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Politico
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Hot in Herre
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Good gracious, this race is bodacious. With temperatures predicted to hit 100 degrees on Primary Day, mayoral front-runner Andrew Cuomo is anxious to get his voters into polling sites — and demanding better preparation from city officials for the heat wave, POLITICO reports. The Board of Election's heat plan is 'insufficient' and 'unacceptable,' with not every poll site being air conditioned, his campaign complained Thursday. The BOE insists it's prepared with fans and water — and that no voter will have to wait in a long line, since there's more than enough bandwidth. The former governor has reason to be concerned about Tuesday turnout: His anticipated victory relies upon robust support from older voters, who are more susceptible to dangerous heat conditions. And polling showed more of his supporters planned to vote on election day, while Zohran Mamdani nabs a greater share of early voters. Mamdani supporters are hopeful the heat will hurt Cuomo. 'Praying to God it's a temperature only people under 45 can withstand,' leftist podcast host Stylianos Karoldis joked on X. But who knows? Mamdani's campaign isn't ready to draw conclusions. And Cuomo is pushing supporters to vote early — still open today through Sunday — when it'll be toasty, but not yet miserable. More than 212,000 already have in NYC. Candidates kept it hot Thursday, as Cuomo homed in on Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and Mamdani blasted the millions of dollars Michael Bloomberg has poured into a pro-Cuomo super PAC. Both rivals name-checked the billionaire former mayor, who has contributed $8.3 million to the pro-Cuomo PAC in an effort to blunt Mamdani's momentum. Mamdani slammed the spending as an affront to democracy. Cuomo praised Bloomberg for taking a stand, POLITICO reports. Mamdani and Brad Lander both voted Tuesday. But in a rare instance, the city comptroller publicly disagreed with the assemblymember he's cross-endorsed. 'I don't like the phrase 'globalize the intifada,'' Lander, who is Jewish, told reporters.'Some people, when they say it, they might mean 'fight for the rights of Palestinians,' but I'll tell you, all I can hear is 'open season on Jews.'' Mamdani said the words 'have different meanings for many different people.' He repeated his vow to combat antisemitism and said he opposes language that incites violence. The Muslim candidate was targeted in a potential hate crime this week, the Daily News reported, when somebody left a voicemail to blow up his car. That led Lander to line up behind Mamdani. First in Playbook, he's calling on pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City to stop airing 'the hateful, divisive ads that falsely smear Mamdani,' his campaign said, blaming a TV ad calling Mamdani 'risky' and a 'radical' for the threats on his opponent's life. Adrienne Adams voted Thursday too, but the mayoral candidate declined to say who else she ranked, Her secrecy stands in contrast to the recent — albeit late — cross endorsements candidates and top surrogates are making to blunt Cuomo's rise, POLITICO reports. Adams' aides even prepared a statement asserting her support for the Working Families Party's slate — but internal disagreements blocked it from being released. 'I still believe in the secrecy of the ballot,' Adams said by way of explanation. 'I voted for me and my community.' — Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo, Joe Anuta, Cris Seda Chabrier, Jason Beeferman and Sally Goldenberg HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Erie County, leading a virtual briefing on extreme heat forecasts and delivers remarks at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens groundbreaking. WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I was en route to the Crane Club. Crime is down, nightlife is back, and the $30 billion industry is helping to rebuild the economy @AndrewCuomo tanked with his failed policies like bail reform. Eric Adams: Delivers. Never quits.' — Mayor Eric Adams, on X to top Cuomo adviser Melissa DeRosa, who asked what private club he'd been tweeting from at midnight, amid a war of words that could preview the general election. ABOVE THE FOLD REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE: The unexpected developments in the mayoral primary — not to mention the looming shadow of President Donald Trump's declared war on his hometown — have captivated the nation as much as it has the city itself. To reckon with the crowded primary's still-evolving state of play, POLITICO's Michael Gartland, Nick Reisman, Sally Goldenberg and Jeff Coltin sat down Wednesday for a crackling conversation. Gartland: The race is viewed primarily as a two-person contest at this point, but there are several other candidates. Lander has shown signs of life in the last few days. Is a last minute surge from him possible given what the polling shows at this point? Reisman: If there are any swing voters on the Democratic side, it's the people who will vote for Brad Lander as their No. 1 but are not inclined to rank Mamdani. Goldenberg: Cuomo has also shown strength in those areas. We did a story where he's even being ranked third in Park Slope — a very lefty section of New York City. But I do wonder about those early voting numbers and the weather next Tuesday. Reisman: Lander seems to have eaten his Wheaties lately. He put in a strong second debate performance and his ICE arrest stepped on the Bernie Sanders