He was elected by all the locally based media conducting a counterfactual campaign of manufacturing a violent crime crisis and convincing the people of New York that only a cop or a vigilante could save them.

Given that it worked and Sliwa is an absolute maniac and a Republican in a New York election, the fascist cop (but I repeat myself) would have won regardless of the type of voting.

Hopefully the people of New York will be less credulous the next time the billionaire owned media tries to wag the dog, but I doubt it.