Latest news with #mayoralrace
New York Times
2 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
In N.Y.C. Mayor's Race, Mamdani Responds to a Call for His Deportation
In his surprising rise to New York City's top tier of mayoral hopefuls, Zohran Mamdani has battled opponents' attacks on his inexperience, his leftward politics and his criticism of Israel's war in Gaza. But this week, Mr. Mamdani found himself facing a new attack that was both pointed and illogical, when a Republican city councilwoman from Queens called for him to be deported. (Mr. Mamdani is a U.S. citizen.) The remark by the councilwoman, Vickie Paladino, who is known for her incendiary social media posts, quickly became a talking point in the Democratic mayoral primary race, just a day before the candidates were to face off in their first debate. Ms. Paladino recirculated a 2019 social media post from Mr. Mamdani in which he said he couldn't vote for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for president in 2016 because he was not a citizen at the time. She was incredulous that Mr. Mamdani was being treated seriously as a mayoral candidate. 'Let's just talk about how insane it is to elect someone to any major office who hasn't even been a U.S. citizen for 10 years — much less a radical leftist who actually hates everything about the country and is here specifically to undermine everything we've ever been about,' Ms. Paladino wrote on X late Monday evening. 'Deport.' Mr. Mamdani, who is polling second behind former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the June 24 primary, soon responded. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Democratic candidate accused of suddenly including 'Ortiz' in her name to pander to Hispanics: 'You are not Latino'
A Texas Democrat is facing wild allegations she using a last name in an attempt to make her more popular with Hispanic voters in a mayoral race. Gina Ortiz Jones, who is white and Filipino, has been accused of campaigning adding 'Ortiz' to her campaign to be the next mayor of San Antonio. Local Republicans claim the 44-year-old had previously gone by Gina Maria Jones until 2017, when she added her mother's maiden name of Ortiz while running for Congress to represent Alamo City. The mayoral election in San Antonio, America's seventh-largest city, is expected to be decided by just a few thousand votes. There are nearly one million Hispanics in the South Texas city where Spanish and Mexican heritage runs deep. Rolando Pablo, her GOP rival, drew attention to the alleged name swap with an ad saying: 'Gina Jones was Gina Jones until she wasn't. 'She added Ortiz to her name when she ran for Congress. It didn't work. She lost. Two years later, she tried to fool you again, and lost again. 'Gina, drop it. You're not Latina.' Jones told 'Ortiz' is her legal middle name. 'Gina is a proud Filipino-American, and it's tradition for Filipino children to take their mother's maiden name as their middle name, so that's always been her middle name,' Mary Kate Hull, Jones campaign constant told Daily Mail. But Republicans counter Jones didn't use her middle name until she thought it might help her Hispanic voters, using Gina Maria Jones while a student in John Jay High School. 'Like a lot of people, as she's gotten into adulthood, has wanted to embrace her heritage and use her middle name,' Hull added. Her campaign confirmed her full legal name is Gina Maria Ortiz Jones. Her official paperwork with the City of San Antonio for mayor lists her as Gina Ortiz Jones. The Democrat has openly talked about her heritage, including her Asian mother who moved to the US to chase the American dream and starting out as a domestic worker. The candidate posted a picture of her mother as she cast her ballot for herself Monday. 'I might not be Latina, but I know what opportunity looks like,' she told a Spanish-speaking audience during the local Univision station's debate in May. By contrast, Rolando Pablos was born in Mexico and moved to the Lone Star State as a child, later become an attorney and a Republican. He served as Secretary of State after being appointed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in 2018. Jones' use of the her mother's last name has been used by Republicans against her before. She lost two bids to GOP candidates to represent San Antonio in Congress, in 2018 and 2020. During those campaigns, conservatives pointed out how she used the name Gina Maria Jones in her high school year book at John Jay High. She is also listed as Gina Jones on a website for a Washington, D.C. research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. 'At home in Washington, D.C., she goes by Gina Jones. While pandering for votes in Texas, she's Gina Ortiz Jones,' the ad said according to Express News. Jones called Pablos' attacks 'racist.' 'Do you not think it's racist,' Jones told the local paper. The former Air Force captain is the first woman of color to served as the Under Secretary of the Air Force under former Pres. Joe Biden. 'Antagonizing someone on their race is the definition of racism,' Jones campaign manager Jordan Abelson told the Express News. Jones's campaign, who is openly a lesbian, claims the controversy over her name is being fueled the state's governor and MAGA allies of her opponent. ('They) are pouring tons of money into this race to get those ads on TV, on digital, on mailers, and I thin that's why people are seeing it so much and maybe reacting to it so strongly, that it's just taken over the race- taking over the issues that people are actually concerned about,' Hull explained. Voting for the June 7 mayoral race has been underway since May when early voting started.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Meet the candidates running for NYC mayor: List
