With Election Day two days away, Curtis Sliwa says he's staying in the New York City mayor's race despite polling in third place and calls for him to drop out. 

The Republican nominee started his closing argument to voters Sunday on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer" and said why he thinks he's a better choice to lead the city than Democrat Zohran Mamdani or independent Andrew Cuomo.

"Thank god I'm not a professional politician"  

Sliwa has never held elected office, but he believes that works to his advantage, even when it comes to managing the city's $100 billion dollar budget.

"Thank god I'm not a professional politician. Look at what [Bill] de Blasio did, the professional politician. Cuomo, he had to flee Albany because of impeachment. Look at [Mayor] Eric Adams, he should be in jail," Sliwa said. "I will have men and women who are experts in the field, because I'm not all-knowing, omnipotent, and they will give me the guidance to make the right decision." 

Sliwa lost to Adams in the 2021 mayoral election, but he thinks he's the best choice this time around too. 

"I'm the only genuine New Yorker. Born here, they tried to kill me here, I'll die here, I'll be buried here. I've served the people for 46 years and I've asked nothing in return," he said. 

"The people are going to choose the next mayor, not the billionaires"

Sliwa has rejected calls to exit the race from prominent New Yorkers, including his former WABC radio boss billionaire John Catsimatidis, who believes Sliwa's presence will split moderate-to-conservative voters and propel Mamdani, a democratic socialist, into Gracie Mansion.

"The people are going to choose the next mayor, not the billionaires, not the insiders and not the influencers. They failed every step of the way," Sliwa said. 

One of Sliwa's major campaign promises is to hire 7,000 new NYPD officers. Cuomo promises 5,000 new police officers, while Mamdani says he intends to maintain the department's current staffing level.

"What's the chance thst people are going to want to join the police department with Zohran Mamdani in charge as mayor?" Sliwa said. "I go back to retention and recruitment. If the police are not ensured with qualified immunity, they're not gonna be joining. They need to be protected like all other civil servants." 

Adams, who endorsed Cuomo, on Friday announced over $300 million in funding to hire 5,000 new officers by 2028. The next mayor will ultimately decide if and how to spend the money.