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The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Whole Hog Politics: Checking in on Election Day 2025
On the menu: Classical on the rocks; Newsom unveils Texas revenge package; Brown in; Where do you put 653 House members?; A dumpling for a bear There are many kinds of bias in the news business, but few as durable and reliable as New Yorkism: the outsized place that news happening in America's media capital gets in the national discussion. While home to an impressively large 6 percent of the nation's population, the New York metropolitan area definitely gets more than its fair share of coverage thanks to being the home to the two largest newspapers in the country and the headquarters of every broadcast news division. So it has been with the coverage of New York's mayoral election, which, aside from being easy and interesting to cover for big-time journos, has featured a great deal of drama: A surprising primary win by telegenic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who disrupted former Gov. Andrew Cuomo 's comeback bid. It's got ideological polarization, allegations of antisemitism, personal attacks, the always-wild incumbent Eric Adams and a guy with signature headwear. But what New York doesn't seem to have right now is a very competitive race. With less than 12 weeks to go, Mamdani seems to have not only weathered the initial backlash after his surprise victory but established himself as the nearly prohibitive front-runner. A new Siena University poll shows Mamdani up 19 points over Cuomo, 32 points over Republican Curtis Sliwa and 37 points ahead of Adams. There is still a considerable chunk of undecided voters or supporters of candidates even more marginal than Adams, but even with ranked choice voting, it doesn't look like much of a race. If Cuomo was the second choice of every Adams and Sliwa voter — which he won't be — and none of the undecided came in for Mamdani — which some of them will — it would only be a tie in an automatic runoff. Woof. The good news for Cuomo here is that Adams is far below the viability threshold and that 7 percent could become just a point or two as voters conclude he isn't a serious contender. The former governor has time to change the race, but that's a tall order when you're such a well-defined quantity in voter's minds. He can't sneak up on anybody the way Mamdani could in the primary. So what about the races not in New York, particularly across the river in New Jersey and down in Virginia. While New York City's electorate and issues bear little resemblance to the broader nation, here are a couple of medium-sized states with populations that end up looking a great deal like the broad, national electorate the parties will confront in next year's midterms. Let's start next door in New Jersey, where Republicans are hoping that suburbanites' backlash against Mamdani's perceived radicalism will work in their favor. New Jersey Republicans also have a tried and tested candidate in Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assembly member who came within 3 points of unseating incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago. But Democrats have a good horse in the race too, having picked moderate, four-term Rep. Mikie Sherrill to succeed the term-limited Murphy. Republicans are getting excited because in two polls since the general election was set in June, Ciattarelli has been within 8 points and 6 points of the Democratic front-runner. Given that Ciattarelli closed a much wider gap to make the race competitive with Murphy in 2021, this sounds like a possible winner for Republicans. But we should note the significant differences between then and now: Murphy was bogged down by the unpopularity of his aggressive COVID restrictions and voters were growing increasingly frustrated with the ineffectual and left-leaning Biden administration. Local man Donald Trump wasn't really in the picture. Now much of that has been reversed. Those same polls show that Trump is even more unpopular than Murphy in New Jersey and voters looking to send a message of change will be voting for the blue team and not the red. Neither candidate has huge statewide name identification but neither seems obviously defective, so this will probably function more like a generic ballot test than a clash of personalities. And that's what has New Jersey Democrats feeling, as the saying goes, 'nauseously optimistic.' In Virginia, the nausea is all on the GOP side, where Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is trying to become the first Republican to hold the governor's mansion for her party in consecutive terms since 1998 as she seeks to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin. For an idea of how that's working out, the state's police union took the unusual step of endorsing Earle-Sears's Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, before endorsing every other Republican candidate for statewide office. There are snubs, and then there are snubs … There's cross river context in Virginia, too. In Washington, D.C., across the Potomac, President Trump is taking over the police and bulldozing homeless encampments as he denounces crime and disorder. Spanberger, though, made a strenuous point about maintaining a tough-on-crime stance and shunning 'defund the police' rhetoric in her time in Congress. But other than on law-and-order issues, everything