Ramos for… Cuomo?!
Presented by Resorts World New York City
From ABC to ABZ: It was the political equivalent of a deathbed conversion, as state Sen. Jessica Ramos, in campaign debt with no path to victory, endorsed Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City Friday, hoping to block Zohran Mamdani from winning.
She's called the former governor 'a corrupt bully with a record of sexual misconduct,' 'the Democratic Party's Trump,' a 'corrupt egomaniac' whose 'mental acuity is in decline,' and on Wednesday said of Cuomo's front-runner position that she wished she 'lived in a city where voters cared about women getting harassed.'
Her consistent, outspoken Cuomo criticisms date back at least eight years to her election.
But today, she stood beside him at a lower Manhattan union hall and said endorsing him 'wasn't an easy decision, for all the reasons you already know. But it's a responsible decision.'
'We need much more than performative politics,' the Queens Democrat added. 'We need experience and someone who knows how to deliver under pressure.'
Ramos has had an increasingly contentious relationship with the city's leftwing institutions and leaders — including Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and failed to earn meaningful endorsements or support since launching her campaign last September.
Crucially, Ramos' campaign owes tens of thousands of dollars to vendors in unpaid contracts that have not been reported to campaign finance regulators, according to five people familiar with her finances. Her latest filing showed her campaign had a balance of just $9,089, but that doesn't reflect the actual state of the books, her campaign has said.
One of those people familiar with her finances told Playbook her campaign is over $250,000 in debt. A large chunk of that is in dispute with a single vendor who has retained a lawyer and is threatening to sue Ramos.
A Ramos campaign spokesperson confirmed that not all the outstanding invoices had been reported — a violation of the rules that could result in thousands of dollars in fines — blaming the treasurer's pregnancy complications.
'We are grateful to our treasurer for her service and support her focusing on her personal health. Any records not filled will be amended in the June 13th filing,' the spokesperson said.
Surprised insiders today began speculating that Ramos' endorsement may have been motivated by a desire to tap into Cuomo's deep-pocketed donor base. Her campaign spokesperson declined to comment, when asked.
But it didn't seem like Cuomo himself was going to do what Mamdani did for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and ask his followers to donate to Ramos.
'She is endorsing me. I am not endorsing her,' Cuomo deadpanned after the rally.
He brushed off her vicious criticisms and her questioning his mental acuity as 'the nature of the business' and getting 'caught up in rhetoric.'
'I question the mental acuity of the moderators at your debate,' he added with a chuckle, referring to the event co-hosted by POLITICO, WNBC and Telemundo.
Ramos didn't deny that she talked with Cuomo about getting a job in City Hall. 'We have had conversations about what I expect from his administration, and I know that there are going to be people working there who will have the best interests of New York City at heart,' she said.
The reaction to Ramos' defection from Cuomo opponents ranged from anger to disappointment. Former gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon even concluded her X post with a broken heart emoji.
At least four endorsers yanked support Friday morning, City & State reported — though notably, none of them had ranked her first. Ana María Archila, co-head of the local Working Families Party — which ranked Ramos fifth after initially leaving her off its slate — simply said on X, 'Let's stay focused. Let's not let the petty drama distract us. Eyes on the prize!'
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera — who endorsed Mamdani as his first choice — also told Playbook he would no longer rank Ramos, swapping her out for ex-Assemblymember Michael Blake.
'It's incredibly sad, disappointing,' he said. 'It's always been clear to me and it seemed to be clear to her that Cuomo's presence in government only hurts our communities.'
Others in politics were simply amused, like Assemblymember Ron Kim, whose three popcorn emojis implied he was quietly watching and enjoying the show.
And Ocasio-Cortez — who had just left Ramos over her five-member endorsement slate the day before — responded to Cuomo's pointed non-endorsement on X with an 'lol. lmao.' — Jeff Coltin, with reporting by Nick Reisman
From the Capitol
HOUSE GOP FRETS MEDICAID IMPACT: New York House Republicans — including two potential gubernatorial candidates — want to delay proposed changes to the GOP's megabill that stand to expand the state's Medicaid rolls.
The concern stems from a proposed Senate amendment that changes the definition of 'lawfully present' immigrants.
