Mayoral Election: Students Elect to Comment

Mostly underage and unable to vote, Stuyvesant students stood by and watched the 2021 election unfold.

What happened in New York? The usual blue wave. Surprising to nobody, Democrat Eric Adams won the race, beating red-beret clad Curtis Sliwa by a hefty margin.

Stuyvesant students (except for a few seniors) may not be able to vote yet, but they often have strong opinions from the dugout on what goes on on the field. Few were surprised by the results. “Honestly, the more important election happened over the summer when the Democratic party determined its running candidate who pretty much knew he had a monopoly over the system,” freshman Khush Wadhwa said.

Many students, including junior Ameer Alnasser, had a range of opinions on which candidate should have won. “Eric Adams winning was obviously the most ideal result out of the general election. However, he is definitely not representative of the NYC population. It’s a slap in the face to the progressive movement [...] Garcia and Wiley were significantly more in tune with the voting block,” he said.

Other students upheld more conservative convictions. “I am excited by the red wave that swept the nation, and I hope it continues on,” an anonymous junior commented. “I think that people are waking up to the terrible policies that have been enacted by this administration that are leading to grave economic problems, such as supply chain issues, extremely high inflation, and a huge worker shortage.”

Alnasser acknowledged and agreed with some of the ideas spread by other candidates. “I found myself agreeing with some of Curtis Silwa’s campaign ads because they pushed the message that Eric Adams is not representative of the NYC population, including talking about the fact he doesn’t really live in NYC, has 20 parking violations, and is in the pocket of corporate lobbyists, even though I think Curtis himself is unhinged,” he said.

Meanwhile, the anonymous student took the belief a step further: “[My parents] voted for Curtis Silwa, who is a candidate I also supported. My friends and extended family also supported Curtis Silwa.”

“I barely convinced [my parents] to vote in the summer party primaries and they didn’t really have strong takes besides the fact that they wanted DeBlasio out. Anyone else would suffice. My mom, a teacher at Bayside High where Adams graduated, was thrilled to give her students the opportunity to hear him speak at the school,” Wadhwa said.

Alnasser’s parents also did not vote in the regular election, but he noted that they did watch the debates and had an understanding of the candidates. “It’s just that Adams was the clear-cut winner,” he said.

Looking towards the future, the anonymous student added, “While I am definitely excited to see the shift towards the right with regard to elections, I think that Conservatives need to really reach liberal voters and remind them of the economic problems that the Democratic Party is bringing to this country. Attacking the left doesn't bring them to table and the best way is to explain to them why free-market economic policies produce the best outcome over time.”

“[We need to] vote as much as possible,” Wadhwa concluded. “If you have opinions, you need to vote, or else you just might as well not have opinions. We cannot suppress ourselves of a power we fought so [hard] for.”

Khush Wadhwa, Freshman

1. The recent mayoral election has a result that shocks absolutely no one. New York, being as of recent a primarily democratic city due to the lack of connection between it and previous republican governments since 2012, has no surprises to offer here. Honestly, the more important election happened over the summer when the democratic party determined its running candidate who pretty much knew he had a monopoly over the system.

2. The stuy results match the city. No surprise there, as most of us students are more involved in our community politics than ever before.

3. No opinion as of yet

4. My parents and family did not feel strongly about the election. I barely convinced them to vote in the summer party primaries and they didn’t really have strong takes besides the fact that they wanted DeBlasio out. Anyone else would suffice. My mom, a teacher at Bayside High where Adams graduated, was thrilled to give her students the opportunity to hear him speak at the school.

5. I would love to vote as much as possible. If you have opinions, you need to vote, or else you just might as well not have opinions. We cannot suppress ourselves of a power we fought so much for.

6. Nothing at all! Thanks so much for the questions

I think they were just fed up with his handling of the education system during the pandemic

Anonymous

1. I think that the elections went really well across the country. I am excited by the red wave that swept the nation and I hope it continues on. I think that people are waking up to the terrible policies that have been enacted by this administration that are leading to grave economic problems such as supply chain issues, extremely high inflation, and a huge worker shortage.

2)no comment cause I don’t really care about the stuy election tbh

3)It was expected considering a huge proportion of voters in NYC belong to a public union and they will support Eric Adams because he will allow them to get whatever they want such as a higher than average market salary and extremely generous benefits at the expense of the taxpayer

4. My parents did vote! They voted for Curtis Silwa who is a candidate that I also supported. My friends and extended family also supported Curtis Silwa.

5. Honestly it depends where I live. Voting for right leaning candidates in blue cities/states is pointless because your vote doesn't make a difference. I would definitely vote in swing cities/states thought

6. While I am definitely excited to see the shift towards the right with regard to elections I think that conservatives need to really reach liberal voters and remind them of the economic problems that the Democratic Party is bringing to this country. Attacking the left doesn't bring them to table and the best way is to explain to them why free-market economic policies produce the best outcome overtime

Ameer Alnasser, Junior

1. Eric Adams winning was obviously the most ideal result out of the general election. However, he is definitely not representative of the NYC population. NYC tends to be more progressive than many other places in the country, so when electing a former republican and a former cop, it's a slap in the face to the progressive movement when Garcia and Wiley were significantly more in tune with the voting block.

2. The stuy election went about as expected. Obviously, people messed around with their votes but Eric Adams getting 60% doesn't shock me, though Katherine Rojas (socialist candidate) getting nearly as many votes as Curtis Sliwa was pretty funny.

3. I’m very disappointed to see a former cop who is very conservative represent NYC.

4. They did not vote, but they watched the debate and were aware of the candidates. It's just that Adams was the clear-cut winner from since he dem, primary.

5. Yes I do hope so. With mail in ballots and election day being a federal holiday, I feel that voting is not a hassle at all and is definitely much more of a benefit.

6. I found myself agreeing with some of Curtis Sliwa's campaign ads because they pushed the message that Eric Adams is not representative of the NYC population, including talking about the fact he doesn’t really live in NYC, has 20 parking violations, and is in the pocket of corporate lobbyists, even though I think Curtis himself is unhinged.

Off-year and midterm elections tend to have dismal showings. In that respect, the 2021 mayoral election didn’t disappoint. In New York, less than 20 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots.