Ophelia’s fate is on this year’s ballot.
New York voters are scratching their heads over a City Council candidate who described himself in an official election mailer as a “jealous Swiftie” who once “prayed to be Taylor Swift’s husband.”
The unusual campaign biography appears in the NYC Votes materials for the city’s only council race this year. Long-shot candidate Haris Bhatti is challenging Councilman Carl Wilson, a Democrat representing District 3, who took office earlier this year after winning a special election for the vacant seat.
The voter guide, mailed to residents of Manhattan’s West Side ahead of the Nov. 3 election, includes profiles written by both candidates. Bhatti’s biography includes an unexpected reference to his favorite pop star.
“I’m a jealous Swiftie who prayed to be Taylor Swift’s husband,” the final line of Bhatti’s profile states.
One surprised recipient turned to X to ask whether the unexpected mention of the “Bad Blood” singer was genuine.
“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 alongside a photo of Bhatti’s campaign biography.
Bhatti made no attempt to downplay his Swiftie fandom in an interview with The Post, saying the pop superstar helped inspire him to enter the race.
“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.
According to his campaign website, Bhatti’s platform includes proposals to ban smoking, vaping and gambling, as well as references to 9/11 conspiracy theories and a plan to “fix the student debt crisis.”
Still, it was his stated dream of marrying Swift — who is famously married to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce — that drew the most attention from voters.
RELATED: How William Chapman Got Into a Tiger Enclosure Before He Was Mauled
“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 wrote.
Bhatti, a Cornell University graduate who also ran for Congress in 2016, told The Post by email that he first sought to challenge Wilson in April’s special election. He was unable to collect the 450 signatures required to qualify.
He eventually gathered enough signatures to appear on the ballot in the general election under an independent party line.
Bhatti is the only City Council candidate challenging an incumbent in the 2026 general election. As a result, his contest is the sole council race featured in some voters’ mailers, which are part of the nonpartisan NYC Votes initiative 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 posted.
“Seems like a pretty easy choice,” another user replied.
Aaron Ghitelman, a press secretary for the Campaign Finance Board, confirmed that city, state and federal races appear in the agency’s 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 more than $15,000 for his campaign, which has a website listing 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.
