NY Republicans' fork in the road

Politico

13-02-2025

Presented by Solving Hunger
TO MAGA OR NOT TO MAGA, THAT IS THE QUESTION: New York Republicans are approaching a fork in the road.
President Donald Trump's first three weeks in office for the New York political world have been marked by Mayor Eric Adams' liberation from corruption charges, the looming threat of a congestion pricing shutdown and a push to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid.
And that's not all.
A MAGA-motivated wedge is forming between two Republicans eyeing a run for governor next year: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler.
'Whoever runs for governor on the Republican and conservative lines, my advice to them would be to run to President Trump, and not away from him,' Blakeman told Playbook. 'Certainly our base, he has our full support, and independent voters are swinging his way, and common sense Democrats are swinging his way. My thought process is whoever runs for governor on the Republican and conservative lines in New York State would be wise to embrace President Trump.'
While Blakeman has continuously courted the president's praise, Lawler — the outspoken, overachieving congress member who is some 30 years Blakeman's junior — is trying to toe the line on Trump. It's a formula that continues to deliver for Lawler, who handily defeated his Democratic challenger last year in a district that has voted decisively blue in previous presidential elections.
Neither have formally announced a bid for next year's race, and while Lawler is openly considering it, Blakeman says he's focused on his own reelection.
Republicans who spoke with Playbook say Trump will play a key role in the primary for governor next year.
'They are talking to us to find out how we feel about the role the president is playing and how they can assist us, and in turn they do express where the president is when it is necessary to do that,' Gerard Kassar, chair of the state Conservative Party, said of the White House. 'I do think the president is going to have an interest in what's going on in New York, and I think he will have a strong interest in what we do on not only governor, but also on attorney general.'
Blakeman said he anticipates Trump to be 'very focused on New York … because of his love for this state.'
'I think he will be involved in all parts of processes politically here in the state,' he added.
Last week, the Nassau County executive deputized his police force to help carry out Trump's deportation plan, a policy Blakeman says makes Nassau 'the first county in the United States to do such a comprehensive cooperative agreement with ICE.'
The move only raises Blakeman's MAGA cred. He already invited Trump to Long Island last year for a massive campaign rally, was floated as a Trump cabinet pick and is in regular touch with the president.
Meanwhile, Lawler — who has avoided criticizing Trump outright — continues to lean into his much-touted rating as one of congress' most bipartisan members, an identity he's cultivated since the beginning of his political career in the state Legislature.
In 2022, he told the New York Post he wanted to see his party 'move forward' from Trump. One year later, then-President Joe Biden said 'he's not one of these MAGA Republicans' at an event in Westchester.
But he will increasingly have to contend with answering for Trump policies as the governor's election nears.
The oft-quoted Lawler declined an interview on this topic, instead sending Playbook a lengthy statement.
'Congressman Lawler has been a stalwart fighter for conservative solutions in Congress, but that doesn't mean you don't work in a bipartisan way to get commonsense stuff done. From securing the border and fighting antisemitism to repealing congestion pricing and lifting the cap on SALT, Congressman Lawler is pushing for commonsense, conservative wins for New Yorkers by working with both parties to get them done,' his spokesperson Chris Russell said.
'The Congressman has also forged a strong relationship with President Trump, for whom he was a delegate at the 2016 Convention, who appreciates Mike's deal-making ability. Mike will continue to help implement the President's commonsense border and economic policies to make New York safer and more prosperous. Walking and chewing gum at the same time is a necessary quality for any Governor of New York State – and Mike does just that.' — Jason Beeferman
From City Hall
ADAMS MEETS WITH HOMAN: With a newfound leverage over New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Trump border czar Tom Homan hosted the big-city Democrat on Thursday to discuss ramped up immigration enforcement in the nation's largest city.
The meeting came hours before the interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned after getting an order from Trump's Justice Department to drop Adams' corruption charges. The news was first reported by The New York Times.
One key caveat to the DOJ order is that it would allow the feds to reintroduce charges against Adams after the mayoral election.
The mayor's sitdown with Homan is the first mile marker in a new and precarious era in Adams' political career. With each nudge toward more deportations from Trump officials — who hold the fate of the mayor's criminal case in their hands — Adams gets farther from his Democratic political base as he seeks reelection in June.
Adams arrived at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Lower Manhattan earlier today for his second meeting with Homan, who recently expressed dissatisfaction with the mayor's delivery on promises from their first confab.
That sentiment was confirmed by a group of New York City Council members who convened with the border czar immediately beforehand.
'[Homan] said that he's going to hold the mayor responsible for things he said [during] the last meeting they had that he didn't deliver on,' Council Member Robert Holden said at a press briefing outside the federal building, adding that Homan said there would be consequences if the mayor did not comply. — Joe Anuta
FROM THE DELEGATION
JEFFRIES' TONE SHIFT: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' responses to Adams' legal entanglements have ranged from muted to lackluster to dismissive, but the House minority leader turned up the temperature today.
The Trump Department of Justice has ordered that Adams' fraud charges be dropped 'without prejudice,' which Jeffries and others have interpreted to mean the charges technically remain active.
'Translation: It is the intention of the Trump administration to keep the current mayor on a short leash,' Jeffries told reporters today in Washington. 'How the mayor responds to the White House's intentions is going to determine a lot about the political future of the current mayor of the city of New York.'
The mayor's case, as of today, had yet to be dismissed.
The minority leader, who like Adams is a Brooklyn Democrat, has in the past responded to reporters by saying the mayor is entitled to due process and that voters will decide this year if he should be reelected. — Emily Ngo
From the Capitol
