Republican Joe Lhota hopes New York city voters choose to continue the Republican rule of the city, warning of electing the wrong person, in his case a Democrat, in an interview with Jill Colvin, for DNAinfo.com. "All of the advancements that have happened in the city over the last 20 years — all of the quality-of-life changes, all of the increases in jobs — I believe are quite fragile," Lhota told DNAinfo.com.
The biggest risks, Lhota warned, involve the city's budget, which faces a multi-billion dollar deficit and expired contracts with municipal unions. "That is something that is very, very fragile," he warned, vowing not to raise taxes and to do more with less. "I'm not sure you're going to get the same type of response from anyone else running."
Hoping to appeal to the business community who are wary of a Democratic mayor returning to city Hall, Lhota said he believes his credentials are what it gives to lead the city. "As I observed and watched all of the candidates running for mayor, and knowing how important and how complex the city of New York is, I thought my background and my experience fit what's needed to bring New York City to its next level," he said.
Facing an uphill battle in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1, Lhota touted his "everyman" background — born in the Bronx, the son of a cop, the grandson of a firefighter and a New York City taxi driver.
"I don't buy into the political punditry that believes that New Yorkers vote based on party lines," he told the news site. "I believe New Yorkers are very independent. They will vote based on the person who will help them and help their city go to the next level. That's what this campaign's going to be about," he asserted.
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