headline Mamdani was hoping for on Tuesday. Coltin: I agree, Nick. With every poll coming out, we've been looking to see where the votes that initially went to Lander get redistributed in ranked-choice voting. And a lot of people backing Lander (and Adrienne Adams, and everyone else) still plan to rank Cuomo on their ballot over Mamdani. Goldenberg: It's late for Lander to change the shape of the race though. He's polling a very distant third. Lander's best hope is a robust use of ranked-choice voting — something that the candidates and the left have resisted, confoundingly, throughout this race. They've shown no real RCV strategy — something that would probably help a Lander. Read more as we discuss youth versus experience, why New Yorkers seem to discount Cuomo's well-documented misdeeds, the role of allegations of antisemitism. CITY HALL: THE LATEST MAMDANI'S PRESIDENTIAL PICK: Mamdani harshly criticized Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2024 election, but never used his platform as an assemblymember and mayoral candidate with a big social media following to promote Kamala Harris — a notable difference from his fellow contenders in the Democratic mayoral primary. 'I proudly voted for Kamala Harris on the Working Families Party line,' Mamdani said Tuesday, when asked why he didn't endorse the Democratic nominee. He insisted his focus was on races poised to be close in New York, as well as Proposition One, known as the equal rights amendment. Months earlier, Mamdani actively promoted the Uncommitted Movement and the Leave it Blank campaign, which urged voters to cast an empty ballot in the Democratic primary to protest Joe Biden's support for Israel in the country's war with Hamas. In the days leading up to the election, Mamdani protested Trump's Madison Square Garden rally, calling it 'fascist.' Cuomo posted early on X on Election Day encouraging a vote for Harris and praised her months earlier while speaking at a Brooklyn church. Lander was also quick to endorse and fundraise for Harris when Biden dropped out and encouraged his supporters to vote for her. — Jeff Coltin and Amira McKee CUOMO 'NOT FOR US': First in Playbook, mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie is aiming to hurt Cuomo's standing with Black voters, running an attack ad saying Cuomo was 'bad for us as governor. Wrong for us for mayor.' Starting Thursday on Juneteenth, Myrie's campaign is spending more than $100,000 airing the ad on stations targeting a Black audience, including Hot 97, Power 105.1 and WBLS. 'Before you vote for mayor, take 60 seconds and think about what Andrew Cuomo actually did in 11 years as governor before he resigned in disgrace,' a voice actor says. Cuomo 'cut hundreds of millions from the MTA,' 'slashed funding for supportive housing' and 'forced the mentally ill on our streets and subways,' among other criticisms. The ad doesn't even mention Myrie until the state senator's voice, at the very end, says it was paid for by his campaign. Myrie doesn't have a shot at victory, but has urged New Yorkers to not rank Cuomo. The former governor is relying on support from Black voters to win. A Marist College poll conducted last week showed he's the first choice of nearly half of Black voters. — Jeff Coltin FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Manhattan borough president candidates Keith Powers and Calvin Sun are cross-endorsing each other in an effort to weaken Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Powers, a City Council member, and Sun, an emergency room physician, said they see it as a step toward ensuring a 'pro-housing candidate.' Each will encourage supporters of the other to rank them second on their ballots in the city's ranked-choice voting primary. 'We cannot afford to have a Borough President unwilling to address the housing crisis that all New Yorkers agree must be urgently fixed,' Powers said in a statement. 'Calvin shares my ambitious approach to expanding housing.' Powers, Sun and Hoylman-Sigal, a state senator, are the only three candidates on the Democratic ballot. The agreement by Powers and Sun echoes the ones made in the mayoral race by Mamdani and Lander and Mamdani and Michael Blake. A spokesperson for Hoylman-Sigal, who's endorsed by state Attorney General Letitia James and three former Manhattan beeps including Gale Brewer, declined to comment. — Emily Ngo BILL BITES BACK: Former Mayor Bill de Blasio laced into a befuddling New York Times opinion piece that lamented the mayoral field, cast second-place candidate Zohran Mamdani as unfit for the ballot and went on a gratuitous detour lacing into the former mayor. 'These guys don't know what the hell they're talking about,' de Blasio said during a recent interview with NY1's Errol Louis. 'I am so sick of the elitism and the out-of-touch reality of the Times. What city are they living in?' The piece appeared to offer qualified praise of Cuomo and Lander and reserved harsh judgement for de Blasio, who allowed disorder to fester and the city's school system to sour, per the piece. 'Much worse than what they said about me is they are basically saying: 'Vote for the corrupt guy, Andrew Cuomo. Vote for the guy who we said was corrupt and should resign because he's more status quo. He's more reliable,'' de Blasio said while noting crime went down and test scores up during his two terms as mayor. 'Yes, he's more reliably corrupt.' The former mayor accused Cuomo of starving the city of housing and homelessness resources during their acrimonious shared tenure and praised the candidacies of Mamdani, Lander and Adrienne Adams. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi responded by bringing up de Blasio's campaign finance troubles, the early animosity between police officers and City Hall and a dramatic rise in homelessness. 'Mayor Bloomberg handed De Blasio a strong, healthy and functioning government that he neglected into the ground and New Yorkers know Andrew Cuomo has the management experience and the real record of results to fix what's broken after 12 long years and get the city back on the right track,' Azzopardi said. — Joe Anuta More from the city: — Mamdani has embraced his immigrant identity and has loudly proclaimed his Muslim faith, rather than downplaying it. (Gothamist) — The Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter is set to close Tuesday – three years after it opened and quickly became a symbol of the city's migrant crisis in the heart of Manhattan. (New York Post) — Former Gov. George Pataki thinks long-shot GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa could pull off an upset. (New York Post) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY SUNLIGHT FOR DARK CASH: A Democratic state lawmaker wants expanded disclosure for state-level super PACs. State Sen. Pat Fahy on Wednesday proposed new regulations for super PACs that would require them to put the name of their top three donors on mailers and TV ads. 'This is a matter of transparency and fairness,' Fahy said. 'Voters have a right to know who's trying to influence their decisions and elections in New York State. If powerful interests are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in dark money to sway an election, that should be front and center for all New York State voters.' Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited sums of money, will likely take on a greater role in New York campaigns as a statewide system of public financing takes effect. That system, modeled after New York City's decades-old program, will match low-dollar contributions with public money. A super PAC, which cannot coordinate with a candidate, would play an outsized role in a system where caps on donations have been significantly lowered. — Nick Reisman LOVETT TO HOCHUL: Former Daily News and New York Post scribe Ken Lovett is joining the Hochul administration. Lovett, a former Eichor Strategies consultant, will serve as a senior communications advisor for energy and environment — a crucial issue area for Hochul ahead of her re-election bid. The governor has discussed energy projects with President Donald Trump, conversations that have included a controversial pipeline and wind energy efforts. Lovett, a former senior advisor at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will serve as a direct advisor to Hochul and Communications Director Anthony Hogrebe. 'Nobody knows state government better than Ken Lovett, and we're thrilled to have his experience and expertise as we continue to bring Governor Hochul's message to New Yorkers.' — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Gov. Kathy Hochul says she has little interest in Mamdani's tax-the-rich proposal. (New York Post) — A moratorium on using sewage sludge on farmland did not get a vote in the state Assembly. (Spectrum News) — Among the things that did get done in the final session days include renaming state agency buildings. (POLITICO Pro) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION ANOTHER SCARY INCIDENT: Ohio House Republican Max Miller said he was 'run off the road' Thursday by a man with a Palestinian flag in the latest instance of violence against an elected official. House leaders, including the chamber's top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, quickly condemned the incident in the strongest terms. 'The rise in political violence in this country is unacceptable,' Jeffries said in a statement with Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. 'This is a moment of crisis that requires Congress to act decisively in order to ensure the safety of every single Member who serves in the People's House.' The threat to Miller comes after Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed and Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were critically injured. Congressional lawmakers have been grappling with how to ensure their physical safety as being a politician in the public eye becomes increasingly dangerous. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Assemblymember Robert Smullen is interested in running for Rep. Elise Stefanik's seat. (Times Union) — Rep. Mike Lawler breaks with Trump administration on the shutdown of a LGBTQ+ suicide hotline. (NOTUS) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has a bill meant to combat food deserts. (Spectrum News) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Hochul is under pressure to collect millions in Atlantic Yards penalties. (Gothamist) — New York's highest court upheld Kingston's rent control policies. (City & State) — The Catskills are … underrated?! (LoHud) SOCIAL DATA WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Nicole (Ginis) Del Beccaro, a producer at Newsmax, and Thomas G. Del Beccaro, an author, historian and political commentator, on Monday welcomed Thomas Lucca Del Beccaro, who came in at 8 lbs. 12 oz and 19 1/2 inches. Pic — Christopher Edgar, a consultant at Alpha Alternatives, and Mary Claire Brunelli, an English teacher at the Hotchkiss School, on June 12th welcomed Catherine Grace. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson … POLITICO's Josh Gerstein … the NFL's Morgan Rubin … Godfre Bayalama of Zellnor Myrie's office .. Avi Duvdevani … former Assemblymember Joan Millman … DOP's Christelle Onwu … HPD's Dave Seliger … Ronette Cox … Steven Skyles-Mulligan … Adrienne Elrod … CNN's Janie Boschma … Victoria Grace … Olivia Ruth Messer … Tom Tripicco … (WAS THURSDAY): State Sens. Jose M. Serrano and Jack Martins … Assemblymember Clyde Vanel … Gateway's Stephen Sigmund … ESD's Emily Mijatovic … Reuters' Jeff Mason … Anne Gearan … Treasury's Rebecca Karabus … Melissa Cooke … former SEC Chair Mary Schapiro (7-0) … Axios' Alex Isenstadt … Christina Ruffini … Marcus Brauchli Missed Wednesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politico