NAS COMES TO CAUCUS WEEKEND: Thousands of politicos are coming to Albany Friday to attend the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators' caucus weekend — an annual event that draws all sorts of players from New York's political world to talk politics and policies affecting those groups.
This year's conference — the 54th — will be attended by at least 8,500 and will include a Sunday night concert from Nas, a Saturday night show from Wyclef Jean and a keynote speech from MSNBC host Joy Ann Reid.
Over 75 panels and workshops will be held on everything from pay equity to mental health.
The theme of this year's caucus will be 'Being Bold' and will showcase the budget priorities of the legislative caucus, which has grown to 80 members this year, the largest ever.
The events will also raise scholarship money for young people of color around the state, and this year the association was able to give out more than $140,000 from last year's proceeds.
'We are gathering as a community so that we can begin to really do the work and build real coalitions with all of these industries because a lot of our communities are under attack,' said Tara L. Martin, communications director for the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators, Inc. 'Our job right now is to protect those and be a voice for the voiceless.' — Jason Beeferman
CLIMATE COLLISION: Environmental activists disrupted the normally staid proceedings of the state's Public Service Commission three times Thursday. It wasn't a rate hike they were protesting, but the decision by Gov. Kathy Hochul's Department of Environmental Conservation to approve a pipeline project.
The long-awaited decision was a significant test for Hochul on the state's climate law. It's the first major decision acknowledging that the state's approval will lead to increased emissions while addressing reliability concerns.
'There's no reason for it. It's environmentally damaging and it goes against' the state's climate law, said Bill Kish, a Dutchess County resident who attended the commission meeting. 'I realize you can override that act, however that's no excuse for you and the governor to build new gas infrastructure right now.'
The Department of Environmental Conservation issued air permits for the Iroquois Enhancement by Compression, or 'ExC,' project last week. The project involves upgrades to two compressor stations in New York that will increase pressure and thus the flow of natural gas on the already existing Iroquois pipeline.
Environmental advocates opposed the project, arguing it flies in the face of the state's efforts to slash emissions in compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. But the state's Department of Public Service said it's needed to ensure reliable gas service downstate on the coldest winter days.
Even though emissions will increase, the reliability needs justify approving the project, DEC's decision states.
The two compressor stations that will get additional horsepower are located in Dover and Athens. The one in Athens is located in a 'disadvantaged community,' triggering added scrutiny under New York's climate law.
National Grid relied on the project as part of its long-term planning, which is required after the gas hookup moratorium debacle on Long Island and in parts of New York City.
During the commission meeting, the protestors moved toward the dias where commissioners sit at the front of the room. Stanchions separating the public from the commissioners were knocked over. Department staff stood up to physically block the protesters. State troopers on the scene ordered advocates to leave if they did not want to be arrested. PSC Chair Rory Christian told the protestors he would speak to them but not during the meeting.
Read the full report by Marie J. French in POLITICO Pro
ON THE HOUSING BEAT
SUPPORT FOR FAITH-BASED HOUSING: A new poll shared first with Playbook shows the vast majority of New Yorkers are in support of a proposal to enable churches, synagogues and other religious institutions to build affordable housing on their land.
The poll, which was conducted by Global Strategy Group and queried 600 likely voters, found that 74 percent of New Yorkers and 78 percent of city residents support the measure. Even after respondents were presented with arguments against the bill, about 70 percent of voters still backed it.
'This data is clear: New Yorkers across the state overwhelmingly support the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act,' said Annie Norbitz, vice president of research at the polling firm. 'The arguments that have been made against the bill are simply not persuasive.'
The survey found over 70 percent of New Yorkers have friends or family who left New York due to high housing costs.
The legislation being considered is sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Brian Cunningham. It was also floated last year but never made it into the final housing deal.
Currently, faith-based organizations need to go through 'a lot of hoops and hurdles' to build housing on their land, creating a disincentive for the orgs, Gounardes said.
Churches, synagogues, mosques and other organizations own over 92 million square feet of land in New York City alone — more than twice the amount owned by city hospitals and healthcare facilities, according to NYU's Furman Center.
Proponents of the bill say it would create about 60,000 more homes over the next decade.
'For many of these institutions, housing is part of their ministry,' Gounardes said. 'They're serving the broader good, serving the broader community, and providing affordable housing fits well within that mission.' — Jason Beeferman
STEELY DON: Democratic state lawmakers are worried plans for expanding affordable housing could be dashed because of President Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs.
Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal today said the decision to impose tariffs on common construction materials would hamper the ability to build — making the affordability crisis worse.
'The state Legislature crafted an ambitious plan to make housing more affordable for New Yorkers last year,' she said. 'However, those affordability plans are now at risk because of Donald Trump's ego and a Republican party that grants his every wish.'
Trump has insisted the tariffs are meant to make the U.S. more competitive on the world economic stage.
'It's a big deal,' Trump said this week. 'This is the beginning of making America rich again.' — Nick Reisman
IN OTHER NEWS...
— SASSOON'S RESIGNATION: The departure of the SDNY's interim U.S. attorney also led to two resignations within the Justice Department's public integrity unit. (The New York Times)
— BILL DE BLASIO'S NEW GF: The former mayor announced his new relationship with progressive pundit Nomiki Konst just in time for Valentine's Day. (New York Post)
— HELL-NOTEL: Weihong Hu, a hotelier with close ties to Adams, stole tens of millions from a temporary housing program, according to federal prosecutors. (THE CITY)
— AIRPORT UPGRADE: Hochul announced Wednesday the state is committing $150 million for improvements to Long Island's MacArthur Airport and a connection to the LIRR. (Trains Magazine)
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