Two Republican councilwomen in New York City told Newsmax that Mayor Eric Adams’ withdrawal from the 2025 mayoral race clears a path for fellow Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Appearing Monday on “National Report,” New York City Council members Joann Ariola and Vickie Paladino said Adams’ exit on Sunday should have come much sooner, but it sharpened the contrast between Democrats and a unified GOP alternative.
Ariola, who represents District 32, said Adams’ drawn-out decision to quit only muddied the field. Adams had hung on despite polling in single digits.
“I don’t know that it shakes it up too much. I don’t know that [Adams] had much of a voter base at all at this point,” Ariola said. “He waited a very long time to drop out. It caused nothing but confusion and chaos.”
She warned that Democrats lining up to run — including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s running as an independent, and Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist Assembly membe — have already backed policies that “have proven to be destructive to our city, our state.”
“We must galvanize behind the Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa,” Ariola urged.
Paladino, a Queens council member, said Adams’ withdrawal delivers an energy boost to Sliwa’s campaign.
“I think we’re going to see Curtis break out,” she said. “What yesterday did is give some people some hope … it gave it that little punch in the arm, the slightest punch.”
Paladino predicted that Sliwa’s message will resonate across party lines.
“It’s going to be a bipartisan mayor’s race,” she said. “Right now I stand firmly behind Curtis Sliwa, not just as a Republican, but as somebody who understands what this city needs — a change.”
Paladino also took aim on X at Mamdani for trying to nationalize the contest.
“To Mamdani I say this: Enough is enough with [President Donald] Trump. Enough is enough with money. Stop deflecting,” Paladino said. “Trump’s got nothing to do with this race, everybody. This is solely and absolutely a mayor’s race for the city of New York.”
She warned voters against a return to the political style of Cuomo.
“The people have a choice to go back to an Andrew Cuomo, which we all know what he did while he was governor,” Paladino said.
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