running as an independent - is making a series of overt appeals to Republican and right-leaning voters. Despite this, the vast majority of Staten Islanders who spoke with reporters at early voting sites in the borough expressed their support for Sliwa.
Sliwa has won over many conservative voters on Staten Island due to his personal story, which includes being protected by Guardian Angels members as a teenager. "I know he's not going to win, but I just can't go against my conscience," said Nick Ponzio, a 62-year-old retired preschool and special education teacher who is a registered Republican.
Others have cited Cuomo's lack of popularity in the district. "I don't agree with anything Mamdani wants, and Cuomo had his chance," Valerie Scotto, 63, a billing controller for a law firm said when voting for Sliwa.
The Cuomo campaign has also made an appeal to voters who support him due to his experience and track record in politics. "I just want someone with experience, with a track record of knowing what he's doing," Doris Stapleton, 70, a retired speech pathologist said.
However, some Staten Islanders expressed frustration with the Cuomo campaign's strategy, feeling that it is making the election a two-person contest rather than allowing voters to choose the better candidate. "We'd like the Republican to get in, but we don't feel he has any chance in New York and we feel like voting for him is just giving a vote to Mamdani," Maureen Vanpelt, 71 said.
As the election enters its final days, Sliwa's campaign remains confident that it can pull off an upset. "Curtis Sliwa will win, and a vote for Andrew Cuomo is a vote for Zohran Mamdani, full stop," Daniel Kurzyna, Sliwa's spokesperson said.
Despite the polls, Cuomo needs to convince more voters like Bob Finelli, 62, who voted for him without hesitation. "I liked his father," Finelli said recalling Mario Cuomo, Andrew's late father who served as governor of New York state.
While polls show Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead going into Election Day, Cuomo - running as an independent - is making a series of overt appeals to Republican and right-leaning voters. Despite this, the vast majority of Staten Islanders who spoke with reporters at early voting sites in the borough expressed their support for Sliwa.
Sliwa has won over many conservative voters on Staten Island due to his personal story, which includes being protected by Guardian Angels members as a teenager. "I know he's not going to win, but I just can't go against my conscience," said Nick Ponzio, a 62-year-old retired preschool and special education teacher who is a registered Republican.
Others have cited Cuomo's lack of popularity in the district. "I don't agree with anything Mamdani wants, and Cuomo had his chance," Valerie Scotto, 63, a billing controller for a law firm said when voting for Sliwa.
The Cuomo campaign has also made an appeal to voters who support him due to his experience and track record in politics. "I just want someone with experience, with a track record of knowing what he's doing," Doris Stapleton, 70, a retired speech pathologist said.
However, some Staten Islanders expressed frustration with the Cuomo campaign's strategy, feeling that it is making the election a two-person contest rather than allowing voters to choose the better candidate. "We'd like the Republican to get in, but we don't feel he has any chance in New York and we feel like voting for him is just giving a vote to Mamdani," Maureen Vanpelt, 71 said.
As the election enters its final days, Sliwa's campaign remains confident that it can pull off an upset. "Curtis Sliwa will win, and a vote for Andrew Cuomo is a vote for Zohran Mamdani, full stop," Daniel Kurzyna, Sliwa's spokesperson said.
Despite the polls, Cuomo needs to convince more voters like Bob Finelli, 62, who voted for him without hesitation. "I liked his father," Finelli said recalling Mario Cuomo, Andrew's late father who served as governor of New York state.
Staten Island is such a wild card in NYC elections. I mean, you got people like Curtis Sliwa who are rocking the Republican vote and it's not just because of his Guardian Angels days 
. He's genuinely connecting with folks on a personal level. Meanwhile, Cuomo's trying to win over conservatives with experience and all that jazz 
. But here's the thing - Staten Islanders seem to be over Cuomo's popularity issues in the district and are instead going for Sliwa because of his authenticity 
. I mean, Cuomo's got the NYC cred, but Sliwa's just being himself. And honestly, it's kinda refreshing to see someone like Sliwa who isn't afraid to take a stand 
.
. The question is, can he really convince people that Zohran Mamdani's not just another politician playing games? 
I'm still rooting for Sliwa to pull off an upset, but you can never count out Cuomo's experience and connections 
. This election is shaping up to be a real nail-biter!
.
. And now they're just trying to split the vote by pretending Sliwa can win? It's just a bunch of malarkey 
.
. Not because I think he'll win or anything, but because Cuomo's strategy is just so transparently self-serving 
. We deserve better than that 
i think many conservatives are feeling conflicted because they like the idea of having a choice between two candidates, but at the end of the day its all about which person do u feel best represents ur values...personally i think its interesting to see how voters are weighing their options and it just goes to show that even with polls leading one way, election results can be unpredictable 
.
. i think some ppl are voting for Cuomo just cuz he has experience and all that, but others are just like "no thanks" 
. maybe he should've been more upfront about his intentions and stuff?
, but at the same time, Cuomo's got that whole experience thing going for him 
. I think some people are just looking for a change from Zohran Mamdani, you know? He just doesn't resonate with them like Sliwa does 
. It's all about perspective, I guess...
And let's be real, Zohran Mamdani is still way ahead in the polls... but I guess we'll see how it all plays out come Election Day 
.
, he's got that street cred and I love how he's not afraid to speak his mind. But at the same time, Andrew Cuomo has been around for ages and he's got experience on his side 
.
it's like he's one of them, you know? The whole Guardian Angels thing is super relatable 
I'm not saying Cuomo doesn't have a shot at winning though... there are still a lot of undecided voters out there 
. I've been following his campaign and it's clear he's connecting with people on Staten Island in a way Cuomo just can't match 
. Don't get me wrong, I still think Mamdani has this one in the bag, but Sliwa's got some unexpected momentum going on right now 
I'm loving the enthusiasm of Staten Island voters who are supporting Curtis Sliwa despite the polls 
Whatever happens, it's gonna be an exciting Election Day 
. And yeah, some people are frustrated with Cuomo's campaign strategy... it's like, if you want to win, you should be talking about your own qualifications and stuff, not trying to sway voters from the other party