Staten Island, NY – Staten Island artist and conservative activist Scott LoBaido launched into a fiery tirade Thursday, blasting what he called a “rigged” and “disgraceful” New York City mayoral debate, accusing moderators of silencing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa while giving extra time and leniency to Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani.
In a passionate video message posted online, LoBaido appeared without his usual brightly colored shirts or art-filled background, saying he wanted viewers to “just listen to my words.” He opened by calling the debate “a travesty” and blamed the moderators for what he viewed as blatant bias. “You gave everybody one minute to answer,” he said. “You let Andrew Cuomo go on and on and on. And more than him, you let that little, know-nothing, immature, inexperienced Communist go on and on and on. And when it came to Curtis Sliwa, you shut him down. Not even at the minute mark. Not giving him a chance.”
LoBaido, a longtime supporter of Sliwa and a fixture in New York’s conservative circles, accused the debate hosts of stacking the deck against the Republican candidate, saying Sliwa was “the only man speaking the truth and how to save this city.” He framed the incident as part of a larger media bias against anti-establishment voices. “What happened last night was a travesty of what these four typical mainstream media people did to Curtis Sliwa,” he said. “Disgusting.”
Anger at the media and fellow voters
Beyond the moderators, LoBaido directed much of his outrage at New York voters who, in his view, were too quick to dismiss Sliwa. “You make me sick,” he said. “I’m not really pissed at the media — I’m pissed at you people who are going to fall for it. Did you not hear what Curtis Sliwa said with the time he had? You people need to wake up.”
He accused voters of being fooled by political polish and smooth talking, saying Cuomo and Mamdani relied on “fancy foot political words” and that voters were being tricked by style over substance. “He’s a magician,” LoBaido said of Cuomo.
“He’s a bullshitter. His fancy political words, he’s experienced with that. And this little guy — he’s a smart kid. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be a good mayor.”
“I’m fighting to the end with Curtis Sliwa”
Throughout the nearly three-minute video, LoBaido framed his anger as rooted in loyalty — to Sliwa, to the city, and to what he called “real New Yorkers.” He said he was done arguing with people who doubted Sliwa’s campaign, vowing instead to stand firm in his support.
“When I see you face to face and you give me this, ‘I don’t know about Curtis, maybe,’ I’m just going to look at you as who you are — the person, the New Yorker beneath me,” he said. “My father didn’t raise no quitter. You know me, people. I fight New Yorker. I’m a patriot and American, and that’s what we do.”
LoBaido ended his message with a promise to stay with Sliwa’s campaign to the finish line, declaring, “I am fighting to the end with Curtis Sliwa, because when it comes down to it, Curtis will wipe the floor with them.”
A heated race and rising rhetoric
The outburst follows a debate that featured sharp exchanges and tense moments between Cuomo, Mamdani, and Sliwa as they clashed over crime, policing, and the city’s financial struggles. Observers noted repeated interruptions and uneven time enforcement throughout the night, fueling claims from Sliwa’s supporters that moderators cut his answers short.
Sliwa’s campaign has not commented on LoBaido’s remarks, but his supporters have rallied behind the artist’s message, sharing the video widely across social media platforms. Critics, however, have condemned the tone and language of LoBaido’s comments, calling them inflammatory and inappropriate.
LoBaido, a self-styled voice for “real New Yorkers,” has built a reputation for mixing art, politics, and activism, often using dramatic public gestures to make his point. His latest comments reinforce the tension coursing through a mayoral race already marked by accusations of bias, media manipulation, and growing polarization among city voters.