else Trump is doing to the race is negative for his party in Virginia. Mass federal firings, culture war shenanigans and increasingly broad immigration enforcement measures are all liabilities in a state that relies on federal paychecks, has among the most college-educated electorates in the country and a large and growing Hispanic population. That leaves Earle-Sears in a tricky spot when it comes to the leader of her party, who has at least so far done her the favor of not publicly endorsing her or threatening to campaign for her. There has not been a ton of polling in the race, but the little that we have shows Spanberger, who enjoys a massive fundraising advantage, in something of a boat race. She's up 14 points in a Virginia Commonwealth University poll with an electorate that has a pretty favorable view of Youngkin and a pretty poor view of Trump. Again, almost 12 weeks is a long time, but without a change in the race soon, this one will fall out of reach for Republicans before the first day of fall. Holy croakano! We welcome your feedback, so please email us with your tips, corrections, reactions, amplifications, etc. at WHOLEHOGPOLITICS@ If you'd like to be considered for publication, please include your real name and hometown. If you don't want your comments to be made public, please specify. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Trump Job Performance Average Approval: 43 percent Average Disapproval: 53.2 percent Net Score: -10.2 points Change from last week: No change Change from one month ago: ↑ 2.2 points [ Average includes: CNBC 46 percent approve – 51 percent disapprove; Ipsos/Reuters 40 percent approve – 56 percent disapprove; Emerson 46 percent approve – 47 percent disapprove; Fox News 46 percent approve – 54 percent disapprove; Gallup 37 percent approve – 58 percent disapprove] More Americans choose not to booze Do you have occasion to use alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer, or are you a total abstainer? Yes, drink; No, total abstainer 2021: 60 percent; 39 percent 2022: 67 percent; 33 percent 2025: 54 percent; 44 percent [Gallup survey of 1,002 adults, July 7-21, 2025] ON THE SIDE: HAYDN IN PLAIN SIGHT The New York Times: 'For the last decade, the classical pianist Hunter Noack has been embarking on an unusual journey: He hauls a thousand-pound 1912 Steinway concert grand piano to places in the outdoors not known for hosting concerts. Picture a man seated at a piano beside a lake. It could also be on a mountaintop, in a forest or meadow. … 'I get excited at the idea of bringing a piano where no piano has gone before,' Noack said. … The concerts are held rain or shine, hot or cold. (The temperature during concerts has ranged from subfreezing to above 100 degrees.) Among the notable locales where Noack has played are the entrance to Yellowstone (via the Roosevelt Arch in Montana), Joshua Tree National Park in California, Crater Lake in southern Oregon and Banff National Park in Canada. … Among other wildlife that made appearances were free-range horses, birds and deer.' PRIME CUTS Newsom plows ahead with redistricting, frames move as temporary: ABC News: 'California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is moving forward with putting proposed new congressional maps for the state on the ballot on a Nov. 4 special election in an attempt to counter mid-decade redistricting being pushed by Republicans in Texas. … He said the state government will affirm its commitment to the state's independent redistricting commission after the 2030 census, 'but we're asking the voters for their consent to do midterm redistricting in 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the congressional maps to respond to what's happening in Texas … and we'll do so in a way that also affirms our desire as a state to level the playing field all across the United States.'' ICE puts a chill on the event: KTLA: 'Federal agents were in attendance as Gov. Gavin Newsom took to downtown Los Angeles Thursday to promote his redistricting plan. Newsom, who has proposed changing California's congressional districts to offset a similar action by Republican-controlled Texas, spoke at the Japanese American National Museum. Just outside in the Little Tokyo area, however, about 100 federal agents gathered, presumably for another immigration raid.' A muddled race for California governor: WHTM: 'New polling in the California Governor's race shows Katie Porter (D) and Steve Hilton (R) leading the field after former Vice President Kamala Harris decided not to enter the race. The survey showed the former congresswoman Porter leading the field with 18% with a six-point bump since April. Hilton, a media personality and former British policy advisor, received 12% in his first appearance in the Emerson College Polling survey. Former Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) received 7%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) received 5%, and businessman Rick Caruso (D) received 4% in the Emerson College Polling survey. Thirty-eight percent of voters polled were undecided in the race, down from 54% in April when Harris had not yet announced her intentions to stay out of the race. … Voters were largely split on Newsom's plan to potentially redraw congressional districts in response to Texas, with 33% of California voters favoring a redraw, 25% opposed, and 42% undecided.' Kounalakis ditches race to succeed Newsom: KCRA: ' Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis has dropped out of the 2026 governor's race and is instead running for another state office … Kounalakis' campaign website now has multiple references across her page that indicate she is now running to become the state treasurer.' Brown tries again, banking on Ohio midterm swing: The New York Times: 'Former Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio plans to try to return to the Senate in 2026, giving the Democratic Party a strong recruit in its effort to take back control of the chamber next year, according to three people with knowledge of his decision. Mr. Brown, who served in the Senate for three terms until his defeat in 2024, immediately becomes the Democratic front-runner to face Senator Jon Husted, a freshman Republican whom Gov. Mike DeWine appointed to fill the vacancy created by JD Vance 's elevation to the vice presidency. … In the Senate race, Mr. Husted is seeking to win the remainder of Mr. Vance's term. Whoever wins will need to face voters again in 2028 to secure a full six-year term. … Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and Mr. Vance serves as a tiebreaking vote, meaning Democrats must flip four seats to regain control of the chamber.' Maine Dems, weary of waiting on Gov. Janet Mills, ready challenges to Collins: The Washington Post: 'Sen. Susan Collins is, by far, the most vulnerable Republican senator facing voters next year. And yet, Democrats are grumbling about the campaign against her, with many waiting — somewhat begrudgingly — to see if Maine Gov. Janet Mills will challenge the five-term incumbent. … Mills is currently the only elected Democrat in Maine with a proven ability to win statewide. … She is viewed in Maine as a centrist Democrat. … While some Democrats see Mills as their best shot at defeating Collins, it's not clear what the governor herself wants to do. … There was some hope among national Democrats that Rep. Jared Golden would challenge Collins, but he declined to run for Senate and is instead running for reelection. Ryan Fecteau, the speaker of the Maine House, and Cathy Breen, a former state senator, are both considering a possible bid, Democrats tell us. … And Aaron Frey, the attorney general of Maine, is likely to get in if Mills does not run.' Crunching the numbers on North Carolina Senate: DDHQ: '[A] look at the aggregate U.S. House vote in North Carolina [in 2024] suggests the state could shift to the left sufficiently for Democrats to win in a state that Trump carried by about 3 points in 2024. … Yet the less right-leaning 2024 result does not necessarily augur that Democrats can count on North Carolina to shift their way if the nation does. This is because North Carolina is generally one of the more 'inelastic' states in U.S. elections — that is, its electorate tends to move less in response to swings in the national electoral environment. That's partly because of racial polarization: North Carolina's white voters have a clear Republican lean while the state's sizable base of Black voters — about one-fifth of the electorate, second to only Georgia in magnitude among swing states — are overwhelmingly Democratic. In terms of its party allegiances, this makes North Carolina's electorate 'stickier' year-in and year-out.' SHORT ORDER Freedom Caucus stalwart jumps in race to succeed [ Tommy ] Tuberville in Alabama — The Hill Poll shows [ Elise ] Stefanik way behind but gaining on Hochul for NY governor — The Hill Effort to unseat Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina primary narrows to a mega MAGA stalwart — The Hill Georgia AG files suit to block his rival in gubernatorial run from self-funding — AP Chip Roy, long a thorn in House leadership's side, eyes Texas AG run — The Hill DeSantis, frozen out by state GOP, may be grooming successor with Lt. Gov. pick — AP Warning signs for Republicans with Hispanic voters — Liberal Patriot 2028 Watch: [ Ruben ] Gallego wraps Iowa visit, on to New Hampshire — The Hill TABLE TALK: MAGA MIRAGE 'All of the candidates in the race think they're the Trump candidate.' — Alex Stroman, former South Carolina GOP executive director, on the increasingly nasty race for governor in the Palmetto State, which includes Rep. Nancy Mace and state Attorney General Alan Wilson. MAILBAG 'I believe that, as long as there are people interested in politics and outcomes, there will be gerrymandering. The real current problem concerning it is there is not a level playing field for the two opposing parties. Redistricting commissions get in the way in too many big Democratic-controlled states and they need to be undone. Some people think that having such commissions staffed by independent people everywhere would be the cure. I disagree. Where are you going to find competent independent people who truly don't care about outcomes? The moon? If you add 218 or however many extra people to the House of Representatives, where are they going to sit? Will committee hearings and floor votes all be conducted via Zoom?' — Ken Stevens, Columbia, Md. Mr. Stevens, I tend to agree with you about the necessity of understanding redistricting for what it is: an exercise of political power. I am sure that those folks who live in places like your hometown in the Baltimore burbs feel that most intensely as it relates to Democrats in urban centers, while those who live in an urban center in a red state, say, Nashville, would