Latest news with #pro-Mamdani
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New PAC forms to back Mamdani's NYC mayoral bid as business community rallies to defeat him
A new political action committee has been launched to support Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as New York's business and finance community build out fundraising aimed at turning back his bid to become New York's next mayor. The pro-Mamdani PAC, called OneNYC, was formed on Thursday, state filings show. Its treasurer is listed as Yasser Salem, a partner at Hira Ventures, a company described on his LinkedIn profile as 'an early- and growth-stage private investment firm dedicated to building exceptional healthcare and education companies.' 'I've been interested in supporting… for a long time,' Salem told the Daily News. Salem graduated from Harvard Business School, an online bio shows, and previously worked at McKinsey and The Public Investment Fund. He declined to share more details about the PAC or any specific plans. The new PAC supporting Mamdani comes as the democratic socialist has sparked deep concern in the city's business community following his upset victory against ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June primary. To finance an ambitious 'affordability' agenda, Mamdani has proposed jacking up New York's top corporate tax rate to 11.5%, up from the current 7.5% and tacking on an additional 2% in income tax to households earning more than $1 million annually. Amid that concern, New York business interests have also launched a new PAC, dubbed New Yorkers for a Better Future Mayor 25, to try and defeat Mamdani. The group does not appear to support any alternative candidates yet, as questions continue to swirl around whether Cuomo will remain in the race. That group was filed on Tuesday, and the Wall Street Journal reported they plan to raise around $20 million. Both Mayor Adams and Cuomo have independent lines in the November ballot, and they both have called on each other to drop out of the race. And many, including former Gov. David Paterson, have tried to push business leaders to coalesce behind either Adams or Cuomo. Another group in Mamdani's support, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, was formed during the primary cycle and reported over $1.4 million in contributions, including tens of thousands post-primary win. The group has signaled it will remain in operation for the general election. It blasted out TV advertisements and get out the vote texts, but was no match for the behemoth Fix the City PAC, which broke city records with its $24 million haul in Cuomo's support. Fix the City has continued to fundraise as it looks toward backing a 'free-market candidate,' The News previously reported.
Politico
27-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
Mamdani prepares for the fight ahead
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani's team knows he's got a fight ahead of him. The 33-year-old democratic socialist's aides and allies are girding for a costly battle in November against opponents bankrolled by a fired-up business class desperate to stop him from taking over the epicenter of world finance. Mamdani's campaign, as well as outside groups backing him in New York's mayoral election, said they are preparing to drop millions to counter those efforts, while also tapping into an asymmetric strategy to capture voters' attention through social media and a door-knocking volunteer army. 'My gut is that we're going to have to raise a lot more than we did and we're going to have to spend a lot more than we did in the primary,' said Regina Monge, chair of a pro-Mamdani super PAC. 'Corporate special interests and billionaires might want to throw down for Eric Adams. They might want to support [Andrew] Cuomo on his line. I don't know what folks' plans are, but I want to make sure that we're ready.' Mamdani's performance in November will be closely scrutinized by Democrats and Republicans across the country as a test of America's burgeoning democratic socialist movement. The freshly minted political star begins the general election as the favorite in the deep-blue city, but with more perceived vulnerabilities than recent Democratic mayoral nominees. Though Mamdani won over a diverse cross-section of the city's voters in the primary, including those in areas home to many young people as well as Latino and Asian enclaves, he performed less strongly in majority-Black neighborhoods and faced skepticism among some Jewish Democrats. In a recent podcast interview, Mamdani declined to condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' He also previously backed the effort to defund the police, though he later reversed that position. To make matters more complicated, the full field of candidates he'll be running against this fall isn't finalized yet. Like other New Yorkers, Mamdani's supporters are monitoring that cast of characters, which includes a flawed but charismatic incumbent mayor, an eccentric cat-loving Republican, a pugnacious, well-funded lawyer running as an independent, and, perhaps, the wounded former Gov. Cuomo. Adams, the sitting mayor who has been dogged by now-dropped federal corruption charges, kicked off his campaign Thursday. With dozens of supporters standing behind him outside City Hall, the retired police captain presented the race as 'a choice between a candidate with a blue collar and one with a suit and a silver spoon.' But big money could get behind Adams. Corporate leaders are considering spending $20 million to defeat Mamdani. Mamdani's campaign told POLITICO it expects to rapidly raise $8 million, the maximum amount it can spend in the general election, per city regulations. Pro-Mamdani super PACs face no limits on how much money they can pony up, and Monge's group, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, brought in $1.5 million in the primary. She said she plans to surpass that in the fall. Mamdani and outside groups supporting him were outspent more than 3-to-1 in the primary — and his team said it is prepared for the possibility of being outspent again in the general election. Mamdani is promising big-ticket policies like free buses, universal child care and city-owned grocery stores, all of which won the attention of primary voters despite the money gap and a barrage of negative TV ads. Mamdani's advisers and allies attribute that to his happy-warrior communication skills, 50,000-strong volunteer army and memorable ads. They plan to replicate that strategy in the general election. 