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Divergent focuses for Cuomo, Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race's final sprint
NEW YORK — The final, frenzied sprint in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor featured Andrew Cuomo homing in on Zohran Mamdani's refusal to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada' and Mamdani blasting the millions of dollars Michael Bloomberg has poured into a pro-Cuomo super PAC. In campaign stops Thursday, the rivals both name-checked the billionaire former mayor, who has contributed $8.3 million to the pro-Cuomo PAC in an effort to blunt Mamdani's momentum. Mamdani slammed the spending as an affront to democracy. Cuomo praised Bloomberg for taking a stand. 'Michael Bloomberg has sought to buy elections before. He spent an unbelievable amount of money when he ran for president,' Mamdani told reporters at an Astoria, Queens, bar. 'It's to fulfill the vision that he shared with New Yorkers many years ago: that this city should be a luxury product. And what we want this city to be is a city for working- and middle-class people.' Cuomo acknowledged Bloomberg's endorsement but devoted more pointed attention to Mamdani's recent remarks about the 'globalize the intifada' phrase, which many Jews view as a call to violence against them. Mamdani is not being criticized for using the phrase, but for his response when asked to opine on it. 'He happens to be a billionaire. Good for him. He also happens to have been a highly successful mayor of New York City,' Cuomo said of Bloomberg during a campaign stop in the Co-op City section of the Bronx. 'Mr. Bloomberg is also concerned, as are many Jewish New Yorkers, about statements that Mr. Mamdani has made. You know, when you say 'globalize the intifada,' that is basically repugnant to the Jewish community and is basically inciting violence.' With the June 24 primary just around the corner and early voting already underway, several candidates for the Democratic nomination crisscrossed the city on the Juneteenth holiday. Brad Lander, a third candidate who enjoyed a recent breakthrough with his arrest by federal immigration officials, continued his push to stay in the conversation. But he stepped gingerly into the 'intifada' debate, trying to inject nuance into the flashpoint topic. 'I don't like the phrase 'globalize the intifada,'' Lander, who is Jewish, told reporters after voting in Park Slope, Brooklyn. 'Some people, when they say it, they might mean 'fight for the rights of Palestinians,' but I'll tell you, all I can hear is 'open season on Jews.'' Lander, the city comptroller who has cross-endorsed with Mamdani under the city's ranked-choice voting system, also defended the democratic socialist. 'We do not agree on everything about Israel and Palestine, but I do believe that he will protect Jewish New Yorkers and our rights,' he said. 'And I was proud to rank him second.' Mamdani, a critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, was asked this week if the phrase, which has become a rallying cry for some pro-Palestinian protesters, made him uncomfortable. He did not condemn or reject it and was asked again about it Thursday. 'These words have different meanings for many different people,' Mamdani said, repeating his vow to combat antisemitism. 'I've been clear that any incitement to violence is something that I'm in opposition to, and that the use of any language to that end is clearly something that I oppose.' In recent days, Mamdani has also discussed threats he's faced over the course of his campaign, often for being Muslim. On Thursday, his campaign released a statement saying the NYPD is investigating a car bomb threat against him. In the statement, Mamdani said the threat 'is not surprising after millions of dollars have been spent on dehumanizing, Islamophobic rhetoric designed to stoke division and hate.' Recent polls put Mamdani, a state lawmaker, in second place behind Cuomo. Lander has placed third in recent polling. Mamdani said his surge just behind Cuomo is what's motivating Bloomberg's largesse — and that it highlights Cuomo's alignment with the wealthy. He also pointed to the NYPD's post-9/11 surveillance of Muslims under Bloomberg, including at mosques and schools. 'I am very critical of their limited vision as to who belongs in New York City and who is worthy of support and who is worthy of suspicion,' he said. While Cuomo and the super PAC backing him have focused many of their attacks on Mamdani's views around Israel, Cuomo has also called into question his experience. Mamdani, who's 33, has rebutted those broadsides by pointing to Cuomo's own record, including sexual harassment allegations that the former governor has denied and his handling of Covid. Cuomo continued to hammer away at Mamdani's relatively light resume Thursday. 'Mayor of New York, you need to have experience, you need to have credentials,' he said. 'You need to have had a job where you managed something before, right?'
Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
NYC mayoral primary: 1 week to go
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier More than 66,000 New Yorkers flocked to early voting sites over the weekend, as the Democratic mayoral primary is being framed as a race with national implications. To a raucous Zohran Mamdani rally attended by more than 2,500 people, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the race was about generational change, POLITICO reported Saturday night. 'In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,' she said. And forget Cuomo's claim he's the best to stand up to the president. 'We can never get past Donald Trump if we continue to elect the same people and make the same decisions that got us here in the first place,' AOC said. The former governor countered that experience matters more than ideology, that he represents 'capacity and competence and accomplishment, and that's what the Democratic Party needs.' 'Less words, less rhetoric, less theory, more accomplishment, more improvement in people's lives,' he told Playbook after speaking at a church service in Jamaica, Queens Sunday. 'My main opponent,' he told churchgoers, 'never had a real job.' Cuomo's face blocks Trump's like a partial solar eclipse on a new flyer his volunteers were handing out at a poll site Sunday. 'Donald Trump is at the gates,' it reads. 'We need someone experienced to slam it shut.' An image of soldiers policing protests in L.A. is on the reverse. That message of toughness has become a defining feature of the campaign — and in this Trump era, it's not just Cuomo presenting himself as a brawler, POLITICO reports today in a piece on all the tough-guy talk infiltrating this election season. Another image of Cuomo in front of Trump is featured in a new mailer from a pro-Mamdani super PAC, which is reminding voters that the president and the candidate share some of the same backers. That PAC, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, is spending a relatively meager $500,000 on mail and promoting a digital ad slamming Cuomo on sexual harassment and sharing Trump donors, while contrasting that with Mamdani's AOC endorsement. That message was heard at a No Kings march in Manhattan Saturday. While Trump was the focus nationally, Mamdani, mayoral candidate Brad Lander and their supporters made it 'No Kings, No Cuomo, No ICE.' It stuck — Playbook heard a 'Don't Rank Cuomo' chant from the marchers on Fifth Avenue. The next day in Queens, Assemblymember David Weprin — a Cuomo backer — hosted an anti-Mamdani event where he said his colleague was 'unready to handle the second hardest job in America' and his 'rhetoric and policies are divisive and dangerous. Weprin's press conference, though, lacked the discernible energy of the anti-Cuomo movement. The anti-Mamdani message is loud, clear and frequent on television and in mailboxes, with the pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City spending more than $5 million on a TV ad decrying the democratic socialist for wanting to defund the police, POLITICO reported over the weekend. And the New York Post Editorial Board, loath to endorse Cuomo, instead settled this weekend for a non-endorsement of Mamdani. New polling expected early this week from Marist College will show whether Cuomo has maintained his dominant position as Mamdani appears to surge ahead of the June 24 primary. The other contenders, meanwhile, are defining themselves as alternatives to the two divisive candidates leading the polls. 'We don't have to settle,' Scott Stringer told a voter at an Upper West Side farmers market Sunday. 'I think I combine the best of those two candidates.' Lander is feeling great, after a pseudo-endorsement from a panel of experts convened by The New York Times' opinion section on Thursday morning, a pugnacious debate performance Thursday night and a high-profile cross-endorsement with Mamdani Friday. It's 'Landemonium' to his staffers. To Lander, who spoke to Playbook at the same farmers market Sunday, 'it has felt like people haven't been paying that much attention to this election. And now, people are paying attention. And for me, just at the right time.' — Jeff Coltin IT'S MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Boston meeting with northeastern governors and Canadian premiers. She will also participate in a discussion with Anne Finucane. WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more of our communities.' — American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in her letter to Chair Ken Martin resigning from the Democratic National Committee. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The heralded Hotel and Gaming Trades Council's get-out-the-vote operation is cranking up on Cuomo's behalf — offering a not-so-secret weapon for the frontrunning mayoral candidate as the race tightens in its final week. The union, which endorsed Cuomo in April, is spending about $900,000 on its field operation to turn out voters with direct mail and a fleet of LED billboard trucks operating eight hours a day until the Democratic primary. Civically-engaged neighborhoods are being targeted, such as Canarsie, Flatbush and East New York in Brooklyn; South Jamaica and Corona in Queens; Norwood, Soundview and Wakefield in the Bronx; and Washington Heights and East Harlem in Manhattan, a union spokesperson told Playbook. The GOTV work began in earnest this weekend, as early voting got underway. HTC represents about 40,000 workers. Though far from the city's largest union, it often punches above its weight in political influence — helped in no small part by its voter turnout efforts each election cycle. 