What to watch for this week in New York politics:
Thursday of this week will mark six weeks until the September 13 primary elections (the deadline to register to vote and be eligible for a party primary is August 19 (the deadline to change party enrollment to vote in a party primary has long passed)). Expect competitive primaries to continue to heat up.
It was a busy weekend of endorsement announcements as we head toward those primaries, especially in the most-contested races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and certain state Senate seats — all on the Democratic side (Republicans have very few primaries across the state, and none for the four statewide state-level positions).
Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams officially endorsed each other on Sunday. Each has been backed by the Working Families Party and a number of other groups and officials, but they had yet to make it official in announcing support for each other. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor are nominated separately in party primaries, then run as a ticket for the general election. Nixon and Williams are hoping to win their respective Democratic primary bids against Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
Nixon and Williams also received the endorsement this weekend of the New York City branch of the Democratic Socialists of America.
On Saturday, “Brooklyn women leaders” launched “Brooklyn Women For Cuomo” to endorse and support Cuomo for another term. The women leaders are Public Advocate Letitia James, State Senators Roxanne Persaud and Velmanette Montgomery , and Assemblymembers Latrice Walker, Jaime Williams, and Tremaine Wright, and former Assemblymember Annette Robinson. Cuomo also received endorsements this weekend from NYCHA tenant leaders in Queens and from “The National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund PAC, formerly NARAL NY,” which also endorsed Hochul.
Public Advocate Letitia James, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, was endorsed this weekend by Comptroller Scott Stringer and several elected officials from the Upper West Side.
And, City Council Member Carlina Rivera endorsed state Senate candidates Julia Salazar and Jessica Ramos.
More endorsements will be coming in this week, and there is other governmental and political business on the calendar — see our day-by-day rundown below. We’re also awaiting news regarding any special state legislative session in Albany to extend the city’s speed camera program, which has expired, regarding the naming of a federal monitor for NYCHA, regarding next steps in the NYPD trials of the two officers being brought up on departmental charges in the death of Eric Garner, regarding how the Uber-City Council fight will play out as the Council moves ahead with bills that Uber and other for-hire vehicle companies are opposing, and more.
***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday
At 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall, the City Council “Committee on Standards and Ethics will hold a meeting regarding Section 10.80 of the Council Rules.” This appears to be the next step after a prior initial meeting dealing with an allegation against City Council Member Ruben Diaz, Sr. that he improperly used his government email to send political messages.
On Monday at 11 a.m. outside City Hall, 10 of the City Council’s 11 female members will endorse Public Advocate Letitia James for Attorney General.
At 11 a.m. Monday, NYCHA interim chair Stanley Brezenoff and Health and Mental Hygiene Assistant Commissioner Javier Lopez will announce the launch of “Smoke-Free NYCHA” at the Jerome L. Greene Family Center in Chelsea. Per federal regulations, NYCHA is adopting the somewhat controversial no-smoking policy.
On Monday at 11 a.m. in Bushwick, “Revel Transit will hold a press conference to launch the first ever shared electric moped service in New York City…Revel Transit is a brand new, New York-based company that will initially provide users access to electric…
