New York City’s already tumultuous mayoral race took another dramatic turn this week as Jim Walden, the independent candidate and former federal prosecutor, announced the end of his campaign and issued a pointed plea to his rivals: unite, or risk ceding City Hall to a candidate he calls an existential threat. Walden’s withdrawal on September 2, 2025, comes just two months before Election Day, injecting fresh uncertainty into a crowded contest already marked by ideological clashes, shifting alliances, and a cast of personalities as colorful as the city itself.
In his statement, Walden thanked his campaign staff and supporters, but made clear his decision was rooted in principle, not politics. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank my campaign staff and consultants, who believed in our campaign and worked tirelessly to accomplish all that we did. I thank the many people who supported and endorsed us. I know today's news will disappoint all of them. But, in a choice between values and ambitions, values must win," Walden said, as reported by The New York Times. He warned that unless the anti-Mamdani vote consolidates, a "Trojan Horse will take control of City Hall," referencing Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and state legislator whose democratic socialist views have made him a lightning rod for criticism from across the political spectrum.
Walden’s exit was not entirely unexpected. Despite raising over $3 million and running a credible campaign, he consistently polled at just 1 percent, far behind the frontrunners. Still, his parting shot was unmistakable: he implored other candidates trailing in the polls by month’s end to consider how history would judge them if they allowed "vanity or stubborn ambition to usher in Mr. Mamdani." Walden’s statement was laced with sharp accusations, describing Mamdani’s "extreme bigotry toward police, his authentic commitment to communism, his antisemitic obsessions, and his sympathies for terrorists." He concluded, "For these very reasons, the other candidates have all said Mr. Mamdani represents an existential threat to New York City. Talk is cheap. Respectfully, it is time to 'walk the walk' for the good of the City."
Walden’s call for unity among Mamdani’s opponents highlights the deep divisions and strategic dilemmas facing New York’s political establishment. The field is unusually crowded, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo running as an independent after resigning four years ago amid sexual harassment allegations, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams also seeking re-election as an independent, having skipped the Democratic primary due to an ongoing federal bribery case. Both have struggled to gain traction in a race dominated by Mamdani’s insurgent candidacy and the reemergence of Curtis Sliwa, the perennial Republican contender and founder of the Guardian Angels.
Sliwa, now 71, is no stranger to New York’s political circus. Four years ago, he lost to Adams by nearly 40 points, but this year he sees an opening. Sliwa believes that with three polarizing candidates splitting the Democratic vote, he can maintain his base and pick up disaffected voters from both sides. His campaign, as reported by NBC New York and the Associated Press, is laser-focused on public safety—a theme he’s championed since the late 1970s, when the Guardian Angels patrolled the city’s subways during some of its darkest days.
Despite NYPD data showing that 2025 has seen the fewest shooting incidents and victims in decades, Sliwa insists the city’s crime problem is "exploding." He’s not shy about using vivid language, telling reporters in the Bronx, "Blood is pouring from the streets." He’s also not without controversy. Sliwa has admitted to fabricating several Guardian Angels stories, including a false kidnapping claim, and last year, members of his group roughed up a man in Times Square during a Fox News interview. Still, for some New Yorkers, his relentless energy is endearing. As Bronx native Noemi Molina told NBC New York, "He's still trying, he's still striving."
On the other side of the political spectrum, Mamdani’s campaign continues to gather steam. The 33-year-old state lawmaker and democratic socialist recently secured a major endorsement from the Bronx Democratic Party, with Borough President Vanessa Gibson and State Senator Jamaal Bailey joining his growing list of backers. Mamdani has also attracted union support that once went to Andrew Cuomo, signaling a shift in the city’s political winds.
Mamdani’s public safety platform has become a central battleground in the campaign, especially after a recent spate of shootings brought the issue back to the fore. At a press event, Mamdani said, "For me, the number one most important thing is the outcome of public safety. Whatever can create that outcome, I will consider it." He has proposed creating a Department of Public Safety, staffed by civilians who would take over responsibilities like mental health response and homelessness interventions from the police. "Part of that is taking mental health response, homelessness out of the police department set of responsibilities, such that they can actually follow through on the responsibilities that give New Yorkers a real sense of trust and peace," Mamdani explained to CBS News New York.
His approach has drawn fierce criticism from both Sliwa and Cuomo. Cuomo, never one to mince words, told CBS News New York, "Sending a social worker to do the job where you need a police officer is totally misguided. So, he literally has this political view that has no connection to reality." Sliwa echoed this sentiment, saying, "You want social workers to deal with these gang problems that are plaguing your borough? Because that's what Zohran Mamdani wants. He wants social workers. He does not want additional cops. I want additional cops." Political experts, like J.C. Polanco of the University of Mount Saint Vincent, chalk up Mamdani’s proposals to inexperience, but suggest he may adapt if elected.
Yet Mamdani is not without influential supporters. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed him this week, defending his public safety plan and arguing, "We need police for a variety of situations, but why don't we flood the zone with mental health workers to help get a lot of those people off the streets and create more of a sense of order? I think what people are going to see from Zohran, when he's mayor, is actually he will be able to do things that previous mayors didn't." Mamdani told CBS News New York he was "thrilled" to receive de Blasio’s backing, even as Cuomo dismissed the former mayor as "one of the worst mayors we've ever had."
As Election Day approaches, the stakes could hardly be higher. With Walden’s departure and his call for unity, the pressure is mounting on Adams, Cuomo, and Sliwa to decide whether to stay in the race or coalesce behind a single challenger to Mamdani. For now, the race remains wide open, its outcome as unpredictable as the city it seeks to govern.
In a contest defined by sharp contrasts, personal histories, and competing visions for the future of New York, voters face a choice that could reshape the city’s political landscape for years to come.