'We're confident that we'll raise to the cap quickly and have the resources we need,' said Elle Bisgaard-Church, Mamdani's campaign manager. 'Our unprecedented field operation and our ability to clearly communicate have allowed us to cut through the noise. Our late surge occurred while we were being dramatically outspent. No amount of Republican billionaire money changes the fact that New Yorkers have shown they want a mayor who puts the people over the 1 percent.' Along with raising money, one of the biggest tasks in front of Mamdani is uniting the fractured Democratic Party after a divisive primary. He and his team have been working the phones, talking to elected officials and community leaders in New York and around the country. At the same time, he appears to be making a concerted effort to neutralize his vulnerabilities. In the hours after his all-but-certain primary victory, Mamdani spoke privately with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats. The two leaders didn't immediately offer him full-throated endorsements, but made positive comments about him on the social media site X and said they planned to meet him soon in person. A person close to Mamdani who was granted anonymity to speak frankly described the remarks as 'positive green lights' and said that his team is 'very, very bullish about what we've been able to do' in the short period after the primary. In his victory speech Tuesday night, Mamdani focused on affordability, the campaign issue that fueled his rise, but also nodded to the tension over his criticism of Israel and its war in Gaza, pledging to 'reach further to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree.' He returned to the issue in his first broadcast TV appearance after the primary, saying on MSNBC that he understood Jewish New Yorkers were fearful of antisemitism and pledging to boost funding for hate crime prevention programs. The outlet he chose seemed purposeful: MSNBC is viewed by older, more traditional Democrats. Mamdani was introduced to the stage Tuesday night by New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of the state's best-liked and most influential Democrats known for her legal battles with President Donald Trump — another move that appeared to be aimed at lending him some legitimacy in the eyes of national Democrats. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the dean of the state's congressional delegation and one of the most respected names in liberal Jewish political circles, followed, endorsing Mamdani on Wednesday after backing one of his rivals in the primary. John Samuelsen, leader of the Transport Workers Union International, believes Mamdani is on the path to winning over more supporters. He said his union of subway and bus drivers still has some concerns about Mamdani when it comes to policing on the subways, but he expects even those that backed Cuomo in the primary will shift their support. 'I do think you're going to see the trade unions coalesce around him,' he said. 'They viewed Cuomo as the sure win, like the favorite at the Kentucky Derby,' he added. 'Zohran has got to be the overwhelming favorite to win. And there are pragmatic unions who will enter a political relationship with him now.' Already, 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich seemed to throw soft support behind Mamdani in a Wednesday night post on X, even after the influential union of building service workers backed Cuomo in the primary. Progressive New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera, whose district on the east side of Manhattan heavily broke for Mamdani, said the democratic socialist's campaign called her Thursday morning asking for her support. She didn't endorse a candidate in the primary. 'They're trying to build an even bigger coalition than they had,' she said. 'And it's exciting. Because this isn't over.' But Mamdani is still facing hesitancy from some of the state's most powerful Democrats. After congratulating him in an X post on primary night, Gov. Kathy Hochul pointedly declined to say she'd support him in the general election when asked at an unrelated press conference Thursday. 'Obviously, there's areas of difference in our positions,' said Hochul, who has resisted tax increases on wealthy New Yorkers pushed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. 'But I also think we need to have those conversations. In the meantime, I truly am not focused on the politics. We're six months away from inauguration day, and that'll determine who I'm working with for the next four years.' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also declined to endorse Mamdani when asked on WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show, and condemned his language on Israel. Pressed on whether she'd consider backing Adams or Cuomo instead, she demurred. 'I vote in Albany,' the upstate resident said, 'and I have tried to leave this to the voters of New York.' The general election in New York City is expected to have marginally higher turnout than the primary — just over 1.1 million people cast ballots in November four years ago, compared to just under 950,000 in the primary. Unlike the city's closed primary where only registered Democrats can vote, the general will include Republicans and the city's independent voters — who outnumber those in the GOP 2-to-1. The effort against Mamdani is still forming as well. Shell-shocked business leaders who were counting on a Cuomo win strategized with Adams on Wednesday night. Cuomo hasn't announced yet whether he'll pursue a serious campaign on the independent line he's secured for the general election. While he mulls it, the influential New York Post editorial board is pushing him to drop out so he doesn't split the vote with Adams. Meanwhile, Republicans are slamming Mamdani — Trump called him 'a 100% Communist Lunatic' on social media — while reportedly exploring a way to get gadfly Curtis Sliwa off the GOP line and give it to Adams, to further consolidate the anti-Mamdani vote. Sliwa has resisted, saying only death will get him out of the race. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a Mamdani ally, acknowledged his supporters have work to do in the general election. 'We certainly can celebrate for a day,' he said. 'But then our job is between now and November to be able to tell New Yorkers, 'Listen, this is not an ego trip. This was not a pie in the sky. No, this is about how do we actually change the way the government works in this city to serve you better?'' Will the rest of the party join him in that? 'They better,' the Bronx Democrat said. 'The Democratic voters of the city of New York voted.'
