Latest news with #CaribbeanNewYorkers
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Yvette Clarke endorses Adrienne Adams for New York City mayor
NEW YORK — Rep. Yvette Clarke is endorsing Adrienne Adams as her top choice for New York City mayor, lending the City Council speaker a much-needed boost as she seeks traction in the final weeks of the campaign, POLITICO reports exclusively. Clarke and her powerbroker mother Una Clarke are influential among Caribbean New Yorkers. They're also closely allied with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recruited and endorsed Adams in a contentious primary that Andrew Cuomo is dominating. Adams is a late entry into the race. She qualified only last week for public matching funds. And she's been polling behind Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, the surging Democratic socialist who's closing the gap with the former governor. 'Working families in Brooklyn and across this city deserve a mayor who puts people first — someone who leads with both strength and compassion, and who has the experience to make government work for everyone,' Clarke said in a statement. 'Speaker Adrienne Adams is ready on day one to partner with me and my colleagues in protecting New Yorkers from the harmful policies coming out of the White House.' Clarke, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said she will make Adams her No. 1 pick in the ranked choice primary June 24. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, another Brooklyn Democrat, also endorsed Adams but additionally backed Mamdani and progressive city Comptroller Brad Lander in April as a part of her slate. The incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, is forgoing the Democratic primary and will run in the general election as an independent candidate. Clarke's nod comes as her political club, the Progressive Democrats Political Association, plans to endorse an unranked slate of candidates that includes Cuomo, though many members wanted to make Adrienne Adams their top choice, three people familiar with the decision told POLITICO. The Brooklyn club, founded by Una Clarke, considered backing Adams first, followed by Lander, Cuomo, club member Zellnor Myrie and Mamdani — in that order. But amid deliberations about whether to rank the candidates and pressure from Cuomo's allies within the club, members instead plan to release a five-candidate slate that shows no preferential order, according to two people familiar with the process who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Clarke's endorsement is one of the last from New York congressional delegation members in the primary. She endorsed Maya Wiley in the 2021 primary for mayor. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Adriano Espaillat of Manhattan and the Bronx, endorsed Cuomo last month. And the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chair, Rep. Grace Meng of Queens, has yet to make her pick in the crowded primary. The prized congressional endorsement among the primary's progressives is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has yet to announce her choices.
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Yvette Clarke endorses Adrienne Adams for New York City mayor
NEW YORK — Rep. Yvette Clarke is endorsing Adrienne Adams as her top choice for New York City mayor, lending the City Council speaker a much-needed boost as she seeks traction in the final weeks of the campaign, POLITICO reports exclusively. Clarke and her powerbroker mother Una Clarke are influential among Caribbean New Yorkers. They're also closely allied with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recruited and endorsed Adams in a contentious primary that Andrew Cuomo is dominating. Adams is a late entry into the race. She qualified only last week for public matching funds. And she's been polling behind Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani, the surging Democratic socialist who's closing the gap with the former governor. 'Working families in Brooklyn and across this city deserve a mayor who puts people first — someone who leads with both strength and compassion, and who has the experience to make government work for everyone,' Clarke said in a statement. 'Speaker Adrienne Adams is ready on day one to partner with me and my colleagues in protecting New Yorkers from the harmful policies coming out of the White House.' Clarke, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said she will make Adams her No. 1 pick in the ranked choice primary June 24. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, another Brooklyn Democrat, also endorsed Adams but additionally backed Mamdani and progressive city Comptroller Brad Lander in April as a part of her slate. The incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, is forgoing the Democratic primary and will run in the general election as an independent candidate. Clarke's nod comes as her political club, the Progressive Democrats Political Association, plans to endorse an unranked slate of candidates that includes Cuomo, though many members wanted to make Adrienne Adams their top choice, three people familiar with the decision told POLITICO. The Brooklyn club, founded by Una Clarke, considered backing Adams first, followed by Lander, Cuomo, club member Zellnor Myrie and Mamdani — in that order. But amid deliberations about whether to rank the candidates and pressure from Cuomo's allies within the club, members instead plan to release a five-candidate slate that shows no preferential order, according to two people familiar with the process who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Clarke's endorsement is one of the last from New York congressional delegation members in the primary. She endorsed Maya Wiley in the 2021 primary for mayor. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Adriano Espaillat of Manhattan and the Bronx, endorsed Cuomo last month. And the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus chair, Rep. Grace Meng of Queens, has yet to make her pick in the crowded primary. The prized congressional endorsement among the primary's progressives is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has yet to announce her choices.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