The Brief Get to know the candidates in the race for mayor below, based on one-on-one interviews with FOX 5 NY. Mayor Eric Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent, will skip the June 24 primary and avoid a direct matchup with leading Democratic contenders like former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. With the June 24 primary just weeks away, only nine Democrats have qualified for the city's first mayoral debate on June 4. NEW YORK - With just weeks until the New York City mayoral primary, a high-stakes Democratic debate is set to take place this week, drawing increased attention to the race. Only nine candidates have qualified to participate. Mayor Eric Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent, will skip the June 24 primary and avoid a direct matchup with leading Democratic contenders like former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls A new Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey (May 28) finds Andrew Cuomo leading the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City with 35% support in the first round, followed by Zohran Mamdani at 23%. Cuomo polls strongest with Black voters and those over 50, while Mamdani leads among younger voters, white voters, and the college-educated (Emerson/PIX11/The Hill, May 2025). Nine Democratic candidates have officially qualified for New York City's first mayoral primary debate, on Wednesday, June 4 at 7 p.m., according to the city's Campaign Finance Board. Candidates were required to join the city's Matching Funds Program and meet other criteria to participate. Here are the candidates who qualified : Adrienne Adams Michael Blake Andrew Cuomo Brad Lander Zohran Mamdani Zellnor Myrie Jessica Ramos Scott Stringer Whitney Tilson New York City will use ranked-choice voting in primary and special elections for mayoral races. Here's everything to know about the 2025 Mayoral Election. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls As of May 28, polls show former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the lead breaking 50% in the fifth round of rank choice voting. Zohran Mamdani is in second with all other candidates receiving single-digit support As of March 26, polls show former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo leading with 30%, followed by New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in second with 10%. Incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams is in third with 8%, while Sen. Jessica Ramos and city Comptroller Brad Lander are tied at 6% each. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie each have 4%, according to The Hill. Why you should care: In ranked choice voting, you can rank up to 5 candidates. First Round: If a candidate gets over 50%, they win. No Majority? The lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and their votes go to voters' next choices. Repeat: This continues until two candidates remain, and the one with the most votes wins. Results are final only after all ballots (including absentees) are counted. For the June 27 Primary, ranked-choice voting will be used for City Council races. Here's a quick look at the key candidates vying for mayor and what they stand for. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls What they're saying: Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, 64, announced that he is running as an independent, forgoing the Democratic primary for mayor. The decision comes after a federal judge dismissed the corruption indictment against Adams, ending the first criminal case against a sitting city mayor in modern history. Adams explained that the case "dragged on too long" with "false accusations" hanging over him, and he believes the city is better served by independent leadership, not influenced by extremists on either side. Now he plans to appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election. Jim Walden, 59, a longtime NYC lawyer, is running as an independent in the 2025 mayoral race. He is known for handling high-profile cases, including serving as special counsel to a task force created by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to investigate the state's tax incentive programs. He's also advocated for NYCHA families exposed to toxic lead. Walden has been openly critical of Mayor Adams' "City of Yes" plan, claiming it has serious flaws and doesn't address the housing crisis effectively. His campaign focuses on housing solutions and anti-corruption, with a promise to build over 50,000 new housing units every year. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, seems to be focusing his 2025 mayoral campaign on what he describes as a city in crisis. In his 2025 mayoral campaign ad, Cuomo positioned himself as a leader ready to address what he calls "a city in crisis." Cuomo argues that the city feels unsafe and out of control because of poor leadership, and he believes his experience makes him the right person to fix these problems and bring the city back on track. Despite stepping down as governor in 2021 amid scandal, Cuomo is seeking a political comeback, positioning himself as a solution to the city's most pressing issues. Adrienne Adams, 64, jumped in as a contender to enter the race, directly after former Cuomo. Adams, who was first elected to the City Council in a 2017 special election, is nearing the end of her term due to term limits. If elected, she would make history as the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first City Council speaker to become mayor of New York City. If she officially enters the race, Adams will likely face significant obstacles, including limited campaign resources and a recent poll showing her with only 2% support among likely Democratic voters. Despite these challenges, she says her experience sets her apart and has reportedly been urged to run by key stakeholders, including unions such as District Council 37 and 32BJ. Brad Lander, 55, is the current NYC comptroller and a progressive who advocates for police reform, affordable housing, and better management of the migrant crisis. He has criticized Adams' handling of migrant services and aims to improve workforce development for migrants. Lander has faced criticism for speeding violations despite pushing for stricter traffic laws. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls SKIP TO: Candidates | How to vote | Ranked choice State Sen. Jessica Ramos, 39, announced that she would be running for NYC mayor amid calls for Eric Adams to resign. Ramos focuses on affordable housing, tackling human trafficking, and improving city services. As the only woman in the race, Ramos connects deeply with immigrant communities and emphasizes the importance of basic services like garbage collection and school funding. She is also a strong advocate for closing the immigrant trust gap and providing better support for migrant workers. Whitney Tilson, 58, is an investor and lifelong Democrat who has emphasized the need for a city that is safe, affordable, and prosperous, criticizing career politicians for failing to address key issues. Tilson, who is not a career politician, pledges to restore common sense to City Hall and fight for real change in leadership. He believes that with working families leaving the city, New York cannot afford more of the same leadership. Zellnor Myrie, 38, is a Brooklyn native focused on affordable housing and electoral reform. Myrie is known for legislative victories on tenant protections and voting rights. As Chair of the Elections Committee, Myrie has worked on improving election processes and policies. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls Zohran Mamdani , 33, is a self-declared socialist with a focus on rent freezes, free bus rides, and no-cost childcare. He advocates for housing affordability and aims to redirect funds to public institutions like CUNY. Mamdani reportedly reached the maximum funding limit of $8 million for the June primary, making him the first candidate to do so. Mamdani is known for his activism, including leading a hunger strike alongside taxi drivers. SKIP TO: Candidates | How to vote | Ranked choice Scott Stringer, 64, former NYC comptroller, is focused on transparency and good governance. Stringer was the first mayoral candidate to qualify for public matching funds. He gained attention last mayoral cycle in the race despite sexual misconduct allegations from a former intern, which he denies. Stringer is tied for third in the most recent poll with 8 percent alongside state Sen. Jessica Ramos, State Sen. Zellnor Myrie. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls Michael Blake, 42, a former Bronx assemblyman and vice chair of the DNC, is known for his focus on economic equity and social justice. He previously ran for New York's 15th congressional district, where he lost to Ritchie Torres. Blake, a former White House aide to President Obama, also served as campaign manager for Reshma Saujani's 2013 run for New York City Public Advocate. He has focused his run committed to issues like fair wages, universal childcare, and housing equality through his work with the Atlas Strategy Group, which focuses on policy issues for communities of color. Curtis Sliwa, 67, is a longtime New York City activist and founder of the Guardian Angels, a 1970s nonprofit known for its crime-fighting efforts and signature red berets. Sliwa says he's running for mayor to "finally end the disastrous reign of de Blasio-Cuomo," with public safety and police funding at the core of his campaign. He proposes adding 4,500 uniformed officers and 500 undercover officers to patrol the subways and pledges to restore all NYPD budget cuts, according to The City. Sliwa is a Republican who does not support President Donald Trump, and has noted that he's never voted for him. SKIP TO: Republicans | Democrats | Independents| How to vote | Ranked choice explained | Polls June 9: Last day to update your address for the June primary. June 14: Last day to update your address for the general election. June 24: Primary Election Day. Polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting: Available from Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, June 22. Make sure your registration and address are current so you can vote without any issues. New York City will use ranked-choice voting in Primary and Special Elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council. This change was approved by voters in 2019.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Cuomo's Plan for a $20 Minimum Wage in New York City
Good morning. It's Thursday. Today we'll look at the minimum-wage increase former Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will instate if he is elected mayor of New York City. And we'll get details on a new development plan in a busy part of Brooklyn. New York City is in the throes of a once-in-a-generation economic crisis, beleaguered by inflation, income inequality and a shortage of affordable housing. To help combat it, Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York who is running for mayor, has announced a plan to raise the city's minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2027 if he is elected. The increase would make New York City's minimum wage one of the highest in the country, my colleague Emma G. Fitzsimmons reported. Its current minimum wage is $16.50 an hour. Many of the other Democrats in the mayoral primary have announced plans aimed at improving the lives of New York's working class. Cuomo insists he's the one who has shown he can actually do it. The former governor announced the proposal on Wednesday at a campaign rally with unions that have endorsed him. He has emphasized on the campaign trail that he has passed a policy like this before. In 2016, after pressure from labor unions, he signed legislation that raised New York State's minimum wage to $15 for most workers, putting New York at the forefront of a national push to raise wages. 