Politico
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Polling missed Mamdani's surge. Pollsters tell us where it went wrong.
No pollster was able to fully capture the energy of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as he cruised to victory in New York City's mayoral primary Tuesday — including failing to see the enthusiasm among young voters who came out in droves for the high-turnout election. It's another moment of reflection for an industry that continues to face an onslaught of criticism, and pollsters were quick to point out that there was plenty wrong with the surveys done in the race. Most pollsters will survey past primary voters in order to get an accurate prediction. In this case, not including the influx of likely first-time primary voters proved to be a crucial misstep. Though former Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to have an edge in the polls, his perceived advantage ultimately did not account for a key portion of Mamdani's base and led pollsters to one of their biggest misses. Tom Jensen said that's where his firm — left-leaning Public Policy Polling — succeeded. 'I definitely think there were big mistakes made,' Jensen said. 'Really, the number one most important thing that a pollster needs to do to be accurate is to figure out what the electorate's gonna look like. So if you get the electorate off, you know, you're wrong.' PPP's poll, conducted in early June, commissioned by comptroller candidate Justin Brannan, and first reported by POLITICO, was the only that had Mamdani in the lead after the first round of voting. (One from Emerson College, published one day before the election and conducted June 18-20, had Mamdani prevailing only after ranked choice ballots were redistributed.) Jensen pointed out that many of the polls showing Cuomo leading by double digits had about 30 percent of the electorate under 45. The PPP poll had a higher margin at 37 percent, a number that may still fall short of the total percent of voters in that age group, who likely voted for Mamdani at a higher margin. Jensen also said that PPP polled more people who hadn't voted in recent primaries, another group that likely split for Mamdani. More than double the amount of New Yorkers voted early in this year's race compared to 2021, and almost one-quarter of them had not voted in any Democratic primary from 2012 to 2024, according to a recent analysis published by Gothamist. A plurality of those early voters were between 25 and 34. Others pointed to when the polls took place, as Mamdani's campaign continued to gain momentum in the closing stages. Data for Progress Interim Executive Director Ryan O'Donnell said that their early June poll, which was commissioned by a pro-Mamdani super PAC, was one of the first to show that Mamdani had closed Cuomo's lead. 'At the time, people treated it as a wild outlier,' O'Donnell said. But in retrospect, he said, it provided 'a very accurate representation of where [the race] was at that time.' There was also a major lack of high-quality nonpartisan polling in the race. 'They were bad. They were straight up bad,' said Democratic pollster Adam Carlson. 'But you can count on one hand how many quality independent polls there were.' Of the 32 total polls tracked by The New York Times, just nine of them met the paper's reliability standards, and only two came during the last month of the race. Still, none had Mamdani with a lead after the first round. 'No one could have seen all of the changes in the electorate coming, but missing the first round by 20 points?' Carlson said. 'Something is wrong.' The sparse amount of independent polling in the race helped Cuomo and his aligned groups continue to tout polling numbers from within his circle. Those numbers showed a big lead and helped him build a sense of inevitability early in the race. Democratic pollster Margie Omero, whose husband's firm worked on ads for Mamdani's campaign, said some of the polls were done too early, and that was compounded by the changes in the electorate. 'It's likely young people went from some of the least likely to turn out in previous elections to the most likely,' Omero said in an email. 'Polling would've needed to be open minded that this change was really happening, and take that into account in their assumptions.' Predicting the electorate is easier said than done — pollsters are essentially making an educated guess based on past turnout about what the future pool of voters will look like. But moving forward, some pollsters said it should be a priority. 'We have to have polling carefully mirror the voter file,' said Bradley Honan, whose firm conducted a few polls in the race. There's always nuance when it comes to polling, and an off-year primary can prove to be particularly difficult in an industry that's full of volatility and error. 'We all need to, in some degree, check our expectations about what polling can actually do in an election like that,' said Democratic pollster Nick Gourevitch. Pollsters are used to criticism. After a high-profile miss in 2016 when President Donald Trump's victory took pollsters by surprise, they've been going through years of recriminations, tweaking their models and pledging to do better next time. 'I don't think it's fair for the industry to take that hit as a whole, but I understand why people would jump to that conclusion,' Carlson said. 'Because it was so stark.'