An endorsement conundrum for 2 NYC mayoral race holdouts
NEW YORK — At this point in the New York City mayoral primary four years ago, Reps. Grace Meng and Yvette Clarke were enthusiastically campaigning for their endorsed candidates. Now, with one month until early voting starts, the two Democrats have yet to make a move in a lopsided primary in which Andrew Cuomo's victory appears likely. That's because both would rather endorse someone else. The sense of inevitability surrounding the former governor has been a deciding factor for many who've endorsed him during his primary run. His runaway polling and the cash-stacked super PAC boosting him mean that endorsers must weigh their leverage with voters against the possibility of incurring Cuomo's infamous wrath. 'There is value to getting a vindictive guy with rough edges like him on your side if he's going to be in power,' said a New York Democratic aide granted anonymity because he, ironically, feared political reprisal. He is not affiliated with any of the mayoral campaigns. A decision by Clarke — whose powerbroker mother Una Clarke helped boost Bill de Blasio among Caribbean New Yorkers throughout his pre-mayoral career — is expected as soon as this week. It's set to be delivered gift-wrapped in political cover. She said an endorsement won't come directly through her, but rather after a vote by her Brooklyn political club, the Progressive Democrats Political Association. Among the non-Cuomo contenders are three who could be viewed as politically logical picks for her: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a fellow Black woman who was endorsed by Clarke family ally and Attorney General Letitia James; city Comptroller Brad Lander, also a Brooklyn progressive; and State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a member of Clarke's political club who's polling the lowest of the three. Clarke told POLITICO that James, a Cuomo foe and one of the state's most popular Democrats, has been lobbying her on behalf of Adams. The House member also rejected that the primary is skewed toward Cuomo, noting New York City's relatively new ranked-choice voting system. 'It's the ranked choice that ultimately determines it, and that's what we're focused on,' Clarke said in a brief interview. 'We're not going to necessarily promote one candidate, but the fact that people should use ranked choice.' Meng, whose timeline is less clear, wields influence over Asian American voters across the ideological spectrum. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who's been in second place in recent polls, is courting South Asian voters. Scott Stringer, stalled in single digits, has pulled a lot of donations from Flushing, Queens — home to a large Asian American population. But no candidate has thus far claimed a lock on those voters, who could prove decisive come the June 24 primary. All of that adds up to conundrum for Meng. Will she break with Queens Democratic Party Chair Rep. Greg Meeks as she did in 2021, when she co-chaired Andrew Yang's campaign and he backed business leader Ray McGuire? Or will she endorse Cuomo as Meeks did in March, when he declared that 'it's Queens coming together' for the former governor? 'Of course, I want her to endorse Mr. Cuomo,' Meeks told POLITICO. 'She's still deciding what she's going to do, so we're still talking to her.' Meng did not show her hand, saying only that she's in conversations with the Gracie Mansion hopefuls. 'I want to make sure that the candidates have a thoughtful plan on how to be helpful to Queens and to our AAPI community,' she told POLITICO. Meng, Clarke and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be among the last members of New York City's Democratic congressional delegation to make endorsements. No support from the delegation stands to impact the course of the race more than that of Ocasio-Cortez, a national progressive hero who is reportedly weighing an endorsement of Mamdani and Lander. But while Cuomo isn't counting on the backing of the hard-left standard-bearer, his candidacy would be validated by endorsements from either Clarke or Meng. For Cuomo rivals trailing him in every poll, the stakes are much higher. Being passed over for an endorsement or ranked low on Clarke's slate would spell even more trouble for Myrie, who has struggled throughout this race. Clarke's political club launched Myrie's wife, Assemblymember Diana Richardson, into politics and his state Senate district overlaps with Clarke's House district. Adams, a latecomer to the race, stands to gain the most from a Clarke nod. A local political institution, the Clarke family has long been allied with James, who recruited and advises Adams. Yvette Clarke emphasized the importance of New York City electing its first Black woman mayor, upon endorsing Maya Wiley in 2021. Asked about her delay in making a decision, a Clarke campaign adviser — granted anonymity to speak about internal discussions — said, 'She believes that the candidates should have time to make their case before voters, knowing that she's going to be primarily focusing her time on her job in Washington.' Indeed, House Democrats from the city have been more visible in their caucus' battle against President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' than on the campaign trail with mayoral candidates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who also endorsed Wiley in 2021, has said he's sitting out this primary. In March of that year, Meng and Clarke joined the avalanche of Democrats who called for Cuomo's resignation amid multiple sexual harassment allegations, accusations detailed in a report out of James' office that he denies. Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Ritchie Torres, as well as Meeks, were in the anti-Cuomo chorus too, but have endorsed his political comeback bid anyway. Similarly, labor unions and business groups that feuded with him as governor are on board with his mayoral run. 'It's the same calculus all the Republicans who disowned Trump after Jan. 6 made when they sold out their principles and enthusiastically supported his reelection bid,' said a New York Democratic strategist unaffiliated with any mayoral campaign and granted anonymity to speak freely. 'When the writing's on the wall, politicians don't forget how to read: Andrew Cuomo will be our next mayor.' Meng chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and is immensely popular among Asian Americans of differing political affiliations, polls have shown. She campaigned hard in 2021 for Yang, including in Flushing and was integral last year in turning out the Asian vote for Queens and Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi. 'She's unquestionably our toughest fighter for Asian Americans, and even people who don't always agree with her like her,' said Democratic consultant Amit Singh Bagga, who isn't working on any of the mayoral campaigns. 'There's something to be said for that in this business.' Clarke chairs the Congressional Black Caucus and has picked progressives in past cycles. In addition to endorsingWiley in 2021, she backed de Blasio in 2013. Cuomo has a large base of Black voters in the city. An endorsement or ranking by Clarke's political club would nevertheless be a coup for the former governor — especially since he once mistakenly believed Una Clarke was dead. 'The Clarke name is synonymous with Brooklyn politics and with Caribbean communities across the city,' said Democratic strategist Trip Yang, who is not affiliated with a mayoral candidate. 'African American turnout is high, but some campaigns intentionally target Caribbeans and some don't.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vybz Kartel Announces First U.S. Concert In Over 20 Years
Vybz Kartel is making his official return to the states. The dancehall legend will be headlining a show in New York City in April, marking his first performance in the U.S. in over 20 years. The Barclays Center's official X account confirmed, 'JUST ANNOUNCED: Vybz Kartel comes to Brooklyn on April 11!' The accompanying flyer reads, 'Reggae Fest: The Return Of Worl Boss Vybz Kartel.' The pre-sale starts next Tuesday (March 4) at 10 a.m. and general sale begins Thursday (March 6) at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster or the official Reggae Fest website. Doors open at 7 p.m. The exciting news ignited Kartel's fanbase, particularly Caribbean New Yorkers who will felt lucky the event will be held in their city. 'Nah just imagine Vybz Kartel performing BROOKLYN ANTHEM at @barclayscenter. New York might levitate,' wrote one person. Another added, 'Vybz Kartel about to turn NY upside down!' The 49-year-old hitmaker has been behind bars for the last 13 years for his connection to the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams of Waterford, St Catherine, along with additional charges. He was released in July 2024 and has since made a slew of public appearances and performances, most recently at the 2025 MOBO Awards. Although he has released some music while he was incarcerated, the Jamaican superstar's time in prison allowed him to observe what was going on in the dancehall scene. He recently shared his opinion about the artists who are in today's game. 'They gotta find themselves,' he told The Face. 'Like, OK, come out in Jamaica, tear up Jamaica. But there's a bigger market. And sometimes you gotta fine-tune your style to tap into the larger markets. The talent is there and I always talk to them. I say: once you strike a balance between art and commerce, take yourself a little less seriously. Humble yourself to the music. Because if you're not a student of it, you can't be a teacher.' The 'Fever' artist also revealed the advice he received from fellow Jamaican music legend Buju Banton during a conversation in Manhattan in 2004. 'He told me: 'Once you slow it down and they hear you, you win.' That's when I started fine-tuning it. Then '05, the next year, I get my first Deejay of the Year,' he recalled of his victory at the International Reggae & World Music Awards. 'And it went uphill from there.' Revisit Vybz Kartel's hits below and see the details for his upcoming Barclays Center show above. More from Vybz Kartel Picks A Side In Drake-Kendrick Lamar Rap Feud Cardi B Defends Vybz Kartel After Comments About His Physical Appearance Vybz Kartel Prioritizing Health Following Prison Release: "Just Being Free Is Just An Amazing Feeling"
