Latest news with #ManhattanDemocraticParty
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Andrew Cuomo snags endorsement of ex-NY Gov. David Paterson in NYC mayoral race: ‘Workable, sensible candidate'
Andrew Cuomo snagged the endorsement of fellow former Gov. David Paterson Wednesday — after also cinching the backing of ex-Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Paterson announced he was backing Cuomo — the frontrunner to win the Democratic nomination for mayor — during an event where he was joined by union members and Manhattan Democratic Party Leader Keith Wright. The 55th governor, who served between 2008–2010, praised Cuomo as the 'workable, sensible candidate.' 3 Cuomo snags endorsement from NY leaders at Amy Ruth's restaurant in Harlem. Matthew McDermott He seemingly took shots at Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who firmly holds second place in the polls behind Cuomo — and has been drawing criticism from moderate Dems over his ultra-progressive policies. 'Are we gonna engage in absurd extremes, making promises we can't keep, pledging hopes we can't fulfill?' Paterson said. Wright, a former state Assembly member, also endorsed Cuomo, calling out his plan to build more affordable housing. 3 Left to wright, David Paterson, Andrew Cuomo, and Kevin Wright, celebrate the frontrunners endorsement in Harlem. Matthew McDermott 3 Cuomo said he was honored to receive the endorsement from the fellow former governor of NY David Paterson. Matthew McDermott 'The one point that got me, when Andrew says he's going to build 500,000 units of affordable housing, I believe him!' he said. 'Right now, when I look at the field, I can't think of anyone more capable of doing it than the one who did it before,' said Paterson at Wednesday's gathering, held at Amy Ruth's soul food restaurant in Harlem. The announcement follows ex-gov.'s endorsement from former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg who expressed similar sentiments about Cuomo's experience and leadership. Following the event, the ex-governor posted a statement celebrating the endorsement from the two veteran Dems. 'I am honored to have the endorsement of Former Governor Paterson and former State Assembly Member Keith Wright, two men I have known and respected for many years,' Cuomo wrote on X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
In final stretch of New York mayoral race, Cuomo targets Mamdani's inexperience
NEW YORK — Mayoral contender Andrew Cuomo argued Wednesday that his leading opponent, Zohran Mamdani, lacks the experience to lead the city. 'I think New Yorkers are smart. They know that somebody has to know how to do the job,' Cuomo told reporters at a campaign event in Harlem. 'It's common sense that before you hire a person for a job, you ask about basic credentials and experience.' The 67-year-old former governor spoke at length about the 33-year-old state legislator, though he never used his name. Cuomo, who has a penchant for Socratic dialogue, acted out a mock job interview between Mamdani and a recruiter. ''Hello, I'm applying for the job of the mayor of the City of New York.' 'OK, do you have management experience?' 'No.' 'Have you managed 100 people before?' 'No.' 'Have you managed 50 people before?' 'No, I have no management experience,'' Cuomo said. He said Mamdani also lacks experience dealing with President Donald Trump, building affordable housing and running mental health facilities. Cuomo was in Harlem to announce the endorsements of former Gov. David Paterson and former Assemblymember Keith Wright, the Manhattan Democratic Party leader. All three men were born in the 1950s, to fathers who became influential in New York politics — something Cuomo reminisced about Wednesday to emphasize their collective experience. 'We go back to our fathers' time,' he said. 'You know, [state Sen.] Basil Paterson, [Gov.] Mario Cuomo, Judge [Bruce] Wright, [Rep.] Charlie Rangel, they were all peers, and they were giants. And we learned that at their knee in many ways.' Rangel died in May at 94, and is lying in state at City Hall this week, before his funeral Friday. Mamdani's youth and relative inexperience have emerged as top attack lines against his rising candidacy. A democratic socialist, he has served in the Assembly since 2021, and has a government staff of five people, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Cuomo went after his experience level at last week's mayoral debate, and city Comptroller Brad Lander, a campaign rival, said at that debate he's the only candidate with 'progressive values' and 'the proven management experience.' If elected, Mamdani would be the youngest mayor in a century, while Cuomo would be the oldest person to take the job in the modern era. 