The fate of Ophelia is on this year’s ballot.
New Yorkers are puzzled over a City Council candidate who branded himself a “jealous Swiftie” who “prayed to be Taylor Swift’s husband” in an official Big Apple election mailer highlighting his platform.
The literature from NYC Votes features this year’s only council election — in which long shot candidate Haris Bhatti is challenging Councilman Carl Wilson (D-District 3)— who took office earlier this year during a special election for the open seat.
The voting guide mailed out to city dwellers features the two candidates in the November 3 race for District 3 on Manhattan’s West Side and their self-written political bios — including a bizarre aside from Bhatti about his favorite pop star.
“I’m a jealous Swiftie who prayed to be Taylor Swift’s husband,” the last line of Bhatti’s blurb reads.
One shocked mailer recipient took to X to see if the unexpected shout-out to the “Bad Blood” singer was actually real.
“Need everyone in New York to wake up and look at who they used as an example for the city council voting guide for the upcoming election because it’s insane,” one X user wrote with a photograph of Bhatti’s campaign bio.
Bhatti didn’t shy away from his Swiftie-dom in an interview with The Post – claiming the pop superstar inspired him to run in the first place.
“First I was trying to get the attention of a female celebrity I admire. Second, there are issues I want to make more main stream,” he said.
Bhatti’s other policy points range from banning smoking, vaping, and gambling to touting 9/11 conspiracy theories and “fixing the student debt crisis,” according to his website.
But it was his apparently dream of marrying Swift, who is famously married to Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce, that got voters talking.
“Yes, the Swiftie thing is hilarious, but banning tobacco?? Who is this person???? this must be a joke bc I literally think this collection of political preferences does not exist in a single person in the country,” another X user quipped.
Bhatti – a Cornell University graduate who also ran for Congress in 2016 – told The Post in an email that he initially tried to run against Wilson in April’s special election, but was unsuccessful in collecting the required 450 signatures.
He later got enough signatures to get on the ballot in the general election under an independent line.
Bhatti is the only council candidate challenging an incumbent in the 2026 general election – making it the only race some voters saw when they opened their mailers, which are part of the nonpartisan initiative NYC Votes created by the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
“Received an NYC Voter Guide for the General Election. Because this is an off-year for City Council elections, these are the only 2 candidates in my packet,” one X user noted.
“Seems like a pretty easy choice,” another user quipped back.
Aaron Ghitelman, a press secretary for the CFB confirmed city, state, and federal races appear on its websites digital voter guide.
“All candidates who appear on the ballot, regardless of how much money they raise, are eligible to participate in the Voter Guide and share their platform with New York City voters. The City Charter specifically requires a print guide to include all candidates who appear on the ballot for City races and Citywide Ballot Proposals,” Ghitelman said in a statement.
Bhatti has raised over $15,000 for his campaign – for which he has a website with 26 platform points, and a campaign manager
When asked why he would run against an incumbent who recently won the special election he said he was testing the waters and trying to gain political experience.
“We know it’s a longshot,” he said.
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