Five House Republicans — Mike Lawler, Elise Stefanik, Nick Langworthy, Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino — warned in a letter that the move would lead to 500,000 people being added onto state-only Medicaid coverage.
'This would subsequently shift the costs onto New York taxpayers and our counties already struggling under the weight of our state's massive tax burden, and could promulgate unsustainable spikes in uncompensated costs for our healthcare system due to the destabilization of the state's Essential Plan,' the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
Lawler, whose office released the letter, has already played a significant role in the shaping of the 'one big beautiful bill' as Trump has christened it.
The Hudson Valley Republican pressed for the House to include a provision that would raise the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions to $40,000, which hits high-tax states like New York. — Nick Reisman
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
TORRES TALKS: Rep. Ritchie Torres is keeping a close eye on the mayor's race as he mulls a run for governor in 2026 and promotes an 'abundance' agenda.
And while he remains a steadfast supporter of Cuomo, he criticized the ex-governor's decision to shutter a nuclear plant during his Albany tenure.
'If Zohran Mamdani becomes the mayor of New York, then that would so revolutionize the political landscape that I would be unlikely to run for governor under those circumstances,' Torres said in an interview today.
Torres has backed Cuomo in the mayoral primary. After the mayor's race, the congress member said, he plans to conduct an 'individualized assessment' about a potential run for governor including polling and focus groups. 'If there's a clear path, I'll run. If there's no path, I'll remain in Congress,' he said.
Cuomo has made combating antisemitism a major focus in his campaign, although it's not an issue voters rank as a leading local concern. Asked about whether Cuomo should be focused more on affordability or other top issues, Torres said it's an element of public safety, which is a priority for voters.
'Every Jewish New Yorker should have the right to wear a kippah and display a Star of David and be visibly Jewish without fear of harassment or intimidation or violence,' he said. 'For all New Yorkers, the freedom to be who we are is foundational to public safety.'
While Torres praised Cuomo as an effective governor and 'one of the greatest builders of infrastructure in the 21st century,' there's one major decision he says was a mistake: shutting down the Indian Point nuclear plant, which he said led to more greenhouse gas emissions.
'I feel like there's a growing recognition in the Democratic Party that we undervalued the role of nuclear in decarbonizing,' Torres said.
Cuomo defended his decision, pointing to the safety risks of a terrorist attack or earthquake to the plant located near a major population center.
'Do you understand the danger that Indian Point poses? It would be catastrophic if anything happened at Indian Point,' Cuomo told reporters today.
Cuomo said he supported nuclear power upstate. The governor backed massive subsidies to keep those plants open.
Torres said he had a 'bias' toward clean energy, although he didn't completely rule out gas power plants to maintain the reliability of the electric grid. Torres sees permitting as a major barrier for clean energy in New York.
Earlier this week, he sent a letter to Hochul, Adams and Trump celebrating a Supreme Court decision limiting federal environmental reviews.
'As an abundance Democrat, there is a presumption against rules and regulations that inhibit the building of new clean energy, affordable housing and infrastructure,' Torres said. — Marie J. French
FORGIVING CUOMO: Influential leaders of the Orthodox Jewish Bobov community endorsed Cuomo for mayor today, saying in a statement that he 'expressed deep regret for the distress caused' during the Covid-19 pandemic, 'when the community felt unfairly targeted.'
The former governor has aggressively campaigned for support from pro-Israel Jews, and this is a key endorsement that could drive thousands of votes centered in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
The Bobov leaders also ranked state Sen. Zellnor Myrie second and Adrienne Adams third. — Jeff Coltin
RALLY GOES AWRY: What was supposed to be a housing rally hosted by Mamdani in lower Manhattan turned into a chaotic confrontation with a serial protester who was arrested and charged with assault for allegedly biting one of the candidate's volunteers.
Mamdani showed up at the offices of the New York Apartment Association ready to denounce $2.5 million the landlord lobbyist's super PAC is spending to boost Cuomo's mayoral run, as POLITICO first reported. But shortly after the briefing began, a man brandishing a cowbell arrived and began loudly accusing Mamdani of antisemitism.