'We don't approach turning out votes as a passive exercise but rather a full court press until the final buzzer goes off and Andrew Cuomo and other HTC-endorsed candidates go on to victory,' union spokesperson Austin Shafran said. HTC is pouring $2.5 million into mostly New York City Democratic primary races, including $1 million for Cuomo alone, in its push to remain a major player in city elections. It's also involved in City Council races, in which spending and field operations will support the down-ballot candidates. Among its allies is Councilmember Julie Menin — who carried a union-backed bill to require hotel owners to obtain operating licenses and restrict subcontractors — is considering a run for speaker. The union bolstered Corey Johnson to the speakership in 2017, but backed an unsuccessful rival to Adrienne Adams four years later, in alignment with Mayor Eric Adams. — Nick Reisman CITY HALL: THE LATEST DINING OUT ON THE STATE ACCOUNT: Some of the same lobbyists and donors who've given to City Council Member Justin Brannan's campaign account for city comptroller also contributed to his unspecified state fundraising account — which he used to dine out at Gargiulo's, Serafina and Michael's of Brooklyn. People doing business with the city, like lobbyists, can only give up to $400 to comptroller candidates. But at least 10 registered lobbyists who have donated the max or close to it to Brannan's comptroller campaign already gave to his state account in 2024, effectively taking advantage of a legal loophole to double dip. That was the case for real estate developer Demetrios Moragianis. Those contributions all came before Brannan launched his comptroller campaign in August. But he continued to spend from the state account even after setting a run for the city office — making political contributions to the Bronx Dems and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, paying a campaign consultant, buying tickets and hotel rooms for the Somos conference in Puerto Rico and covering the tab at political meetings at restaurants. Candidates aren't allowed to use state committees to help a city campaign — as New York Focus reported, regarding City Council Member Rafael Salamanca — but Brannan campaign spokesperson Alyssa Cass said that wasn't the case here. Brannan was keeping his options open for a run for district leader or another office before he settled on comptroller and all the spending was related to that, she said. 'Councilman Brannan is independent, unbought and unbossed. This kind of inside-baseball nonsense isn't what matters to New Yorkers struggling to get by in the richest city in the world,' Cass said in a statement. 'Voters will support Justin because of his record and his vision for what he'll do as City Comptroller—not because he's followed standard, legal fundraising practices for political committees.' — Jeff Coltin BUS MONEY: First in Playbook, Brannan's comptroller campaign is also getting a boost from the Transport Workers Union, which is spending more than $250,000 organizing its members to get out and vote for him — including a TWU for Justin Brannan website. The union, which has 70,000 members in the city including retirees, endorsed Brannan back in February. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Eric Adams, who readily promotes his opposition to antisemitism, hosted antisemitic, misogynistic influencer Sneako at Gracie Mansion. (New York Post) — A state judge indefinitely barred Eric Adams' office from allowing ICE from reopening an office on Rikers Island. (THE CITY) — Donald Trump Jr. endorsed City Council Member Inna Vernikov in a campaign video as she faces former Council Member Ari Kagan in a nasty Republican primary. (New York Post) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY CAPITOL PROTECTION: The shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers — in one case fatal — is spurring New York officials to beef up security around the Capitol building. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office told Playbook Sunday that while there are 'no known credible threats' the governor and State Police will have an increased presence at the Capitol. 'The State Police, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and our local law enforcement partners continue the heightened attention to the unprecedented levels of and rise in threats to government officials over the last couple of years,' spokesperson Jess D'Amelia said. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Saturday said he had spoken with Hochul about boosting the law enforcement presence around the statehouse after former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman's assassination and state Sen. John Hoffman was wounded. Hortman's husband was also killed; Hoffman's wife was wounded. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the shootings 'politically motivated.' Visitors to the state Capitol are already subject to airport-style screenings before entering. Balancing security and public access to the building — which often serves as a backdrop for boisterous protests and rallies — has been a challenge as random acts of political violence in a polarized country have been on the rise. Fearing attacks on state houses around the country following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, New York officials temporarily cut off vehicle access to State Street. