NEW YORK − Republican Curtis Sliwa faces growing calls to drop out of the New York mayor’s race days before voters begin casting ballots. The calls are from a mix of strange bedfellows: New York conservative figures, moderate Democrats and billionaires, all eager to stop popular democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman, has been the frontrunner to lead America's biggest city since his shocking upset against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June Democratic primary.

But as Cuomo, 67, has struggled to launch a comeback as an independent candidate against the telegenic 34-year-old, the former governor and his supporters have turned to Sliwa’s voters in hopes of amassing a winning coalition to defeat Mamdani before the Nov. 4 general election.

Polls have shown a tightening matchup, but Cuomo still trails Mamdani by double digits in a three-way race with Sliwa, an activist and talk show host, a distant third. Cuomo appears to do better in a one-on-one matchup against Mamdani.

The problem is Sliwa, the 71-year-old founder of the Guardian Angels anti-crime vigilante group, isn’t going anywhere for now.

“I’m in it to win it,” Sliwa, donning his trademark red beret, told reporters during morning rush hour on Oct. 21, outside a subway station near his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His wife stood by him as straphangers both jeered and applauded.

“I suggest Andrew Cuomo come off his high horse,” Sliwa said. “If he wants to win this election, go out and campaign for your voters.”

Cuomo has made rounds on network television news and conservative talk radio appealing to Sliwa’s voters to break ranks and support him, a former Democratic governor. Even if they despised Cuomo and his past, Cuomo said, Mamdani’s candidacy is an “existential threat” to New York.

“Curtis will make Mamdani a winner,” Cuomo said Oct. 21 on the radio show “Sid and Friends in the Morning.” “Then there will be, ‘I told you so.’”

Cuomo’s supporters have pointed to a recent AARP poll showing a near dead heat with Mamdani if Sliwa dropped out. The poll showed Mamdani’s double-digit lead dwindle to just four points, 45% to Cuomo’s 41%, if Republican Sliwa exited the race, within the poll’s margin of error. Fifteen percent were undecided or backing another candidate.

“As New Yorkers see this reality, they’ll discard the spoiler Curtis Sliwa and rally behind Cuomo to save the city,” Rich Azzopardi, a Cuomo campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.

But even if Sliwa dropped out, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Sliwa’s names will both remain on the ballot. A Fox News poll showed Cuomo rising in the polls after Adams dropped out of the race in September, though Adams still took away about 2-3% of the vote. Mamdani remained ahead by double digits.

A spokesperson for Mamdani’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The overwhelming majority of Sliwa supporters would not touch Andrew Cuomo with a ten-foot pole,” Daniel Kurzyna, a Sliwa campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.

On Oct. 21, the leaders of New York City’s five county Republican parties voiced support for Sliwa. “Republicans should not have to clean up the mess Andrew Cuomo and the Democrats created,” they said in a joint statement.

Heavies to Sliwa: Drop out

A day earlier, the New York Post, President Donald Trump’s conservative hometown tabloid, ran an editorial declaring Sliwa should drop out so Cuomo can stop Mamdani. Trump, the undisputed leader of the GOP, has encouraged Cuomo to stay in the mayor’s race. Trump, who has called Mamdani a communist he'd like to see deported, has tried to clear the field of Sliwa and Adams to boost Cuomo's chances.

The Post had previously encouraged Cuomo to drop out in favor of Adams before the mayor, weakened by scandal, dumped his reelection bid.

As Election Day nears, billionaires have poured millions into super PACs supporting Cuomo and opposing Mamdani, similar to a doomed effort by the city’s wealthiest in the Democratic primary.

On X, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a Trump supporter who has donated heavily against Mamdani, said Mamdani’s campaign is “actively working to keep” Sliwa in the race. John Catsimitidis, a billionaire grocery chain owner and conservative talk radio owner, also urged Sliwa to drop out.

'I trust the people'

Sliwa told reporters billionaires won’t dictate the mayor’s race. They were wrong in the primary when Mamdani won, he added.

“I trust the people,” Sliwa said. “They are able to choose their next mayor.”

The late push to force Sliwa out comes just a day before the second and final mayoral debate, on Oct. 22. Early voting starts Oct. 25. Sliwa plans to cast his ballot then.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican Curtis Sliwa pressured to drop NYC mayoral bid to defeat Zohran Mamdani

Reporting by Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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