experience it most acutely from the other direction. It would be better if state legislators cared more about designing districts that provided the best, most stable, most convenient districts for their constituents and less about obtaining partisan advantage. But if Old Bay didn't have paprika in it, it wouldn't stain your fingers when you picked crabs. It's just the way of things. And impartial commissions don't ultimately solve the problem because each map involves subjective decisionmaking, in which competing goods must be balanced. Is it more essential for a district to be compact or to contain voters of a similar socioeconomic or cultural situation? What about precedent? Should longstanding districts be maintained even when the population changes? All are worthwhile considerations, but often in conflict. Vesting that power in the hands of commissions insulates those decisionmakers from the voting public. There is a great deal to be said for having experts craft potential maps from which lawmakers can choose. I think a system in which lawmakers assigned the work of drafting four or five maps and then holding hearings before voting strikes me as a good compromise. But the most direct way to deal with gerrymandering is, I believe, expanding the House of Representatives so that the consequences of any single gerrymandering would be much smaller. It would also create more competitive, swing districts regardless of the best efforts of the gerrymanderers. As for what to do with another 218 members of the House, Washington Post columnist Danielle Allen asked architects to take a stab at how to accommodate new members and some of the results were, frankly, pretty cool, particularly putting the House 'in the round.' All best, c 'When I ran for Congress back in 2002, there were about 625,000 people in the district, but it only took about 15,000 votes to win the Republican Primary, and since it was a pretty red district, the winner of the primary was a shoo-in in November. That needs to end, since it essentially means the 'tail is wagging' the dog. I think Congress should go back to the old ways and pick a number, be it 100,000, 200,000, 250,000, whatever … and then however many districts that creates is how many it creates, so be it. As the population grows, the number of Representatives will grow. I'm envisioning at least 2,000 or more Representatives and growing. … On the other hand, people will complain that the Capitol can't hold that many representatives, to that I say. … Why have Congress meet in Washington at all? Remote voting should be allowed. Why not just have them all do one huge video conference?' — Dave Kovatch, Rhodelia, Ky. Mr. Kovatch, Whoa, whoa, whoa! I love your enthusiasm, but that's a lot of lawmakers. We want for members of Congress to be able to reason together and experience a little unit cohesion. The House should be for exercising political competition within itself but also against the Senate, the states, the judiciary and, most essentially, the executive. Thousands of lawmakers connected virtually with one and other strikes me as a recipe for increased factionalism and an even greater degree of partisan capture. Ideally, lawmakers come to town and develop both expertise and relationships as they serve. At the end of three terms in the House, we'd hope to see members who have developed mastery of subjects and of the legislative process. Committee assignments should be consequential because committees should be powerful. I think that can be accommodated while growing the House by 50 percent, but not in a world where the members never have to leave the comfort of their home offices. In fact, I'd also like to ditch the housing allowance and build dormitory housing for lawmakers while they are in town. All best, c You should email us! Write to WHOLEHOGPOLITICS@ with your tips, kudos, criticisms, insights, rediscovered words, wonderful names, recipes, and, always, good jokes. Please include your real name — at least first and last — and hometown. Make sure to let us know in the email if you want to keep your submission private. My colleague, the personable Meera Sehgal, and I will look for your emails and then share the most interesting ones and my responses here. Clickety clack! FOR DESSERT: GRITTY WOULD HAVE STOOD HIS GROUND AP: '[Pro hockey team] Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team's blue-haired troll mascot had a close call with a brown bear during a promotional video shoot in Alaska. Hayden and the mascot named Buoy were on a fly-fishing outing in Katmai National Park as part of a trip promoting youth hockey when the bear approached, video released by the team shows. Knee-deep in a shallow river, they wore waders and other fly-fishing gear. Hayden had been fishing, but a guide quickly took the rod from him. The bear charged toward the mascot, splashing water, but turned away before making contact as Hayden, Buoy and the film crew waded back to shore through a gentle current. … The NHL team said it didn't intend to involve the bear in filming, but included it in a video posted to social media. … 'I want to blame it on Buoy,' Hayden said on the video afterward. 'They were pretty interested in his look.'' Chris Stirewalt is the politics editor for The Hill and NewsNation, the host of 'The Hill Sunday' on NewsNation and The CW, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of books on politics and the media. Meera Sehgal contributed to this report.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
