Tag: Jumaane Williams

As progressive reformers organized challenges to IDC-aligned senators in this years primaries, the group was disbanded. All eight state senators who had been associated with the IDC were challenged in Democratic primaries Thursday. The biggest victory for the challengers—and for the unions and grassroots activists with groups such as the Working Families Party and Citizen Action of New York that campaigned against the IDC-tied incumbents—was that of Alessandra Biaggi, who got a lot of street-level and social-media campaign help from Ocasio-Cortez for her challenge to a former IDC leader Jeffrey Klein. “There are five times as many Democrats as Republicans in District 34 and yet for seven years, my opponent led the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a group of 8 New York state senators who ran and were elected as Democrats, but then went to Albany to caucus and vote only with Republicans, handing control of the State Senate to the GOP. The Climate Change and Community Protection Act. Biaggi, who ran with the support of The New York Times, as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, the Working Families Party, and Service Employees International Union local 32BJ, reminded voters that the election provided an opportunity to diversify the legislature and state politics. City & State New York noted that “Salazar ran on a platform of universal rent control and single-payer health care, but she made national headlines when media reports challenged the working class, immigrant, Jewish image Salazar presented on the campaign trail. Stories about Salazar’s past, which featured prominently in the city’s tabloid dailies, appeared to have little impact on the ground in New York’s Senate District 18, where she was pulling 58 percent of the vote after campaigning “as an advocate, a tenant, a feminist, a democratic socialist, a union member, and a proud daughter of an immigrant family.” Other progressive contenders—including Nixon and Williams, who came close to upsetting Cuomo’s running mate in the contest for lieutenant governor—ran with support from the New York City chapter of DSA. But Salazar campaigned as an active member of DSA’s largest local, which on Thursday night announced that “NYC-DSA has built a movement to send one of our own to Albany.” The change in Albany will be dramatic as a new generation of insurgents and reformers arrives. And the legislature will be populated by a state senators like Alessandra Biaggi, who claimed her victory as a signal that New Yorkers would no longer “tolerate Democrats who would be empowering Republicans.”

Kathy Hochul – a former congresswoman from western New York who had been Cuomo's running mate in 2014 – is facing a fierce challenge from Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn, who is serving his third term as a New York City councilman. If Williams is indeed elected as lieutenant governor, he has promised to provide a check-and-balance in the mold of the more adversarial role the New York City Public Advocate has played to the New York City mayor. It also took place the same day as the only debate between Cuomo and Nixon, almost ensuring it would get little coverage. Questioned repeatedly about the matter in a radio interview last week with WNYC host Brian Lehrer, Hochul would only say that an unspecified "scheduling conflict" had submarined the debate. Nixon supporters argue that Cuomo has only shifted to the left on many issues due to her primary challenge. Hochul said that is not necessary. Cuomo needs someone else to tell him to do what's right," Hochul said. That took place as recently as 2008, when then-Lt. Gov. Hochul noted in a recent interview that abortion rights may be under threat nationally as conservative U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is on a path to confirmation. Williams noted that in 2007, Hochul, as Erie County clerk, had vowed to have undocumented immigrants arrested if they applied for drivers' licenses.

Mr. Cuomo has a 30-point lead over Ms. Nixon in every poll, but in several races this year, the polls have been notably wrong. Ms. James, the New York City public advocate, is backed by the Democratic Party in New York. “She has widely been seen as the front-runner,” Mr. Goldmacher said, “but in a televised debate last week, everyone was focused on Zephyr Teachout, who won the endorsement of The New York Times’s editorial board and seems to have some new energy in her campaign.” He added: “The attorney general’s race is getting less attention, but don’t forget that this is one of the single races of most interest to President Trump in the country because of all the investigation potential into his businesses and foundation.” Lieutenant Governor: Kathy Hochul is the lieutenant governor, and her Democratic challenger is Jumaane Williams. “Hi, excuse me.” I said, “Would you mind pulling up a bit so I could squeeze in behind you?” No response. He pulled the Jeep up, and I backed into the empty spot easily. Turning off the ignition, I decided to ask the man if he would evaluate my parking job. As I approached the Jeep, the man was reaching out the window with his hand open. You can thank New York for that. Many had indeed enjoyed a full turkey dinner.” The honor system seemed to work well for the company, until it didn’t. For New York Today updates throughout the day, like us on Facebook.

