Exclusive | NYC Dem pol touts GOPs Curtis Sliwa for mayor in new campaign ad

Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa has cut a new ad featuring a prominent conservative city Democratic lawmaker who is breaking party lines to back his candidacy.“I’m a Democrat – but I’m fed up,” Queens Councilman Robert Holden says in the campaign spot — while decrying “corruption” and “scandals” as ex-Gov.Andrew Cuomo’s image appears across the screen.Cuomo — a Dem who resigned as governor under the threat of impeachment over sexual-misconduct accusations he denies — is running for New York City mayor on an independent “Fight and Deliver” ballot line after losing the Democratic primary to socialist Zohran Mamdani.“And now socialism,” Holden adds in the ad as Mamdani’s image appears in the 30-second spot, which will air on broadcast and cable TV and online and social-media platforms.“You deserve better,” Holden tells voters.

“New York needs someone focused on affordability, safety and sanity.We need Curtis Sliwa.”Sliwa is running third in the polls, trailing front-runner Mamdani and Cuomo.The Guardian Angels founder has struggled to capture support from city Democrats, who outnumber Republicans 6-1 in blue New York.A recent Fox News survey found that Sliwa is capturing only 2% support from Democrats.Holden is not the typical Democrat, having run with Republican Party backing and cross-endorsed other Republicans, including GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin over Democrat Kathy Hochul in 2022.As for Cuomo ads, his campaign recently dropped a spot calling Mamdani “Bill de Blasio 2.0” — referring to the lefty former mayor whom Cuomo often feuded with when he was governor.“Zohran Mamdani would freeze the rent for only 25 percent of New Yorkers while raising it for everyone else.

Sound familiar? It is! De Blasio tried and failed before,” says the narrator in the 30-second Cuomo spot.The ad refers to Mamdani saying he would push the city’s Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents on about 1 million rent-stab...