Fernando Mateo, left and Curtis Sliwa

With under 50 days until primary day, June 22, the race to become the next Mayor of New York City has been picking up steam, though far greater attention continues to be on the crowded and competitive Democratic primary, in large part because it is likely to choose the next mayor based on the party’s very heavy (nearly 8 to 1) voter enrollment advantage. But New York had two mayors elected as Republicans who led the city for five terms from 1994 through 2013, and there is a competitive GOP primary this year, open to the

Fernando Mateo (photo: Mateo campaign)

Fernando Mateo, a Republican running for Mayor in the 2021 election, joined MNN's "Decision NYC with Ben Max" for an in-depth discussion of his candidacy for the city's top job. This interview is part of a series ...

Curtis Sliwa (photo: @CurtisSliwa)

Curtis Sliwa, a Republican running for Mayor in the 2021 election, joined MNN's "Decision NYC with Ben Max" for an in-depth discussion of his candidacy for the city's top job. This interview is part of a series produced by Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Watch:

Bill Pepitone (photo: @PepitoneForNYC)

Bill Pepitone, a Republican running for Mayor in the 2021 election, joined MNN's "Decision NYC with Ben Max" for an in-depth discussion of his candidacy for the city's top job. This interview is part of a series produced by Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Watch:

City Hall (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayor's Office)

With just under six months to go until the June 2021 primary election, several Republicans have said they are exploring a run for mayor but just one has officially created a campaign committee. It remains uncertain if there will be a contested primary as the party and all the potential contenders are waiting to see whether billionaire mogul John Catsimatidis will jump into the race.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a two-term Democrat, cannot run for reelection because of term limits and a crowded, growing