What followed was an intense shouting match with supporters that spilled out onto William Street. At one point, according to the NYPD, 55 year-old Raul Rivera allegedly bit one of Mamdani's volunteers on the arm. Police cruisers and an ambulance soon arrived, blocking the street and prompting a cacophony of honking as Mamdani took questions from reporters amid the pandemonium.
'What we are seeing right now is a Trump supporter in a Make America Great Again hat assaulting individuals who are standing here alongside our campaign,' Mamdani said of Rivera. 'It's disgusting to see what politics has become in this moment. It's part of the reason why we so desperately need a politics of the future.'
In 2023, Rivera was arrested and ordered by a judge to avoid city Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez after another heated confrontation. Today, he was charged with assault and given a desk appearance ticket, police said.
Ritti Singh, a spokesperson with the New York State Tenant Bloc, cast Rivera as a Cuomo supporter and called on the former governor to condemn the alleged bite.
'We are asking Andrew Cuomo to denounce this act of political violence,' she said.
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi countered that the campaign has zero ties to Rivera.
'I have no idea who that is. Violence is bad,' he said, adding that 'there's more to running for mayor than cutting videos and making ridiculous, unfounded allegations.' — Joe Anuta
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: Adrienne Adams released an ad Thursday that appeared to be in violation of the city's many Campaign Finance Board rules.
At the end of her 30-second ad, 'Rise Above,' a written message appears on screen that says 'Paid for by Adrienne for the People.'
All city candidates are required to include a written and spoken 'paid for by' message in TV ads — and the board specifically requires the message be 'contained in a box within the borders of the communication.'
Adams' 'paid for by' message is box-less. Her team declined to comment on the item. — Jason Beeferman
IN OTHER NEWS
— SCHENECTADY FOR HOCHUL: Three Democrats from Hochul-challenger Antonio Delgado's hometown are endorsing the governor's reelection bid. (Daily Gazette)
— CUOMO ALLEGATIONS: A timeline of the sexual harassment complaints against Cuomo and his ranging responses. (The New York Times)
— CAP AND INVEST PURGATORY: Hochul paused the rollout of a key climate policy in January to 'continue the robust stakeholder engagement,' but activists say they haven't heard a peep from her administration. (New York Focus)
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San Francisco Chronicle
31 minutes ago
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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Voters who don't vote? This is one way democracy can die, by 20 million cuts
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However, in the local election held last month, barely 10% showed up to the polls. Before anyone starts throwing shade at San Antonio, in Dallas the turnout was even lower. Lackluster participation in an 'off year' election is not new. However, the mayoral race in San Antonio has increased national interest because the outcome is being viewed as a litmus test for both the strength of the Democrats' resistance and the public's appetite for the White House's policies. Like other big blue cities nestled in legislatively red states, San Antonio's progressive policies have been under constant assault from the governor's mansion. And with neither the progressive candidate, Gina Ortiz Jones, or her MAGA-leaning opponent, Rolando Pablos, eclipsing 50% of the vote in May, the runoff has drawn more than $1 million in campaign spending from outside conservative groups looking to flip the traditionally blue stronghold. 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'Some people find voting to be a chore,' Michele Carew, the elections administrator for Bexar County — which includes San Antonio — told me. 'We need to make voting easier and quite frankly, fun. And we need to get those who don't feel like their vote counts to see that it does. That means getting out and talking to people in our neighborhood, in our churches, in our grocery stores … about when elections are coming up and what's at stake locally.' Carew said that the added outside interest in the city's election has driven up early voting a tick and that she expects to see roughly a 15% turnout, which is an increase over previous years. It could be worse. The city once elected a mayor with 7% turnout back in 2013. Carew also expressed concern about outside influence on local governing. 'One of the first times I saw these nonpartisan races become more political was in 2020, and so as time goes by it's gotten even more so. I would like to think once the candidate is elected mayor they remain nonpartisan and do what's best for the city and not their party.' In 2024, a presidential election year when you'd expect the highest turnout, 1 in 3 registered voters across this country — roughly 20 million people — took a look around and said, 'Nah, I'm good.' Or something like that. The highest turnout was in Washington, D.C., where nearly 80% showed up. Too bad it's not a state. Among the lowest turnout rates? Texas — which has the second-greatest number of voters, behind only California. And therein lies the problem with trying to extrapolate national trends from local elections. Maybe Ortiz Jones will win in San Antonio this weekend. Maybe Caruso will win in L.A. next year. None of this tells us how the vast majority of Americans are really feeling. Sure, it's good fodder to debate around the table or on cable news shows, but ultimately the sample size of a mayoral election belies any claims about a result's meaning. Turnout during an off year is just too low. One thing we know for certain is most voters in America exercise their right to vote only once every four years. Oligarchs and corrupt officials are not great, but it's hard for democracy to stay healthy and strong if that's all the exercise it's getting. @LZGranderson
