It was a purr-fect Election Day appearance for Curtis Sliwa.
The outspoken Guardian Angels founder and Republican mayoral hopeful arrived at his Upper West Side polling station Tuesday wearing his trademark red beret, a tie covered in cats, and carrying the book “Pawverbs for a Cat Lover’s Heart.”
Sliwa, who had already voted early, accompanied his wife Nancy as she cast her ballot. “I have the people’s support,” he told reporters. “Hopefully, when all is said and done tonight, I’ll be the next mayor of New York City — and animals throughout the city will be partying hearty, because they’ll finally have a friend in both Gracie Mansion and City Hall.”
Known for his lifelong animal advocacy, Sliwa has built part of his campaign around protecting animals. In addition to running on the Republican line, his name also appeared under the third-party “Protect Animals” banner, which he created to promote animal welfare efforts.
The book he brought, written by Jennifer Bleakly, is a Christian devotional that pairs real-life animal stories and photographs with verses from the biblical Book of Proverbs.
Sliwa, who has shared his home with more than a dozen rescue cats, has drawn good-natured ribbing for his feline passion — including from President Trump, who last month told Fox News viewers he preferred former Governor Andrew Cuomo over Sliwa.
“This isn’t exactly ideal — he wants to make Gracie Mansion a home for the cats,” President Trump quipped. “Gracie Mansion is the magnificent home of Fiorello La Guardia and the great mayors, like Rudy Giuliani.”
Sliwa brushed off the remark, saying at the time, “I’m proud of the lifesaving work my wife Nancy and rescuers across New York do every day to protect animals in distress.”
The cat-loving candidate’s affection for his pets once made headlines during his 2021 mayoral run, when he attempted to bring one of his cats to the polling booth — a move election workers politely disallowed.
On Tuesday, Sliwa used his radio appearance with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer to appeal to animal lovers of every political stripe. “If you can’t vote for me as a Republican, vote for me because I will protect the animals,” he said. “This isn’t about party — it’s about compassion for those who can’t speak for themselves.”