Pro-Cuomo super PAC already raises $2.3 million from real-estate honchos, power players
A super PAC backing Andrew Cuomo's mayoral bid has already raised massive donations totaling $2.3 million — including from real-estate interests and big shots in the past week, new records reveal.
Among the honchos who recently donated to the former governor's 'Fix The City' super PAC is billionaire Stephen Ross, founder and chairman of Related Companies, who kicked in $50,000.
His firm developed Hudson Yards.
He also owns the Miami Dolphins.
Billionaire construction magnate John Fish also forked over $250,000, show records filed with the state Board of Elections.
His New-England-based Suffolk Construction firm has a Big Apple office and worked on the renovation of the Waldorf Astoria, among other projects.
Lawyer Joseph Belluck, who chairs the State University of New York Board of Trustees panel on charter schools, kicked in $100,000, as did RFR Holdings, a real-estate firm founded by Michael Fuchs and Aby Rosen.
The Fix The City super PAC can raise an unlimited level of contributions as opposed to the campaigns of candidates, which can only collect a maximum of $2,100 from donors if they request public matching funds.
Fix the City was created by close associates of Cuomo in the past few weeks.
The Cuomo campaign and Fix The City are barred under the law from coordinating campaign activities.
Another super PAC has been formed to support mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a lefty state assemblyman from Queens.
The group is called New Yorkers for Lower Costs.
It has yet to report any contributions.
Mamdani on Monday said that with public matching funds, he has raised $8 million to back his campaign for City Hall, with lefties such as 'Sex and the City' actress Cynthia Nixon raising money for him.
Government watchdog groups have griped that the Super Political Action Committees — known as independent expenditure groups — are an end-run around the campaign system. But they're legal under a controversial US Supreme Court ruling.
New York City has strict limitations on donors who have business before the city.
They can only donate $400 directly to a candidate.
'This is kryptonite for the city campaign finance system,' John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany,' said of the super PACS.
'These super PACs are a way to get around donation limits to candidates from people with business before the city.
'It allows pay to play,' he said.
Super PACs in 2021 raised $7.8 million to support Eric Adams' successful mayoral election.
Cuomo leads the Democratic primary field with 41% of the vote, followed by Mamdani with 18%, a poll conducted by Bradley Honan for the Tusk Strategy group found.
City Comptroller Brad Lander gets 8% of the vote, followed by Adams with 6% support and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer and Speaker Adrienne Adams with 4% backing each, while. 15% of primary voters remain undecided.
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Sen. Mark Green's retirement leaves open field for Republicans, a 'longshot' for Democrats
Tennessee is expected to see a special election later this year to replace U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, and political experts say it could bring an open field of Republican candidates. Regardless of who runs for Green's seat, experts say it would likely be a 'longshot' for any Democratic candidates as the district has a strong Republican hold. Green on June 9 announced his resignation from the 7th Congressional District, just months after his reelection, to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. His district represents a swath of rural counties in middle and west Tennessee, as well as Montgomery County and parts of Davidson and Williamson counties. 'It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress," he said in a statement. "Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up. As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package." His office didn't respond to an interview request; it's unclear what the private sector opportunity is. Republicans hope to pass what President Donald Trump calls his 'big, beautiful bill' by July 4. If Green vacates his seat after voting on the bill, the state could see a special election this fall. Under Tennessee law, Gov. Bill Lee must order a special election within 10 days of Green's resignation and set a primary election date within 55 to 60 days. The state would then set a subsequent general election within 100 to 107 days. Green was reelected in November. His term expires in January 2027. Green, a 60-year-old doctor and military veteran who lives in Clarksville, was first elected to his seat in 2018. He announced in February 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term, characterizing the country and Congress as nearly irreversibly broken. He changed his mind after a flurry of calls from fellow Republicans and a personal appeal from Trump. John Geer, a longtime political science professor at Vanderbilt University, speculated that Republicans, without any other strong candidates, asked Green to reconsider as he was set to fight off a challenge from former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. 'They might have been worried a little bit that Megan Barry might win,' he said. Geer said it's unclear who would run for his seat now, but any new candidate will be quickly bolstered by Lee and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee. A typical low turnout for special elections could help a Democratic candidate, but Geer said it will depend on the political climate later this year, and the climate is changing fast. 'It's a longshot, but if the public is really angry and there is a Democrat that is viewed as a moderate, there could be a chance,' he said. Kent Syler, a political science and public policy professor at Middle Tennessee State University, said Barry ran a spirited and well-funded campaign against Green but still had relatively low turnout at 38%. Syler said Tennessee's 7th Congressional District contains an interesting mix of urban, suburban and rural voters, which poses a challenge for Democrats since they typically do better in urban areas. 