Politico
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
NYC mayoral primary: 1 week to go
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier More than 66,000 New Yorkers flocked to early voting sites over the weekend, as the Democratic mayoral primary is being framed as a race with national implications. To a raucous Zohran Mamdani rally attended by more than 2,500 people, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the race was about generational change, POLITICO reported Saturday night. 'In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,' she said. And forget Cuomo's claim he's the best to stand up to the president. 'We can never get past Donald Trump if we continue to elect the same people and make the same decisions that got us here in the first place,' AOC said. The former governor countered that experience matters more than ideology, that he represents 'capacity and competence and accomplishment, and that's what the Democratic Party needs.' 'Less words, less rhetoric, less theory, more accomplishment, more improvement in people's lives,' he told Playbook after speaking at a church service in Jamaica, Queens Sunday. 'My main opponent,' he told churchgoers, 'never had a real job.' Cuomo's face blocks Trump's like a partial solar eclipse on a new flyer his volunteers were handing out at a poll site Sunday. 'Donald Trump is at the gates,' it reads. 'We need someone experienced to slam it shut.' An image of soldiers policing protests in L.A. is on the reverse. That message of toughness has become a defining feature of the campaign — and in this Trump era, it's not just Cuomo presenting himself as a brawler, POLITICO reports today in a piece on all the tough-guy talk infiltrating this election season. Another image of Cuomo in front of Trump is featured in a new mailer from a pro-Mamdani super PAC, which is reminding voters that the president and the candidate share some of the same backers. That PAC, New Yorkers for Lower Costs, is spending a relatively meager $500,000 on mail and promoting a digital ad slamming Cuomo on sexual harassment and sharing Trump donors, while contrasting that with Mamdani's AOC endorsement. That message was heard at a No Kings march in Manhattan Saturday. While Trump was the focus nationally, Mamdani, mayoral candidate Brad Lander and their supporters made it 'No Kings, No Cuomo, No ICE.' It stuck — Playbook heard a 'Don't Rank Cuomo' chant from the marchers on Fifth Avenue. The next day in Queens, Assemblymember David Weprin — a Cuomo backer — hosted an anti-Mamdani event where he said his colleague was 'unready to handle the second hardest job in America' and his 'rhetoric and policies are divisive and dangerous. Weprin's press conference, though, lacked the discernible energy of the anti-Cuomo movement. The anti-Mamdani message is loud, clear and frequent on television and in mailboxes, with the pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City spending more than $5 million on a TV ad decrying the democratic socialist for wanting to defund the police, POLITICO reported over the weekend. And the New York Post Editorial Board, loath to endorse Cuomo, instead settled this weekend for a non-endorsement of Mamdani. New polling expected early this week from Marist College will show whether Cuomo has maintained his dominant position as Mamdani appears to surge ahead of the June 24 primary. The other contenders, meanwhile, are defining themselves as alternatives to the two divisive candidates leading the polls. 'We don't have to settle,' Scott Stringer told a voter at an Upper West Side farmers market Sunday. 'I think I combine the best of those two candidates.' Lander is feeling great, after a pseudo-endorsement from a panel of experts convened by The New York Times' opinion section on Thursday morning, a pugnacious debate performance Thursday night and a high-profile cross-endorsement with Mamdani Friday. It's 'Landemonium' to his staffers. To Lander, who spoke to Playbook at the same farmers market Sunday, 'it has felt like people haven't been paying that much attention to this election. And now, people are paying attention. And for me, just at the right time.' — Jeff Coltin IT'S MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Boston meeting with northeastern governors and Canadian premiers. She will also participate in a discussion with Anne Finucane. WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more of our communities.' — American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in her letter to Chair Ken Martin resigning from the Democratic National Committee. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The heralded Hotel and Gaming Trades Council's get-out-the-vote operation is cranking up on Cuomo's behalf — offering a not-so-secret weapon for the frontrunning mayoral candidate as the race tightens in its final week. The union, which endorsed Cuomo in April, is spending about $900,000 on its field operation to turn out voters with direct mail and a fleet of LED billboard trucks operating eight hours a day until the Democratic primary. Civically-engaged neighborhoods are being targeted, such as Canarsie, Flatbush and East New York in Brooklyn; South Jamaica and Corona in Queens; Norwood, Soundview and Wakefield in the Bronx; and Washington Heights and East Harlem in Manhattan, a union spokesperson told Playbook. The GOTV work began in earnest this weekend, as early voting got underway. HTC represents about 40,000 workers. Though far from the city's largest union, it often punches above its weight in political influence — helped in no small part by its voter turnout efforts each election cycle. 