It burns to write this, but: It’s time for Curtis Sliwa to face reality, and admit that the city’s best hope to avoid the disaster of a Zohran Mamdani mayoralty is for him to drop out of the race. –

Sliwa is absolutely right that it’s not his fault that New York is in this corner, but fault isn’t the issue here.

The simple fact is that the Republican nominee is far back in third place in every poll, with zero chance of winning.

Polls show Andrew Cuomo in spitting distance of Mamdani if Sliwa quits the race; if Curtis stays in and Andrew loses by a Sliwa-shaped hole, then he will be blamed.

BILL ACKMAN JUMPS INTO NYC MAYORAL FIGHT, SAYS SLIWA MUST DROP OR ‘WE ARE TOAST’

The New York Post is calling on Curtis Sliwa to exit the New York City mayoral race, suggesting his presence all but clears the path for avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani. (Fox News Digital/Getty)

Plenty of readers will erupt in fury at us, and we get it: No one will confuse this page, or The Post as a whole, for Cuomo fans.

That’s not the issue, either: In a dire situation, we’ve got to deal with the facts as they are, ugly as they are.

Moving forward, and with no disrespect to Curtis Sliwa: If the Republican Party wants to be a viable alternative to the Democrats for citywide office, it has to do better.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is currently polling second behind Mamdani. (Angelina Katsanis, Pool/AP Photo)

Sliwa has worked hard in this run, getting well-briefed on all the issues, showing up every day all over the city and even setting aside his proud red beret.

But he is an oddball, with a sometimes-shady past and zero experience relevant to running the behemoth that is city government — yet the GOP’s county bosses lined up firmly behind Sliwa.

NYC BILLIONAIRE CATSIMATIDIS CALLS ON CURTIS SLIWA TO DROP NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

If Cuomo loses by a “Sliwa-shaped hole,” it’ll be apparent who shoulders the blame for a Mamdani mayorship, the Post opines. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

If Republicans had come up with a more credible candidate, with a second line less eccentric than Protect Animals, we’d likely now be demanding that Cuomo drop right now.

But the fact remains that Mamdani is poised to win and do major, deadly damage to the lives of all New Yorkers: He must be stopped.

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It stinks, but for the sake of the city you love so deeply, Curtis, please swallow this bitter pill.