'That dynamic will make it very difficult for a Democrat to take this seat,' he said. 'That being said, this race is going to be far more about Donald Trump than it is about the two candidates.' Green serves as chair of the Homeland Security Committee, and it's unclear how his departure will impact a Congressional investigation into Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell for allegedly obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. The investigation is set to be led by the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees. A former U.S. Army major, Green was first elected to office in the Tennessee General Assembly, where Trump tapped him in 2017 to serve as Secretary of the Army. The move, however, sparked a backlash over comments he made about LGBTQ+ groups and Muslim religious practices. Green has said comments were misconstrued, but he withdrew his candidacy. During his time in Congress, Green was an advocate for legislation affecting U.S. soldiers and veterans. His first bill after being sworn into Congress was the Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act to allow Coast Guard Gold Star Spouses to continue receiving stipends via the Survivor Benefits Plan. He advocated against the mandated COVID-19 vaccine for military members and fought for those who did not comply to be honorably discharged. Tennessee and Montgomery County Republicans have praised his service as news of his retirement spread. 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Stock photo of guns. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos for New Jersey Monitor/States Newsroom.) Ohio House Democrats say they are trying to enact common sense gun laws, but face an uphill battle in the Republican supermajority-controlled Ohio Statehouse. Democratic lawmakers have introduced a series of gun-related bills so far this General Assembly that have seen little, if any movement. The one bill that has had a hearing so far is a bipartisan bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Republicans are focused on passing laws that they hope will distract you from their failures, while at the same time trying to divide us on common sense issues like gun reform,' Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said Tuesday during a press conference. 'Ohio Democrats will not stand idly by while Republicans in power refuse to do something about gun violence.' 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Cuts to Medicaid for Ohioans with disabilities could take away home care and job help
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SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Also included in the Senate's budget proposal is the elimination of a Medicaid waiver that 'would have provided continuous coverage for kids up to age 3,' Poe said, and a separate section of the budget that would 'allow the state to pause, eliminate or change other funds related to all other federal grants, should Congress adjust or eliminate funding for that program.' Poe did praise the Senate proposal for removing a House-submitted provision limiting Medicaid reimbursement for doulas to only six Ohio counties. 'This will ensure that Ohio parents continue to have access to culturally appropriate birthing resources and management,' Poe said. Concerns about loss of access don't just extend to physical health concerns or daily home services, but also to behavioral health services, on which 47% of Ohio adults on Medicaid rely, according to Kerstin Sjoberg, president and CEO of Disability Rights Ohio. 'If you don't have access to some sort of insurance like Medicaid, it's going to be almost impossible to get those services,' Sjoberg said. The state-level discussions come as federal budget reconciliation also touches on Medicaid funding as the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress attempt to slash federal spending by $880 billion over the next decade, particularly from public assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other leaders have talked about 'abuse' or 'fraud' as sources of revenue loss for the country in public programs, something those who engage with users of programs like Medicaid push back on. 'In reality, Medicaid is one of the most cost-effective and widely used safety nets in the country,' said the advocacy group Innovation Ohio in a call-to-action email over the congressional budget proposals. 'If this bill becomes law, the result will be fewer people with health care, more families pushed into poverty and deeper inequality. Rural hospitals could shut down.' According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, Ohio could be one of the hardest hit economies if Medicaid cuts at the federal level come to fruition, cuts that could mean 29% more Medicaid spending by states or cuts to other programs, like education, to offset the Medicaid losses. One thing that will have to be addressed whether or not the cuts are realized in the state and federal budgets is the workforce that helps those who use Medicaid for home care and other services. Patalita said the word 'crisis' has been used in talking about the shortage of direct care providers, similar to the shortage of child care workers needed to provide adequate access to that service. 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'This failure by agencies to provide benefits adds to the worker shortage and forces those requiring home care to carry the burden of decreased access to care, especially those in rural areas,' the study found. Eliminating Medicaid funding, including the expansion group, will make life harder for those Ohioans who need the services, Sjoberg said, 'but it will also make it necessary that the direct care workforce is supported in other ways.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
