Republican Candidates Running for NYC Mayor
The upcoming mayor elections have promised to be a memorable one. The polls change every day, and as new information about each candidate surfaces the results are up in the air. Here is a review of some of the top candidates for the Republican primaries.
Mateo is a businessman and self-proclaimed “blue-collar urban Republican.” He grew up in New York, and started his own carpet company as a teenager, which then bloomed into a multi-million dollar enterprise. He has since been involved in various entrepreneurial projects.
Currently, he is the President of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and works for the United Bodegas of America.
Mateo’s campaign concentrates on bringing back business to New York, and critiques the many protectionist policies and regulations that have driven businesses and investors out of the city to find ground elsewhere.
He also concentrates on the safety of the city, arguing that there is a need for more policemen in the force.
Sliwa is the founder and CEO of Guardian Angels, a non-profit organization of unarmed crime prevention. Sliwa founded the organization in New York City back in 1979, since then it has spread to over a 100 cities worldwide.
Sliwa is known for his work as a radio broadcaster for WABC-AM. He has faced scandals about some of his racially-insensitive and sexist remarks during shows.
Rather than defund, Sliwa plans to “refund” the police. “Somewhere along the line politicians started caring more about millennials’ feelings being hurt,” said Sliwa on his website, “I know that safe streets, safe playgrounds, safe commutes and safe NYCHA hallways make all the difference in the world.”
Pepitone is a former NYPD officer, whose campaign mostly focuses on public safety. He served as a policeman for twenty years, and after retiring ran for and won a seat on City Council.
He is a firm believer that “without public safety, without law and order, a city has nothing to build on.” And so he plans on reinstating proactive policing and plain-clothes officers.
His campaign also addresses things such as allocating more funding more funding and resources into special needs programs.