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Adrienne Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards are on Hochul's short list for lieutenant governor. (New York Post) — There are more calls for Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado to resign as he challenges Hochul for the Democratic nomination. (Times Union) — The fate of major environmental bills is in the hands of Assembly Democrats. (POLITICO Pro) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats are split over the response to Israel's Iran attack. (Axios) — Democratic Rep. John Mannion explained why he lashed out at Republican Rep. Mike Lawler on the House floor. (WSYR) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pressing to restore student mental health funding. (WBNG) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — A public defender was charged with smuggling THC-laced paper into Rikers. (New York Times) — A bill meant to strengthen law enforcement mental health is heading to Hochul's desk. (Newsday) — Cannabis license applicants are frustrated by the slow approval process. (Buffalo News) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES – Jesse Binnall and former Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) have launched King Street Solutions, a boutique government affairs firm. Binnall currently is a partner at Binnall Law Group. IN MEMORIAM: Leonard A. Lauder, Philanthropist and Cosmetics Heir, Dies at 92 (The New York Times) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymembers Al Stirpe and Stephen Hawley … AIPAC's Allegra Scheinblum … J.C. Polanco … Con Edison's Jamie McShane … Anthony Thomas. Missed Friday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Down the homestretch, Cuomo's allies unleash millions to topple New York City mayoral rival
NEW YORK — With early voting underway in the New York City mayoral primary and polls showing a tightening race, Andrew Cuomo and his allies are beefing up their attacks on his top rival — most recently with a $5.4 million negative TV ad, according to a new campaign filing. And Saturday morning, Al Sharpton voiced support for the former governor and derided top rival Zohran Mamdani's decision to cross-endorse a white man but not a Black woman in the crowded race, which will be determined by ranked-choice voting. The latest developments underscore the heated fight to the finish between the oldest and youngest candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to oust Mayor Eric Adams. A pro-Cuomo super PAC — funded in part by donors to President Donald Trump and buoyed by $5 million from Mike Bloomberg this week — spent the seven-figure sum lambasting Mamdani, according to records the New York City Campaign Finance Board released Friday night. The new broadcast spot paints the 33-year-old democratic socialist as too radical and inexperienced to assume the complicated job of running the nation's largest city. 'I was quite open to what would be considered being a radical from a very young age,' Mamdani is shown saying in a 2020 interview, before a narrator suggests the mayoral hopeful wants to move homeless New Yorkers into the city's subway stations. 'That's cruel to the homeless and dangerous for us,' the narrator warns. In an interview with WNYC in May, Mamdani proposed using vacant retail space in subway stations as homeless outreach and service hubs. The persistence of homeless people with presumed mental illness sleeping on city subways has rattled commuters and spurred candidates to delineate plans to tackle the problem. 'It's about getting people out of the subway system, not bringing them into the subway system,' spokesperson Andrew Epstein said in response to the ad. 'To have medical professionals stationed around the system is going to make everyone's commute safer.' The narrator then says Mamdani promises to defund the police and notes the state legislator called for the NYPD to be dismantled in 2020. Mamdani pushed back against those claims in an interview Saturday. 'It's yet another example of lies that are funded by the Trump billionaires who are putting millions of dollars behind Andrew Cuomo's campaign,' he said. 'I've been clear time and time again, I am not defunding the police.' Mamdani did, in fact, tweet in favor of defunding police departments in 2020. Epstein also noted the ad shows several clips of Mamdani wearing a kurta, a common South Asian article of clothing, though the candidate usually dons a suit and tie on the campaign trail. 'There's nothing that should be scary about wearing a kurta,' Epstein said. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, has sported the garment in his own ads. Candidates are limited to spending around $8 million during the primary, but Cuomo is being boosted by the largest PAC ever to get involved in a New York City election. The anti-Mamdani ad came as Cuomo, Sharpton and other Black political leaders piled on Mamdani Saturday at Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem. Speaking to reporters, Cuomo criticized Mamdani's short legislative record. 'You want to drive a bus, you need to be trained to drive a bus. You want to operate a hot dog cart, you have to get a permit,' Cuomo said. 'Only mayor of New York, no experience necessary? … You can go from five employees and the next day we put you in the seat and you run 300,000? We've had inexperienced mayors before. They've failed.' Sharpton expressed support for the former governor while deriding Mamdani's decision to tell his supporters to rank candidate Brad Lander second, instead of City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. Lander and Mamdani cross endorsed Friday, in a nod to the relatively new ranked-choice voting system that allows New Yorkers to pick up to five candidates in order of preference. 'They say that Mamdani and Lander endorsed each other, so against the Black woman,' Sharpton said. 