Sliwa throws his beret into the ring --- by saying he really doesn't want the job for himself or any of the other candidates

Curtis Sliwa hopes to be seen as the "man of the people" as he talked about entering the race for public advocate in February’s special election to replace NYS Attorney General-elect Letitia James

NYC's first "Guardian Angel" openly states that his run in this Special Election for for Public Advocate is motivated by Republican candidate and City Council member for Southwest Queens Eric Ulrich's announcement of his candidacy for the same office in the same special election

  

Sliwa says that Ulrich is unfit to run for anything as a Republican endorsed candidate, because the Queens Councilman has shown terrible judgment by endorsing a "baffoon" like Bo Dietl, over Brooklyn & Staten Island Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis for the Republican nomination in last year’s mayoral election

Curtis Sliwa is described by the "Kings County Politics" blog as   ---  "....  The bold, tough-talking founder and face of the civilian vigilante group the Guardian Angels, radio personality, and perennial Reform Party candidate...".  In an exclusive interview that he gave to KCP,  the feature's lead was a discussion of Sliwa's strongly asserted position to eliminate the office for which he is likely to be running, with or without GOP support, in February  (See "Curtis Sliwa Could Be Wild Card In Public Advocate Race"  by Michael Rock,  12/13/18,  Kings County Politics  [www.kingscountypolitics.com/curtis-sliwa-could-be-wild-card-in-public-advocate-race/]).

According to KCP,  Sliwa noted that with the exception of  one past  NYC Public Advocate,  since the post was established in 1994, every one of them had used the position as a springboard to campaign for higher office using the taxpayers’ dime.  Sliwa then specifically mentioned Mayor Bill De Blasio,  Mark Green, and of course most recently, Letiticia James.

Curtis Sliwa promises to be a threat to the very office for which he will be running

“If I were to run for Public Advocate…I would take the oath of office if I won, [and then I would] fire myself, fire everyone else, and padlock the office....  You do not need a public advocate, because all they’re advocating for is themselves.”

BUT SLIWA ALSO HAS A "PLAN B"

Mr. Sliwa also made it clear that if the people voted to maintain the public advocate office in a referendum that he is proposing if elected, he would respect the will of the people.  In that case, he said he would use his position to “be Bill De Blasio’s worst nightmare”  ---   Sliwa then used the KCP article to highlight his own July 2017 arrest at Gracie Mansion while attempting to serve the mayor court papers.

The first Guardian Angel then proceeded to explain that his top priority would be the subway system. “I was birthed in the subways. For 40 years, I have been patrolling the subways with the Guardian Angels....  [a]nd that’s something the mayor disdains. Riding the subway. He’ll do it for a photo-op, but he refuses to ride the subway [for real].”  Staying on the subject of subways and other transit modalities,  Sliwa then accused Governor Andrew Cuomo of being too aloof on too many matters directly effecting NYC's residents  ---  with the decaying MTA at the top of the list.

Sliwa's [R]ock-Block Strategy

He also explained to interviewer Michael Rock that he was motivated to run by the announcement of Republican candidate and City Councilmember Eric Ulrich,  sort of as a blocking maneuver.  Sliwa indicated that he opposes Ulrich for endorsing former cop Bo Dietl, whom he referred to as a “buffoon,” over Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis for the Republican nomination in last year’s mayoral election; and Sliwa also spoke out about how Ulrich voted to approve  the left-wing radical former City Council Speaker and Democratic P.A. candidate Melissa Mark-Viverito  to be the Speaker of the NYC Council as part of a deal brokered by Mayor De Blasio.

Sliwa offers forgiveness to Ulrich if he REPENTS

However, Sliwa acknowledged that Ulrich is the only true Republican in the race and that Ulrich could be redeemed for his past mistakes if he apologized.  He then compared what Ulrich needed to go through as "the Stations of the Cross"  (possibly a reference to a ritualist practice in the Roman Catholic faith sometimes done as a penance).

Public Advocate Candidate (and CIty Council Speaker) MM-V needs to focus on New York City's and real New Yorker's needs 

As to Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, Sliwa told KCP that he respected her intelligence, passion, and dedication to her goals.   On the other hand, Sliwa said that he felt she was out of touch with the needs of real New Yorkers.  “I’ve always thought that Melissa Mark-Viverito’s heart was always in Puerto Rico. She seems to be much more attached to [that] island’s needs....   Why [does she] want to run for public advocate here?  [She]should run for Mayor San Jaun or Ponce,  or] Governor of Puerto Rico…   [The New York City Public Advocate  should] not be thinking about Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic or anywhere else...."  

By stark contrast Curtis Sliwa emphasised  ---  "We’re thinking of the five boroughs of the City of New York.”