SockGoblin
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Billionaire Investor Bill Ackman Joins NYC Mayoral fray as Sliwa's Stay Fuels Mamdani's Lead - The Wall Street Journal
In a surprising move, billionaire investor Bill Ackman has weighed into the New York City mayoral race, claiming that Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa's refusal to drop out of the contest is helping Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani secure a nearly 90% chance of winning.
Ackman's comments are a rare public intervention by a high-profile investor in a local election. The billionaire investor has backed Andrew Cuomo's independent bid, urging Sliwa to exit the race to give Cuomo a better shot.
Sliwa's refusal to drop out has become a flashpoint in the campaign, with Ackman and others claiming that a one-on-one matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani would be more competitive.
The 2025 NYC mayoral race has drawn national attention, with Mamdani, 33, looking set to become the city's first Muslim mayor if elected. He has the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Cuomo, 65, is running as an independent four years after resigning as governor. Sliwa, 69, is best known for founding the Guardian Angels patrol group and has built his campaign around crime and quality-of-life issues.
Ackman's remarks have sparked renewed interest in Polymarket, a prediction site where users bet on political outcomes. The contract for the NYC mayoral race has already passed $190 million in trading volume, one of the largest for a local U.S. election.
Sliwa's campaign team has rejected the idea that Ackman or any donor should influence the race, with Maria Sliwa saying "Billionaires aren't going to decide the outcome - it’s the voters. It’s the people. Let the people decide".
"Cuomo lost the primary as a Democrat," she said. "He's running as an independent. Curtis is on a major party line just like Mamdani. If anything, Cuomo should drop out, not Curtis."
The Democratic Socialist has attacked Mamdani's public safety policies, warning that defunding the police and releasing 7,000 people from Rikers would lead to chaos and destruction.
"Cuomo also attacked Mamdani’s public safety policies... warning that defund-the-police policies and mass releases would cause a "mass exodus from this city. It will never be the same,"
In a surprising move, billionaire investor Bill Ackman has weighed into the New York City mayoral race, claiming that Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa's refusal to drop out of the contest is helping Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani secure a nearly 90% chance of winning.
Ackman's comments are a rare public intervention by a high-profile investor in a local election. The billionaire investor has backed Andrew Cuomo's independent bid, urging Sliwa to exit the race to give Cuomo a better shot.
Sliwa's refusal to drop out has become a flashpoint in the campaign, with Ackman and others claiming that a one-on-one matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani would be more competitive.
The 2025 NYC mayoral race has drawn national attention, with Mamdani, 33, looking set to become the city's first Muslim mayor if elected. He has the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Cuomo, 65, is running as an independent four years after resigning as governor. Sliwa, 69, is best known for founding the Guardian Angels patrol group and has built his campaign around crime and quality-of-life issues.
Ackman's remarks have sparked renewed interest in Polymarket, a prediction site where users bet on political outcomes. The contract for the NYC mayoral race has already passed $190 million in trading volume, one of the largest for a local U.S. election.
Sliwa's campaign team has rejected the idea that Ackman or any donor should influence the race, with Maria Sliwa saying "Billionaires aren't going to decide the outcome - it’s the voters. It’s the people. Let the people decide".
"Cuomo lost the primary as a Democrat," she said. "He's running as an independent. Curtis is on a major party line just like Mamdani. If anything, Cuomo should drop out, not Curtis."
The Democratic Socialist has attacked Mamdani's public safety policies, warning that defunding the police and releasing 7,000 people from Rikers would lead to chaos and destruction.
"Cuomo also attacked Mamdani’s public safety policies... warning that defund-the-police policies and mass releases would cause a "mass exodus from this city. It will never be the same,"