Is this really the best we can do, New York?
A choice between Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Zohran Mamdani is a political comedy. It belongs on NBC, not city hall. But here we are, faced with this prisoner’s dilemma.
Having no sound choice for mayor, this race is highlighting the obvious: New York, nexus of talent and jewel on the crown of American greatness, is in the midst of a gut-wrenching recession. Not a financial one–worse. A recession of civic ambition.
I did not grow up in New York. Indeed, I’ve never even been a huge fan of cities in general. As a conservative from a small town, I’ve spent plenty of time hearing (and occasionally echoing) the gripes about urban America: too limiting, too chaotic, too far from the quiet virtues of small-town life.
That said, New York isn’t just our greatest city. As much as it pains me to admit, it’s the heart of our national future, generating a huge chunk of the U.S. GDP and fueling industries from finance to biotech that touch nearly every facet of American life. Whatever your political beliefs, you cannot deny this truth. That’s why the mayoral race leaves me unsettled. With Election Day looming, the field boils down to three flawed contenders, none of whom are really equipped to be the chief executive of the most important city in the world. Moreover, this failure of civic ambition is a symptom of how we’ve stopped demanding real leadership from the places that matter most.
New York concentrates talent and ideas like nowhere else, but it is also facing tremendous challenges befitting its size. You’d think, then, that we could find credible leadership among the millions of world-class talented individuals who hop from Starbucks to Starbucks. Instead we get a Rorschach test for our political exhaustion.
Curtis Sliwa is a genuine man of the city, and his heart is in the right place. I truly believe he is running to give Republicans a choice. That said, he has basically inherited the spot, being one of a mere handful of local Republican aspirants in recent memory. He ran uncontested in the primary because that is what he is. There is no meaningful conservative challenge for civic leadership in the city, and the nomination fell in his lap. He behaves accordingly: among the broader movement, he would be no more than a fringe figure.
Then there’s Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic state assemblyman and self-proclaimed democratic socialist who surged to front-runner status on a wave of progressive zeal. Despite being arguably the only candidate with any meaningful vision whatsoever, the marks against him flow continuously: socialist ideology, lack of any tangible executive experience, persistent falsehoods, ties to extreme religious figures. He certainly has a bright future in progressive politics, but his time as Mayor would not be a success.
And rounding out this trio is Andrew Cuomo, the former governor mounting the zombie comeback that nobody asked for. With no discernable message other than a “stop-Mamdani” fear campaign, he represents arguably the least compelling individual in the race. Truly, without a boogieman to contrast himself with, he would have nothing. His own history of scandal does not help his flagging, poorly-run campaign, which would collapse if not for Mamdani standing opposite him.
I don’t wish for any “side” to lose but it’s important that we recognize a leadership void in the city that can’t afford one. New York is the colossus on whose shoulders our prosperity stands, as much a part of history as it is a maker of history. When we let the race for the mayor become a race to the bottom we handcuff our shot at the future. If conservatives like me keep writing off the cities, or if progressives treat governance as grievance theater, or the centrists refuse to develop a real message, we’ll wake up to a nation that’s dimmer, slower, smaller. Right now, we’re doing all three.
In the midst of this political drama, power brokers in the city are on edge about the possibility of a Mamdani victory. Bill Ackman comes to mind, being exceedingly vocal and expending significant social–and likely financial–capital attempting to do damage control. I find it depressing, and almost insulting, that the broader public tunes in only because we may elect a socialist mayor. If we expended just a fraction of the energy spent fear-mongering about Mamdani on something politically productive we could transform the city. Instead we have… This.
Reclaiming New York starts with showing up. Whoever wins, I believe the majority will be unhappy. I can also say with confidence that the right leader for the job will not end up in the mayor’s office. Unless we begin to tackle this leadership crisis, that won’t stop with this election. We need to start building the political ecosystem to funnel more of that world-class talent into leadership or this is going to be the new normal.
New York is too important to fall into this trap. There is too much genius, too much ingenuity, and too much heart in the people of this city. You can’t say that about the candidates.
This race is already lost, but the next one doesn’t have to be.