'Something about that politics ain't progressive to me.' A source with knowledge of discussion between the two camps said Mamdani had sought a cross endorsement with Adams over weeks of discussions. The state lawmaker also encouraged supporters to donate to her campaign ahead of a crucial fundraising deadline last month. No deal came of the talks. A person with knowledge of Adams' campaign strategy said the Council speaker has been courted by multiple candidates, but only recently began airing ads and is still finalizing her ranked-choice voting strategy. Meanwhile Mamdani dropped six figures on his own ad seeking to counter criticisms of his public safety platform. During his mayoral run, he has pledged to maintain NYPD's headcount. In the ad, Mamdani says he will create a Department of Community Safety that would take over responsibilities handled by officers, such as responding to mental health emergencies. The pro-Cuomo PAC has flooded the Democratic primary with $14.7 million, with no sign of abating. The super PAC, called Fix the City, reported raising $18.5 million in the latest filings with the Campaign Finance Board. 'Fix the City has and will continue to highlight why Andrew Cuomo is the mayor we need to ensure a safe and affordable city,' spokesperson Liz Benjamin said in a statement. 'We will also keep pointing out the records, positions, and deficiencies of other candidates who are intent on making the city less safe and less affordable.' Campaigns are prohibited from coordinating with the Super PACs supporting them. The city board fined Cuomo's campaign $756,994 for improperly coordinating with Fix the City over one of its broadcast ads. Jeff Coltin contributed reporting.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bloomberg pumps $5M into Cuomo's election efforts, as Jessica Ramos faces mounting debt
Mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo is rolling in cash after billionaire Michael Bloomberg on Friday pumped $5 million into efforts to get him elected — a record-shattering contribution that came in just as it also became clear Cuomo's unlikely new supporter, fellow candidate Jessica Ramos, is in deep debt. The drastically different financial outlooks for Cuomo and Ramos were contained in campaign finance filings released Friday on the eve of the start of early voting in the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary. The filings also portray how the sprawling primary field is starting to come into clearer view as the race enters its final stretch, with Cuomo on one end of the spectrum as the favorite to clinch the Democratic nomination, while Ramos is on the other, with nearly no shot at winning. Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York City mayor, who endorsed Cuomo earlier this week despite past tensions, sent his $5 million contribution to Fix the City, a pro-Cuomo super PAC that's spending heavily on ads, mailers and other messaging to promote the former governor's candidacy. A spokesman for Bloomberg, who has largely stayed away from endorsing mayoral candidates since leaving City Hall in 2013, declined to comment. Unlike Cuomo's campaign, the PAC isn't beholden to any spending or contribution limits, and with Bloomberg's contribution, it has now raised nearly $19 million, more than any independent expenditure in New York history, giving the ex-governor a financial edge that's all but impossible for his fellow candidates to compete with. One of those candidates, Ramos, is looking especially down for the count, with her latest campaign finance disclosure showing her nearly $100,000 in debt after raising only around $6,000 in the latest reporting window. The revelation about Ramos' mounting debt comes just days after she offered a shock endorsement of Cuomo, urging her supporters to put him second on their ranked-choice ballots. The endorsement outraged many Democrats, given that Ramos, a Queens state senator who considers herself a progressive, has been one of the ex-governor's harshest critics over the years, including leading calls for him to resign in 2021 over sexual misconduct and pandemic mismanagement accusations. Ramos has countered she's going with Cuomo because he's more well-equipped to lead the city at a time of various challenges than Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist Queens Assembly member who has consistently polled as the runner-up to the ex-gov. The filings from Ramos' campaign show her debt is, in part, made up of $25,000 in outstanding salary payments to her campaign manager, Trivette Knowles, dating back to April 1. She also owes several consultants tens of thousands of dollars. Knowles declined to immediately comment late Friday. Many in progressive circles have speculated Ramos opted to back Cuomo in hopes she can get help from his vast fundraising network to address her debt, though there's no indication from her new filings that something like that is afoot. Knowles declined to immediately comment on that question, too. In another sign of a thinning primary field, Michael Blake, another back-of-the-pack mayoral candidate, is also underwater, reporting being in the red by about $34,000 after raising only about $22,000 in the latest window. Meanwhile, Cuomo's campaign finance filing, which is separate from the super PAC, showed he drew in about $133,000 in the latest reporting stretch, which spanned from May 20 through this past Monday. With matching funds factored in, that means Cuomo's campaign has effectively now raised enough cash to reach the $7.9 million spending cap for the primary. Mamdani and the other leading progressive in the race, Comptroller Brad Lander, had already reached the spending cap prior to the latest filing, so their new disclosures show heavy spending on ads and mailers, but few donations rolling in. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, whose campaign has shown some signs of momentum, is not at the spending cap yet, and only raised about $63,109 in the latest window, a relatively paltry sum.
