Council Member Robert Holden has endorsed Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, touting the Guardian Angels founder’s “decades of public service and straight talk.”
Sliwa is trailing far behind Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a three-way contest in the 2025 election, according to most polls.
Holden, however, stated that Sliwa has “earned the trust” of New Yorkers through his “long record” of public service as head of the volunteer patrol.
A conservative Democrat who has long opposed Mamdani’s nomination, Holden said Cuomo is “not the answer” to defeat Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who is the clear frontrunner in the mayoral election.
“He (Cuomo) was the architect of the crises we face today,” Holden wrote in an op-ed in the New York Daily News announcing his endorsement. “He betrayed our trust, abused his power, and left office in disgrace.”
Holden accused Cuomo of resigning as governor to avoid being impeached after being accused of sexual harassment by several women. Cuomo has consistently denied the allegations.
Nevertheless, Holden wrote, “That alone should disqualify him from any future office.”
The Council member further wrote that Sliwa represents a more “common-sense” candidate than Cuomo, writing that the Republican nominee will pursue policies that protect New Yorkers.
“If you want safe streets, honest government and relief for working people, choose the candidate that has been there with you,” Cuomo wrote.
Holden criticized Cuomo over his policy record as governor, specifically targeting the landmark bail reform bill that Cuomo signed into law in 2019. The legislation eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges and aimed to address concerns that cash bail disproportionately impacted low-income defendants who could not afford cash bail and suffered pre-trial incarceration as a result.
Holden further criticized Cuomo for “imposing” congestion pricing on New Yorkers after the former governor included the measure in the 2019 state budget. Gov. Kathy Hochul eventually implemented congestion pricing in January 2025, following concerns voiced by Cuomo over the measure in 2024.
Cuomo, once considered the father of congestion pricing, argued that the state’s economy, coupled with fears over subway safety, meant its implementation represented “unfortunate timing.”
Holden accused Cuomo of running “social experiments” on New Yorkers by implementing such policies and said Sliwa would reverse the “damage” that has taken place in the city recently.
“He (Sliwa) built the Guardian Angels into a global public safety force,” Holden wrote. “He has walked the streets, ridden the subways, and stood with victims when no one else would. His campaign has grassroots support, a serious platform, and the toughness to govern.”
