While many New York City Republicans breathed a sigh of relief after moderate Eric Adams’ triumph in the Democratic mayoral primary, some party insiders are starting to fret their voters won’t be energized enough to come out and save GOP candidates down the ballot in November.
“Eric Adams just doesn’t elicit a ton of negative feelings among Republicans. He’s very much a moderate. He’s run explicitly against the far left,” said one GOP operative working in one of the city’s very few contested City Council seats.
“It’s not four years ago where they wanted to come out and stick it to de Blasio. And Curtis Sliwa is not really making a race out of it,” the insider noted.
While Democrats will certainly maintain their overwhelming majority in the City Council, Republicans are trying to hang on to the few outposts they have left. GOP Councilman Eric Ulrich’s term-limited departure from his Ozone Park district has created an opening.
Since Ulrich’s first election in 2009, he’s enjoyed a breezy election record, winning his last race with more than 65% of the vote. But registered Dems outnumber Republicans more than 3 to 1 in the district. The seat was previously represented by Joseph Addabbo Jr, a moderate Democrat.
The race today pits Republican Joann Ariola against Democrat Felicia Singh, a candidate backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the “Black Lives Matter caucus” and other far-left groups. She has also voiced opposition to Columbus Day.
Singh has raised more money than Ariola so far.
“Motivation in New York City … elections is a general problem for Republican and Conservative candidates,” agreed state Conservative Party boss Gerard Kassar.
In Staten Island, Councilman Joe Borelli will likely cruise to reelection in the deep-red 51st district, but the more moderate-leaning mid-Island 50th district will be open with the retirement of City Council minority leader Steven Matteo.
Sal Albanese, a moderate Democrat and Matteo’s Chief of Staff David Carr will duke it out in November — but, in addition to any enthusiasm gaps, Carr’s road will also be complicated by the presence of a challenger from Kassar’s Conservative party — George Wonica.
Conservatives also threaten to be a spoiler in the Staten Island Borough President’s race. A normally safe contest is a little more questionable this year with candidate Vito Fossella — who won a narrow upset victory in a GOP primary for the seat in June.
The Island pol carries big baggage. He left Congress in disgrace back in 2009 after a drunk driving bust led to revelations that he was maintaining a secret second family in Virginia.
So far, Fossella has proved a poor fundraiser. He has not received public matching funds, unlike his two opponents in the race, Democrat Mark Murphy and Conservative candidate Leticia Remauro.
Kassar insisted he wasn’t interested in spoiling anything.
“We look at ourselves as providing the most qualified candidate and the public has a choice on that,” Kassar said. “We have candidates running who are potentially problematic to the Republican party but they also run candidates sometimes who are problematic to the Conservative party.”
