Special presentation by Arlene Schlesinger on behalf of the Queens Village Republican Club to Curtis Sliwa at the QVRC Christmas Chanukah Party on Dec 4, 2025

We want to begin by thanking you….. for the brave and incredible way you put yourself out there, day after day, alongside Nancy, to save our city.

You never stopped showing up, you never stopped telling the truth, and you never stopped doing what was right.

You were more like the Energizer Bunny…… you kept going, and going, while the rest of us needed a nap just watching you.

Every day, you were out in the streets, bringing hope, humor, insight, and a lifetime of knowing this city better than anyone.

At every rally, you moved people,  not with scripts, but with heart.

Reporters interviewed New Yorkers afterward who said, “He’s right,  I had no idea who he was until today,” Thumbs up and thank you’s and you could see in their faces… they believed in you.They loved you!

And let’s be honest, in New York, getting strangers to agree on anything is a miracle. Getting them to agree on you? That’s practically divine intervention.

YOU Curtis, were the only voice who stood behind us during those Migrant Rallies! You gave us your voice, your passion, and your time. Arrested but resolute*

Then came the noise.

When someone rises the way you rose, it scares people, not just opponents, but sometimes even former allies.

Your momentum shook the political class.

Your voice broke the narrative. And judging by their reactions, and the rejection of the outcome a few folks downtown are still recovering.

But here’s what the media never understood: those New Yorkers who felt that spark never stopped believing in you.

They were simply told to be scared if they voted for you.

And the funniest part? The people warning them are a lot more scared of voters than voters ever were of you.

In a city dominated by Democrats, you took on a David and Goliath battle, and you didn’t walk away defeated. You walked away proven.

And let’s be honest, if anyone should have dropped out, it wasn’t you. It was Cuomo, a failed primary candidate who couldn’t even win his own comeback tour.

You stayed in the fight because you were fighting for New Yorkers.

And in the middle of that fight, you did something no one else had the courage to do: you put “Animal Welfare” on the ballot.Only you could get New Yorkers to talk about politics AND pigeons in the same sentence. You gave a voice to every creature in this city that has no voice*

Curtis, you were then, you are now, and you will always be one of the best candidates this city has ever had.

And through it all, Nancy stood by you…… steady, loyal, unshaken.

Every hero needs a partner, and you’re blessed with one who is fearless, loyal, and right beside you in every battle.

So tonight, on behalf of the Queens Village Republican Club and on behalf of everyone who still believes that angels walk among us…….we say:

Thank you, Curtis.

For your courage.

For your compassion.

For your inspiration.

And for reminding us that New York is worth fighting for.

Welcome home.

With respect, with pride, with gratitude

The Queens Village Republican Club