'Zohran is proud not to have the experience of defunding the MTA, cutting Medicaid, empowering Republicans and resigning in disgrace after being credibly accused of serial sexual harassment,' Mamdani campaign spokesperson Andrew Epstein said about Cuomo's comments. 'New Yorkers are ready for a new generation of leadership that's ready to take on Donald Trump, not funded by the same billionaires who put him back into office.' Cuomo slammed Trump in his remarks Wednesday, saying he 'has declared war on immigrants, and that's what you saw in L.A. the other day,' referring to arrests by ICE, calling it 'authoritarianism.' Meanwhile Cuomo and Paterson have a complicated history. As New York attorney general, Cuomo investigated Paterson as governor, adding to the pressure Paterson was under to opt out of running for reelection in 2010. That, in turn, cleared the way for Cuomo to run for his own first term as governor. 'That was a difficult time,' Paterson said Wednesday. 'One of the things that I've tried to do with people that I've worked with, even when they could have been a little kinder, is to recognize that, how long do they have to carry the cross? That was 15 years ago, and a whole lot of things have happened since then, and I'm happy to endorse him.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Gov. David Paterson endorses Cuomo for NYC mayor after years of tension
Ex-Gov. David Paterson signaled Wednesday he wants to let bygones be bygones as he endorsed his successor, Andrew Cuomo, to become New York City mayor after years of simmering tensions between the two men. Paterson, who, along with Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright, endorsed Cuomo at a morning news conference in Harlem, acknowledged he was initially a bit reluctant to throw his political weight behind his fellow ex-governor. 'When Andrew asked me for my support, I didn't do it right away,' he told reporters at Amy Ruth's, a soul food restaurant in Harlem. 'But as the campaigns developed, I see him as the best person to lead the city.' Paterson stepped down as governor in 2010 after Cuomo, then New York's attorney general, launched an investigation into allegations that he helped cover up domestic violence accusations against a staffer. Cuomo — who succeeded Paterson as governor after winning the November 2010 election — also investigated Paterson over allegations he lied about his office's solicitation of Yankees World Series tickets. Cuomo was widely faulted at the time for contributing to the political downfall of Paterson, the state's first Black governor, who ultimately never faced charges for the alleged wrongdoing. As recently as 2021, Paterson said he 'was always pretty leery' of Cuomo. Asked at Wednesday's news conference whether there are still sour grapes with Cuomo over the 2010 tumult, Paterson said: 'He claims he didn't do it, but you know that was a difficult time but one of the things that I've tried to do with people that I've worked with even when they could have been a little kinder is to recognize that: How long do they have to carry the cross?' Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid accusations he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women and mismanaged nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, said it was 'heartwarming' to get endorsed by Paterson and Wright, noting they used to work with his father, the late ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo. 'For them to step up and support me — forget the political impact — it just means a lot to me personally,' he said. Cuomo continues to poll as the favorite to win the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary. When asked whether it's vexing him that Cuomo has reemerged as a serious political contender despite resigning himself amid a scandal, Paterson replied, 'I'm just glad you all acknowledge how absurd it was to bother me about the Yankee tickets.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who railed about ‘defending democracy' after 2020, faces discipline in his own party for election interference
