I’ve been hearing more about the NYC mayor’s race, and it’s not good. Curtis Sliwa is the only Republican candidate running for NYC mayor. Has the Republican Party decided that NYC is not worth their time and money, for the Democrats have eleven candidates?
NYC also uses Rank Choice Voting, in which voters rank their candidates in order of preference up to 5 candidates. I had to do an internet search to see how it works.
Ranked-Choice Voting: A Disaster in Disguise
After the first vote, anyone who gets over 50% of the vote is the nominee. If no one gets over 50% of the vote in the first round, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated. The ballots for the eliminated candidate then go to the voters’ second-choice candidate, who becomes their first choice. This process continues until someone wins.
Who came up with this? Is this not unconstitutional and a “Threat to Democracy!” No wonder the politicians love Rank Choice Voting. If no one gets nominated after the first round, you eliminate a voter’s actual vote during the second round; therefore, fewer people vote for the winning candidate. Selecting a candidate can also take days or weeks, since Rank Choice Voting takes time to tabulate. It makes it easier for a party to elect its candidate, since all candidates running will get some votes. The candidates at the bottom of the ranking get eliminated, giving their votes to another candidate who was not the voters’ first choice. Someone’s 5th choice could become their number one choice.
The NYC Mayor Candidates
Curtis Sliwa, Jim Walden, and Adams are already on the November 2025 NYC Mayor ballot. Therefore, I only researched the top two Democratic candidates, Cuomo and Mamdani.
Andrew Cuomo
Cuomo website: https://www.andrewcuomo.com/
First, Andrew Cuomo wants to increase housing, give free childcare, decrease taxes, provide free bus rides, and expand healthcare.
Cuomo is now all about public safety, even though he implemented police reform legislation in 2020 to hold officers accountable for using restraints on criminals. Today, he wants to expand the police force. However, in 2020, he signed an executive order to withhold money from any police department that did not modernize its policing policy by April 1, 2021.
In 2020, Cuomo was given an Emmy for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic while lying about the number of deaths in NY nursing homes. In 2021, he stepped down as governor due to sexual harassment allegations.
Currently, the DOJ is investigating him for lying under oath about COVID-19 nursing home deaths, but he is still running for mayor. I wonder if he resigned as governor to run for office again. He would not have been able to run for any NY office if he had been impeached. Did he step down for NY to move on or for himself; only he knows!
His website does not tell you how he plans to pay for everything! I’m guessing he will increase taxes on the rich and corporations. The money tree better start growing quickly!
Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani website: https://www.zohranfornyc.com/
The second candidate is Zohran Mamdani, who wants to increase taxes on corporations and millionaires, provide free bus fares and childcare, provide city-owned grocery stores, and increase the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.
He wants to create a Department of Community Safety (DCS) to help fight crime. They will invest in mental health programs to prevent violence before it happens. Are all criminals mentally ill? He is also for “Defunding the Police,” and even posted his thoughts on “X. “ https://x.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1336087694636707841.
Just think how well small businesses will do when the minimum wage increases to $30.00 an hour. Will fast food employers ditch employees altogether and go full automation? How will a small business pay its employees $30.00 an hour?
He also wants to end the property tax exemptions for Columbia University, New York University, and other private universities with more than a $100 million tax write-off. He doesn’t mention that he and his father benefited from this tax exemption for decades. https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/zohran-mamdani-benefited-from-taxpayer-subsidized-columbia-u-housing-he-wants-to-scrap/
At least Mamdani talks about paying for his plan by increasing taxes, but that won’t work. At some point, people can’t afford it. Just like California, companies will leave!
If he thinks companies will stay, think again. States will start offering NYC companies incentives to move to their state, and they will move.
Good luck, New York! You will need it!