'The first state to pass the highest minimum wage in the United States of America, right here,' he said earlier this year. Cuomo wasn't always on board with a city-specific wage increase. In 2014, he pushed back against a request by Mayor Bill de Blasio to increase New York City's minimum wage, arguing that allowing local governments to set such rules for themselves would create 'a chaotic situation.' On Wednesday, Cuomo said his proposal would raise wages for about 800,000 workers in the five boroughs. He is calling for the new rate to start on Jan. 1, 2027, the one-year mark of his first term if he is elected. The plan would first have to be approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers. Cuomo, a moderate, is the front-runner in the polls and has the most funding behind him, and he has shown a willingness to embrace the affordability ideas pitched by more progressive rivals. Most major unions in the city have endorsed him. But his competitors aren't letting the opportunity to question his intentions pass them by. Opponents like Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman who is polling in second place, contend that Cuomo is more aligned with wealthy New Yorkers and the business class than with the working class. They have also said that he didn't do enough to address affordability while he was governor — a position he resigned from in 2021 after allegations of sexual harassment that he denies. On social media earlier this year, Mamdani criticized Cuomo for cultivating a 'base of billionaires, developers and lobbyists' after some of Cuomo's powerful allies formed a super PAC to back his campaign. But the former governor seemed to swat this idea away at Wednesday's rally. 'The businesspeople are going to say, 'Oh no, you can't raise the minimum wage, because that's going to slow the economy,'' he said. 'Baloney!' The current mayor, Eric Adams, who is running as an independent in the general election in November, has also expressed skepticism about Cuomo's commitments. 'He would say anything to get elected,' he said on Tuesday. Expect a rainy morning and a cloudy afternoon with a high near 73 degrees. In the evening, cloudy conditions will continue, and the temperature will drop to the low 60s. Suspended for Solemnity of the Ascension. The latest New York news Adding 4,600 homes along a stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn On Wednesday, the City Council passed a plan to open a busy area in central Brooklyn to new residential development, my colleague Mihir Zaveri reported. The plan is expected to add 4,600 homes to the area as part of an effort to address the city's worsening housing crisis. It will also reconfigure the 21-block stretch to add a bike lane, better visibility at intersections, improvements to nearby schoolyards and parks, and job-training programs for residents — additions community leaders have been asking for. The area, a stretch along Atlantic Avenue in Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, has been bogged down by decades-old city regulations that blocked new development. Abandoned warehouses and auto shops take up valuable space, their lots unavailable to be repurposed into housing because of zoning laws. But the area has continued to attract new residents because of its proximity to Prospect Park and the subway, contributing to gentrification and pushing rents up. Several luxury apartment buildings have been erected between unused industrial lots, angering local leaders who want to see a less haphazard plan. Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, who represents much of the area and who helped spearhead the plan, said there has 'definitely been a culture shift in the last couple of years around housing.' She added that she hoped other neighborhoods would use the plan as a blueprint. The plan reflects the Adams administration's citywide push for development. Last year, city officials passed a broader plan known as City of Yes, which could help create 80,000 additional homes over the next 15 years. The administration is also moving to rezone parts of Midtown Manhattan, Long Island City and Jamaica, Queens. Spilled the Wine Dear Diary: I love airports. No matter how crazy they can be, to me they are the ultimate in glamour. When I was growing up in Bayside, Queens, my family did not have much money. My father saved change in a giant glass jar for over a decade so that he could afford to take me and my sister to Disney World. By the time he had saved enough, I was 14 and had long since lost interest in Disney World, and my parents had been separated for a number of years. Still, Dad brought me and my sister to LaGuardia and off we went. He was so excited and once we went through those rotating doors, we were too. It was definitely a budget vacation in every regard, but I will never forget stepping into that airport and experiencing what to me was how the other half lived. Someone had accidentally broken a bottle of white wine on the floor, and the exotic aroma of Sauvignon Blanc or some other lush varietal filled the air. To me it was the smell of luxury, and I was going on an airplane. Thanks, Dad. So I will always love airports and I will always love to fly. I will also always love Florida and was thrilled to be flying there recently from, you guessed it, LaGuardia. — Pamela Primi Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. We'll see you tomorrow. — T.R. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Stefano Montali and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
Bloomberg
24-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Billionaires Boost Cuomo's Fundraising Lead in NYC Mayor's Race
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo expanded his commanding fundraising lead in the New York City mayoral race with help from a few billionaire donors, according to newly published numbers filed with the city's Campaign Finance Board. Cuomo has accumulated $3.9 million since his entry into the race on March 1, as well as another $9.1 million from a pro-Cuomo political action committee called 'Fix the City.' He's also leading by significant margins in multiple polls, with four weeks remaining until the June 24 Democratic primary.