One-man show? Shock poll shows Zohran Mamdani's support matches all rivals combined in stunning upset
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman, is currently leading the New York City mayoral race, garnering support equal to his three main opponents combined after defeating Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Recent polls indicate strong support from younger voters, while Cuomo, Sliwa, and Adams trail behind. The November 4th election is shaping up to be a high-stakes political battle. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What do the numbers from the poll show? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What are his opponents saying? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What comes next? FAQs A new poll shows that Zohran Mamdani is ahead in the race for mayor of New York City, with as much support from voters as his three main opponents combined. The 33-year-old state assemblyman's rise comes after he beat Andrew Cuomo in the primary, making him the clear leader in the and current mayor Eric Adams are now running as independents in the hopes of taking away some of Mamdani's support. At the same time, Curtis Sliwa, a Republican candidate, and Jim Walden, an independent candidate, are both trying to win over voters, as per a report by most recent Siena University poll shows that 44 percent of the people polled support Mamdani. This is the same number of people who support Cuomo, Sliwa, and Adams combined. Cuomo has 25% of the vote, Sliwa has 12%, and Adams has only 7%.The survey, which took place from August 4 to 7 and included 813 registered voters, shows that younger people are especially likely to support Mamdani, as per a report by Greenberg, Siena's pollster, said that most voters under 35 support Mamdani, and most voters between 35 and 54 do too. But voters over 55 tend to support Cuomo by a margin of 38 to 32 results are very similar to those of a July poll by Zenith Research and Public Progress Solutions, which put Mamdani at 50 percent in a five-way the election in November gets closer, his opponents are rushing to catch up. The fight for City Hall is turning into a high-stakes political have been getting more and more angry with each other. Mamdani has spoken out against Cuomo's talks with former President Donald Trump, saying they are an example of what he calls "political opportunism" that hurts working-class New Yorkers, as per a report by on the other hand, has said that Mamdani's housing policies don't protect lower-income tenants from being "boxed out" by wealthier residents. Sliwa has criticized Mamdani's views on policing, promising to send more officers to areas with a lot of crime and calling his opponent a "hypocrite" for criticizing the Walden, an independent candidate, hasn't yet gotten more than ten votes, but he is still in the race, hoping for an upset in a crowded race is now in its most important stage, with the general election set for November 4. Mamdani will be able to keep his lead if he can keep younger voters interested and avoid attacks from all sides of the political spectrum, as per a report by current polling trends hold, he could win in a way that would change the city's politics forever and make him one of New York's most powerful progressive Mamdani is currently leading, with poll numbers equal to his top three opponents general election is scheduled for November 4.
Politico
7 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Nobody's escaping the negative New York vibes
With help from Amira McKee New York voters aren't thrilled with politicians these days, a Siena University poll out this morning found. Nearly every bold-face name in power — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Sen. Chuck Schumer — is unpopular with large swaths of the electorate. Andrew Cuomo, attempting a comeback bid, also has sky-high negatives at the state and city level. Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist who defeated Cuomo in a June primary upset, is viewed unfavorably statewide by a plurality of voters. Among New York City voters, Mamdani leads a five-candidate field with 44 percent over the second-place Cuomo at 25 percent, although the Siena pollsters caution that the NYC sample size is small. Republican Curtis Sliwa is in third at 12 percent while Adams, an incumbent in a longshot bid for a second term, receives 7 percent. At least the mayor finished ahead of independent Jim Walden — although that might only be because he was not included in the survey. At the statewide level, Hochul holds a 14-point lead over potential Republican opponent Elise Stefanik, 45 percent to 31 percent. The governor, who runs for reelection next year, previously enjoyed a 23-point advantage over Stefanik in June. The poll underscores that being an incumbent is a tough proposition beyond the horseraces. Adams is viewed unfavorably by 58 percent of New York City voters, with only 30 percent holding a favorable view of him. Voters statewide are split over Hochul: 42 percent view her favorably; 44 percent do not. Schumer, the longest-serving statewide elected official — and arguably the country's most powerful Democrat — is viewed unfavorably by 50 percent of New Yorkers. That makes him only slightly less loathed than President Donald Trump, who has a 56 percent unfavorable