Newsweek
3 hours ago
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California Democrat Reacts as ICE Reportedly Held Detainees in Basement
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Representative Jimmy Gomez called reports of immigrants being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the basement of a federal building in his Los Angeles district "scary," telling Newsweek he has "concerns that this facility is not meant to hold individuals overnight, and that it can actually cause harm to the people that are being held there." An ICE spokesperson rejected reports of people being held in the basement, telling Newsweek in an email statement on Friday: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles." Why It Matters The California Democrat represents parts of Los Angeles, including the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown L.A., where CBS first reported that dozens of immigrants have been detained in the basement by ICE. The reported detentions come amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy. President Donald Trump has pledged the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history and in the initial months of his second term his administration has deported about 100,000 illegal immigrants, many as a result of his invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport non-citizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities. What To Know Immigration lawyers and impacted families told CBS News that their clients and relatives went to ICE check-in appointments at the federal building this week and were taken into custody and held in the basement. Some people were reported to have spent the night in the basement. A CBS report cited an attorney who said one of her clients—a couple and their two children—spent the night in a room without beds with limited access to food and water. The woman was later released because of medical concerns related to her high-risk pregnancy. Other reports include detainees being held without food or water for hours. In its statement to Newsweek, ICE added: "ICE takes very seriously it's [sic] mandate to care for people in their custody with dignity and as mandated by law." It continued: "Inaccurate statements pushing a false narrative do nothing but put ICE law enforcement personnel and our communities at risk while distorting our mission of public safety and secure borders." Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/AP Gomez told Newsweek in a video interview that the reports are "scary because a lot of these folks are people who had followed the asylum process, doing the normal check-in, and that they had deportation stays and then they were held anyways." He said his office is concerned about whether detainees are being fed, receiving necessary medical care and held in appropriate conditions, as the facility is "not meant to have overnight detainees." The building has an immigration court, Gomez explained, saying that people checked in and "then they were detained and sent to the basement." He said the rise in detentions at ICE appointments is "not normal." Across the country, there have been numerous reports of people being taken into custody during scheduled check-ins with the agency. He noted the increase in these types of detentions may be tied to the rollback of a previous policy that discouraged arrests at sensitive locations such as churches, hospitals and schools. Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order revoking those protections. Gomez told Newsweek that the consequences of making arrests in these sensitive locations "are severe," saying, "if you can grab somebody at a hospital, then they're less likely to get the healthcare that they people stop showing up. "I think people are scared. They're feeling that the process that they knew was in place is being upended. That fear leads people not going to work," as well as not engaging in social life and addressing their health care needs, he said. What People Are Saying Juan Proaño, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens, told CBS News: "They're having to literally house these immigrants in a makeshift detention center, which on its face is illegal. It is beyond inhumane treatment for any immigrant and in this particular case, you're talking about Trump administration, DHS, ICE have gotten way ahead of themselves. They haven't necessarily planned this properly and don't have the capacity required in order to continue with large-scale deportation." What Happens Next Gomez told Newsweek that he hopes to visit the facility on Saturday, noting that as a member of Congress, he has the right to "visit any facility that's detaining migrants." He said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: "@DHS—I demand to go in to get answers. We need to know why law-abiding asylum seekers are being detained, separated, and treated like criminals." He told Newsweek: "I think it's just going to get worse before it gets better. But we're going to fight back as much as we can through the courts, through Congress, through the public, and try to get people to understand the consequences of Trump's immigration policies."
