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Who Are The Republicans Running For NYC Mayor?
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Mar 2, 2021
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Mar 2, 2021
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In New York City, the numbers dictate the Democratic mayoral primary as the race to watch. Out of 5.6 million registered voters, 66% (or 3.7 million) are Democrats. "The overwhelming Democratic registration advantage discourages many potentially strong Republicans from diving into a race that may be hopeless and will certainly be costly and bruising," said David Birdsell, dean of the Baruch College School of Public Affairs. The blue tilt is so great that one group tied to business interests has been trying to get Republicans to switch their party for this coming primary.
Those sticking with the GOP have been largely waiting to see who will enter the field. All candidates have until the end of March to get on the ballot through petitioning. Some experts, including Birdsell, say that the party might unify around one candidate should a self-funded and better-known Republican candidate enter the race. But with less than four months to go until the primary, the contest is coalescing around four candidates. Here's what you need to know about them:
Fernando Mateo
Prior to announcing his run for mayor, Mateo cut a profile in the 1990s as a Bronx carpet business owner who came up with a successful idea of offering a $100 gift certificate at Toys 'R Us in exchange for every gun turned into a local police precinct. He has since remained in the public eye, mostly as the unpaid spokesperson for the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and United Bodegas of America.
The 63-year-old has focused his campaign message on saving small businesses and fighting crime. Tapped to run by the Bronx Republican Party, he is banking on appealing to Hispanic voters. But he faces two major obstacles: he did not register as a New York City voter until October 2020 and he primarily resides in Westchester.
He has defended his dwelling status by saying he owns an apartment in New York City. "I live in that apartment in New York City whenever I want to,” he told NY1.
Mateo has racked up endorsements from the Republican party in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens, and is considered a frontrunner in a thin field.
William Pepitone
A former NYPD officer, Pepitone was among the first Republicans to file paperwork with the Campaign Finance Board. The 53-year-old has fashioned himself as a law-and-order candidate who has pledged to crack down on violent crime as well as quality of life issues. Most notably, he has said he would go back to the "broken windows" strategy of policing, which under Mayor Michael Bloomberg was criticized for dramatically increasing stop and frisks that disproportionately impacted Black and low-income communities.
Pepitone is not a complete stranger to politics. After retiring from the police force, he moved to Pennsylvania. In 2013, he unsuccessfully ran as a write-in candidate to become the mayor of Morrisville, a suburb of Philadelphia. He moved back to New York City in 2019. He happens to be a nephew of Joe Pepitone, the former New York Yankee and cultural icon.
He has won the endorsement of the New York City Conservative Party.
Curtis Sliwa
As the founder of the Guardian Angels, the red-beret wearing public safety patrol group, Sliwa has the broadest name recognition among city Republicans. He has arguably stepped into the race at an opportune time: formed in the late 1970s to counter subway muggings, his Guardian Angels have re-emerged as a presence in recent years amid a perception, if not reality, of rising subway crime. Although he declared his run for mayor last year, he finally made it official last month by registering with the Campaign Finance Board.
The 66-year-old has over the years stayed in the spotlight as a controversial talking head for outlets like NY1, and as the host of a radio show on WABC. He comes with political baggage: his gig as a political commentator on NY1 ended after he made sexist and racist remarks. During the pandemic, he has flamboyantly positioned himself in direct opposition to Mayor Bill de Blasio. In May, he defied the city's no-swim orders and burned an effigy of the mayor's head. At a forum last year hosted by the Manhattan Republican Party, he said that as mayor he would seek to criminally prosecute de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray.
"We've got to save our city," he said during a recent interview on Newsmax, in which he blamed Democrats for creating a "ghost town" for their calls to defund the police.
He has been endorsed by both the Brooklyn and Staten Island Republican Parties.
DROPPED OUT
Sarah Tirschwell
Tirshwell enters the race as a 30-year Wall Street veteran and as another harsh critic of the current mayor. "The absolute last thing NYC needs is a third de Blasio term, which many of the Democratic candidates represent," reads her website. "We cannot afford a high-tax solution or the status quo."
In an interview with Gotham Gazette, the 55-year-old described herself as a "Rockefeller Republican" who is fiscally conservative but socially progressive. She has promised to focus on reducing crime and the city's economic recovery. The candidate, who is a single mother of two, has also spoken out about sexual harassment issues. In 2019, Tirschwell was profiled in the New York Times in which she alleged that her former employer, the asset-management firm TCW, retaliated against after she complained about her boss pressuring her to have sex with him. The case, which was among the most prominent #MeToo cases on Wall Street, was dismissed in June but she has since filed an appeal.
According to her campaign website, Tirschwell continues to work as a financial investor and advisor, and as the chief financial officer of Foundation House, a drug and alcohol recovery center for men based in Portland, Maine.
Tagged
mayoral election
election 2021
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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