rating, with only 37 percent of voters in deep blue New York viewing him favorably. Why so much angst? Hochul's job approval rating, after all, is above water. More than half of voters — 53 percent — approve or strongly approve of how she's handling the office. New Yorkers, though, are apprehensive. Most voters — 45 percent — believe the state is heading in the wrong direction, while only 41 percent believe New York is on the right track. A large majority — 70 percent — believe the fiscal condition of New York is fair or poor. Fifty-three percent of voters are ready to support someone else for governor, with only 35 percent prepared to re-elect the governor. Still, there are silver linings for Hochul. Stefanik, a prominent Trump ally and House member, remains unfamiliar to 46 percent of New Yorkers. That gives the Hochul team an opening to define their potential opponent ahead of next year. 'Stefanik clearly has room to grow with voters — either positively or negatively,' Siena University pollster Steve Greenberg said. The poll of 813 registered voters was conducted from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7. It has a 4.2 percent margin of error. — Nick Reisman HAPPY TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In New York City making an announcement on education affordability. WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Monday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Means-testing rent regulation in NYC would lead to the mass displacement of working-class and middle-class New Yorkers in a city that has increasingly become unaffordable to both.' — Rep. Ritchie Torres on X in an apparent criticism of mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo's proposal to means test applicants for rent-stabilized apartments. ABOVE THE FOLD LIMITING TRUMP'S IMPACT: Mamdani's plan for Trump-proofing New York City if he's elected mayor is beginning to take shape as he makes the president a political foil in his general election bid. The Democratic nominee told The Nation in an interview published today that he wants to be proactive by bolstering revenues and beefing up 'sanctuary' city policies. 'You raise revenue, such that you not only are able to protect the city against the worst of the federal cuts that are to come, but also that you are able to pursue an affirmative agenda at the same time,' Mamdani said. 'It is not enough to fight Trump's vision in purely a defensive posture.' He added that he would both enforce and strengthen laws that limit cooperation between federal immigration agents and local law enforcement, contrasting that stance with the record of the current mayor. 'Just think about these policies, which have been spoken of by Eric Adams as if they are an attack on what makes us New Yorkers, when in fact they've been in existence for decades and have been defended prior to him by Republicans and Democrats alike,' Mamdani said. As Trump activates the National Guard to combat crime in Washington and threatens to do the same for New York City and other Democrat-run metropolises, Mamdani is pitching himself as the candidate who is best positioned to protect New Yorkers. Mamdani told reporters Monday at the first stop of his 'Five Boroughs Against Trump' tour that he would use every tool the city has to mitigate the impact of cuts to health care and food aid and the ramping up of deportations. He listed adding 200 attorneys to the Law Department, bringing staffing levels up at other city agencies, investing in legal representation for immigrants and expanding the use of city-funded housing vouchers as other potential Trump-proofing measures in a Mamdani administration. — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST QUALITY OF LIFE EXPANSION: The mayor and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Monday that the NYPD would be expanding quality-of-life enforcement teams throughout Queens. The teams are focused on responding to non-emergency calls and cracking down on offenses like panhandling, unlicensed vending and noise complaints. 'For too long, the kinds of problems that chip away at a block's sense of safety have gone unaddressed: The abandoned car that hasn't moved for months, mopeds weaving through pedestrian sidewalks, vanishing under illegal vendors, loud music blaring deep into the night, homeless encampments lining city streets,' Tisch said at a press briefing. 'These aren't isolated issues and they haven't gone unnoticed.' Since the program launched in April with six pilot sites, 'Q-Teams' have responded to 31,500 calls to 911 and 311, according to the mayor's office. They're now operating in all of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, with plans to expand the effort to every precinct in Staten Island on Aug. 18. Adams has staked much of his reelection campaign on public safety and the decline in many major felonies, particularly murders, and shootings. However, as POLITICO has reported, the overall picture on crime is more complex. — Joe Anuta More from the city: — Mark Levine, the city's likely next comptroller, is strategizing to protect against Trump while many of his supporters hope he'll also push back on Mamdani. (City & State) — Cuomo wants to kick 'wealthy' out of NYC rent-stabilized apartments. How would that work? (Gothamist) — The one race that Adams is winning is social media content creation. (The New Yorker) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Internal Revenue Service's dismantling of a rule that prohibits federal tax-exempt organizations like religious institutions from engaging in direct political activity is getting a state-level response. Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis today will unveil a bill that would enforce a state-level ban on nonprofit, tax-exempt groups from participating in politics. The IRS in July announced religious leaders could endorse political candidates from the pulpit while preserving their tax-exempt status. The move reversed a decades-old federal tax code provision — although it was rarely enforced in recent years. Skoufis' bill would only affect state tax exemptions. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Hochul insisted her redistricting push won't become a distraction. (City & State) — A bill to end anonymous child abuse reports is heading to Hochul's desk. (Gothamist) — Upstate New York groups demand Hochul stop delaying her decision on a permitless Bitcoin gas plant. (Gothamist) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION LULL IN HOUSE DEM SUPPORT: Rep. Jerry Nadler endorsed Mamdani after his primary night win. Rep. Adriano Espaillat followed suit a couple weeks later. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez have been in his corner since his primary campaign. But no other New York House delegation members have gotten on board in the past month. Nadler is confident that Mamdani will win big in November. He also expects that some of his House colleagues will change their minds about endorsing the Democratic nominee before then. 'I think he'll get most. We'll see,' Nadler told Playbook on Monday in Manhattan at a Mamdani campaign stop. The top House Democrat, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, has met with Mamdani but offered no endorsement. Rep. Ritchie Torres said he won't endorse in the race. And Reps. Dan Goldman, Greg Meeks, Yvette Clarke and Grace Meng have yet to make a decision. Nadler said he's not pressuring them and won't speak for them. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Teamsters pour money into the GOP, shifting away from Dems. (POLITICO) — House Republicans want another megabill. One GOP senator says it could be 'damaging.' (POLITICO) — Jeffries hammers Trump for seizing control of Washington police. (The Hill) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — The Bruce Springsteen biopic is set to premiere at the New York Film Festival. (Daily News) — Revel will exit the New York City rideshare market and focus on electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. (amNewYork) — Billy Joel's Oyster Bay motorcycle shop is closing as the Piano Man becomes a Florida man. (Newsday) SOCIAL DATA HAPPY BIRTHDAY: The Parkside Group's Evan Stavisky … George Soros (95) … Pursuit's Jukay Hsu … POLITICO's Kyle Blaine … Mike Holtzman … HuffPost's Dave Jamieson … Jeffrey Kontulis … Michael Lame … (WAS MONDAY): Elizabeth Holtzman Missed Monday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
New York Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Gov. Hochul only leads Rep. Elise Stefanik by this much in hypothetical New York governor matchup: Siena poll
ALBANY – Gov. Kathy Hochul leads Rep. Elise Stefanik by just 14 points in a hypothetical matchup for New York Governor, according to a Siena University poll released Monday. While still a hefty lead, it's the smallest gap between Hochul and a potential GOP challenger since then Rep. Lee Zeldin trailed Hochul by only 11 points just three weeks before the 2021 general election. Hochul would go on to win by only 7 points. 'Stefanik can highlight that more than a year out from a potential match-up, Hochul's lead over Stefanik is only 14 points, 45-31%, down from 23 points in June, and that Hochul doesn't hit 'the magic 51% mark,'' Siena poll spokesperson Steven Greenberg said. Gov. Kathy Hochul suffered from another month of underwater poll numbers, according to the Siena University poll released Tuesday. Tomas E. Gaston The poll results come as Stefanik has seemingly consolidated the GOP field should she pull the trigger on a gubernatorial run following Hudson Valley Congressman Mike Lawler's official exit from the race last month. Stefanik also had some other bright spots from the Siena poll. She eked out a few points over Hochul among independents, 35% to 32%. Stefanik also won among suburban voters — those from Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties — 41% to 39%. Zeldin had similarly been leading among the two constituencies in October 2021. North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik trails Gov. Kathy Hochul by 14 points, according to a Siena poll released Tuesday. Bloomberg via Getty Images A fifth of those polled weren't familiar with Hochul or Stefanik. 'Stefanik clearly has room to grow with voters – either positively or negatively. While 49% of voters say they are very or somewhat familiar with her, 46% are not very or not at all familiar with Stefanik,' Greenberg said. Hochul, once again, suffered from underwater favorability ratings this quarter. Respondents rated her 42% favorable to 44% unfavorable. The Democrat has had negative favorability ratings in nine of the last 10 Siena polls. Asked if New York is on the right track or heading in the wrong direction, 41% said 'right track' as opposed to 45% who said it was heading in the 'wrong direction.'