A House Democrat who ranted about defending democracy on the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is facing a reprimand after allegedly trying to cheat in a party election. Rep. Adriano Espaillat may be suspended from or even kicked out of the Manhattan Democratic Party Wednesday after an ethics probe found he and three cronies engaged in 'misconduct' in a 2023 vote for chairman, the second highest position within the party. Espaillat backed Assemblyman Harvey Epstein for the role while the congressman's rival, Manhattan Democratic party leader Keith Wright, backed Nico Minerva — who eventually won the post after an Oct. 5, 2023 party committee election. But Espaillat and three fellow Assembly District 72 leaders — Manny De Los Santos, Maria Morillo, and Mariel De La Cruz — failed to report 23 votes for Minerva on their turf. 'District Leaders Adriano Espaillat, Manny De Los Santos, Maria Morillo, and Mariel De La Cruz violated multiple provisions of the New York County Democratic Party Rules through vote manipulation, improper check-in procedures, intimidation tactics, improper filling of vacancies, and obstruction of accountability mechanisms,' a report by the internal ethics committee concluded. The ethics report acknowledged assertions by Espaillat and allies that there were administrative miscues by the party leadership during the election — but the probe concluded that didn't absolve their misconduct. The party's executive committee will vote Wednesday on whether to accept the findings of the ethics report and punish Espaillat by taking one of its three recommended actions — including banning him and his allies from ever holding a party position again, suspending them for 10 years or adding two district leader seats to AD 72 who are not from Espaillat's political club to dilute his power. A suspension or expulsion is unlikely, sources told The Post — and party insiders could also opt to issue a public reprimand. 'Is there going to be accountability or not? I hope we're the party that follows the rules,' party secretary Barry Weinberg said. Weinberg accused Espaillat and his allies of engaging in 'blatant and brazen voter suppression.' Espaillat declined to directly comment. But Harlem party District Leader Corey Ortega, a spokesperson for the Espaillat-backed New York County Coalition for Reform, responded on the congressman's behalf — and claimed the ethics probe was a kangaroo court engineered by party leader Wright. 'Keith Wright's actions represent a blatant political purge—weaponizing the Democratic machine to silence Latino district leaders who disagree with him and he can't remove through a democratic process,' Ortega said. 'Wright's history reflects a consistent pattern of exclusion and retaliation. Such unconstitutional attacks may fit the Trump administration but they certainly have no place in our City's Democratic Party.' He also said two of the five members of the ethics committee disagreed with the report's conclusions. But even those two committee members — Vanessa Aronson and Gabriel Panek — agreed with the majority that Espaillat and his allies engaged in some misconduct and should face 'consequences.' The duo recommended a vote on whether to reprimand the offenders. There's long been simmering tension between Espaillat and Wright. Espaillat defeated Wright in the Democratic primary to replace retiring Charlie Rangel in 2016 in a new north-Manhattan/Bronx district that was once predominantly black district and now has a Latino majority. The congressman's election woes come after he blasted supporters of President Trump for engaging in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to challenge former President Joe Biden's 2020 victory over their candidate. 'Today, we pause to reflect on the violent attack that occurred at the United States Capitol four years ago as part of an organized attempt to halt the peaceful transfer of power,' Espaillat said on the four-year anniversary of the Capitol riot. 'We recommit our efforts to protect and defend our democracy to uphold from those who would undermine or end it,' he said.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Manhattan Dem Party boss Keith Wright backs Justin Brannan for comptroller
Manhattan Democratic Party boss Keith Wright is endorsing Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan's 2025 bid for city comptroller, dealing a blow to Mark Levine, Manhattan's borough president who is running against Brannan. Wright, an ex-Assembly member from Harlem who has been the Manhattan Democratic Party's leader since 2009, said Wednesday it's rare for him to 'endorse a candidate so enthusiastically and without reservation.' 'Justin's deep understanding of our city's budget and ability to speak truth to power make him uniquely qualified to be the peoples' comptroller,' Wright told the Daily News. Joining him in endorsing Brannan was uptown Manhattan state Sen. Robert Jackson, who called Brannan a 'tireless advocate' for education and housing. Levine has been Manhattan BP since 2022 and represented a section of the borough in the City Council for eight years before that. He has also racked up a raft of prominent endorsements, including from Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso, and is leading Brannan in fundraising for the June 24 Democratic comptroller primary election.