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). On Saturday, "Brooklyn women leaders" launched “Brooklyn Women For Cuomo” to endorse and support Cuomo for another term. 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. ***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: bmax@gothamgazette.com*** 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. He will appear with his attorneys, Rhiya Trivedi and Ron Kuby.” At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics will hold a commissioners’ meeting. On Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., “Calling on Mayor de Blasio to embrace their newly proposed “Fast Bus, Fair City” plan, riders will turn the City Hall steps into a stage and dramatize their daily struggles riding New York’s local buses. At the City Council on Tuesday: The Committee on Parks and Recreation will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss “the naming of one thoroughfare and public place, Jean-Jacques Dessalines Boulevard in the Borough of Brooklyn.” On Tuesday at 1 p.m. at City Hall, "State Senator Tony Avella, Assembly Member William Colton, and Council Member Bob Holden will stand with community groups Coalition EDU and the Chinese American Citizens Alliance to reveal their legislation aimed at saving the Specialized High School Exam." The Max & Murphy podcast recently moved to WBAI, with the first two shows featuring interviews with Democratic Attorney General candidates Letitia James, Zephyr Teachout, and Leecia Eve (the fourth candidate in the primary, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, will be a guest on the show on August 8).

We're just over two months away from those votes, with especially interesting Democratic races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and a number of state legislative seats, especially in the state Senate, most notably the primary challenges to the senators who until April made up the Independent Democratic Conference. While Governor Andrew Cuomo, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and party designee for Attorney General Letitia James were all guaranteed ballot spots becaue of the party convention vote, candidates including Cynthia Nixon, Jumaane Williams, Zephyr Teachout, Leecia Eve, Sean Patrick Maloney, and others had to collect signatures to get their names on the ballot. ***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: bmax@gothamgazette.com*** The run of the week in detail: Monday This week’s Max & Murphy podcast from Gotham Gazette and City Limits will be recorded and published Monday and will feature Democratic Attorney General candidate Zephyr Teachout. Mayor de Blasio will make his usual weekly appearance on NY1's Inside City Hall Monday in the 7 and 11 p.m. hours. "During a busy campaign season for the governor and state legislature, the city's leading transportation advocacy organizations will unveil for the first time a comprehensive state policy agenda. At noon on Tuesday, before the Inwood rezoning vote, "Upper Manhattan tenants, faith leaders, workers and small business owners will hold a rally outside City Hall as the New York City Council prepares to hold a hearing on the proposed Inwood NYC neighborhood rezoning. The rezoning has received considerable opposition from the community and local elected officials, with both Manhattan Community Board 12 and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer voting against the proposal at earlier stages in the land use process." At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Correction will hold a public meeting at 125 Worth Street in Manhattan. E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: bmax@gothamgazette.com (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

What to watch for this week in New York politics: The week begins with the New York political world fixated on the race for Governor after the Working Families Party endorsed Cynthia Nixon on Saturday. Added attention will come as state legislators return to Albany for three session days this week after the annual post-budget break. ***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: bmax@gothamgazette.com*** The run of the week in detail: Monday At the City Council on Monday: --The Committees on Health and Parks & Recreation will meet jointly at 10 a.m. to discuss a proposed law “requiring defibrillators at softball fields where youth leagues play.” --The Committee on Justice System will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “investigations and prosecutions of low wage theft.” The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany, returning from the post-budget recess. At 6:30 p.m. Monday, City Council Member Carlos Menchaca and the Consulate General of Mexico will host a welcome ceremony for new Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza at Sunset Park High School in Brooklyn. The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany. At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy will rally at Bronx Borough Hall to protest Mayor de Blasio's “proposed cuts to English and other adult literacy programs in the City Budget.” Wednesday At the City Council on Wednesday: --The Committees on Land Use, Finance, and Education will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing reviewing the recent Council report “Planning to Learn: The School Building Challenge,” to discuss several proposed laws relating to school sitings and land use for education, and to discuss two resolutions: the first one calling on the state to confer the city with broad design-build authority for all capital projects, and the second calling upon the School Construction Authority “to more clearly communicate to the general public how city residents can submit potential school sites and the guidelines used by the School Construction Authority in considering whether a suggested school site meets the evaluation standards used by the authority.” --The Committee on Economic Development will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “modifying helicopter routes to reduce noise over residential neighborhoods,” to discuss a proposed law relating to “an annual helicopter sightseeing plan,” and to discuss a resolution “calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to amend the North Shore helicopter route to extend further west to cover Northeast Queens.” --The Committee on Technology will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding LinkNYC. Speakers include U.S. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Mayor de Blasio will appear at the 2018 Inner Circle Show at the New York Hilton Midtown. *** Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?