'We don't approach turning out votes as a passive exercise but rather a full court press until the final buzzer goes off and Andrew Cuomo and other HTC-endorsed candidates go on to victory,' union spokesperson Austin Shafran said. HTC is pouring $2.5 million into mostly New York City Democratic primary races, including $1 million for Cuomo alone, in its push to remain a major player in city elections. It's also involved in City Council races, in which spending and field operations will support the down-ballot candidates. Among its allies is Councilmember Julie Menin — who carried a union-backed bill to require hotel owners to obtain operating licenses and restrict subcontractors — is considering a run for speaker. The union bolstered Corey Johnson to the speakership in 2017, but backed an unsuccessful rival to Adrienne Adams four years later, in alignment with Mayor Eric Adams. — Nick Reisman CITY HALL: THE LATEST DINING OUT ON THE STATE ACCOUNT: Some of the same lobbyists and donors who've given to City Council Member Justin Brannan's campaign account for city comptroller also contributed to his unspecified state fundraising account — which he used to dine out at Gargiulo's, Serafina and Michael's of Brooklyn. People doing business with the city, like lobbyists, can only give up to $400 to comptroller candidates. But at least 10 registered lobbyists who have donated the max or close to it to Brannan's comptroller campaign already gave to his state account in 2024, effectively taking advantage of a legal loophole to double dip. That was the case for real estate developer Demetrios Moragianis. Those contributions all came before Brannan launched his comptroller campaign in August. But he continued to spend from the state account even after setting a run for the city office — making political contributions to the Bronx Dems and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, paying a campaign consultant, buying tickets and hotel rooms for the Somos conference in Puerto Rico and covering the tab at political meetings at restaurants. Candidates aren't allowed to use state committees to help a city campaign — as New York Focus reported, regarding City Council Member Rafael Salamanca — but Brannan campaign spokesperson Alyssa Cass said that wasn't the case here. Brannan was keeping his options open for a run for district leader or another office before he settled on comptroller and all the spending was related to that, she said. 'Councilman Brannan is independent, unbought and unbossed. This kind of inside-baseball nonsense isn't what matters to New Yorkers struggling to get by in the richest city in the world,' Cass said in a statement. 'Voters will support Justin because of his record and his vision for what he'll do as City Comptroller—not because he's followed standard, legal fundraising practices for political committees.' — Jeff Coltin BUS MONEY: First in Playbook, Brannan's comptroller campaign is also getting a boost from the Transport Workers Union, which is spending more than $250,000 organizing its members to get out and vote for him — including a TWU for Justin Brannan website. The union, which has 70,000 members in the city including retirees, endorsed Brannan back in February. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Eric Adams, who readily promotes his opposition to antisemitism, hosted antisemitic, misogynistic influencer Sneako at Gracie Mansion. (New York Post) — A state judge indefinitely barred Eric Adams' office from allowing ICE from reopening an office on Rikers Island. (THE CITY) — Donald Trump Jr. endorsed City Council Member Inna Vernikov in a campaign video as she faces former Council Member Ari Kagan in a nasty Republican primary. (New York Post) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY CAPITOL PROTECTION: The shootings of two Minnesota state lawmakers — in one case fatal — is spurring New York officials to beef up security around the Capitol building. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office told Playbook Sunday that while there are 'no known credible threats' the governor and State Police will have an increased presence at the Capitol. 'The State Police, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and our local law enforcement partners continue the heightened attention to the unprecedented levels of and rise in threats to government officials over the last couple of years,' spokesperson Jess D'Amelia said. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Saturday said he had spoken with Hochul about boosting the law enforcement presence around the statehouse after former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman's assassination and state Sen. John Hoffman was wounded. Hortman's husband was also killed; Hoffman's wife was wounded. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the shootings 'politically motivated.' Visitors to the state Capitol are already subject to airport-style screenings before entering. Balancing security and public access to the building — which often serves as a backdrop for boisterous protests and rallies — has been a challenge as random acts of political violence in a polarized country have been on the rise. Fearing attacks on state houses around the country following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, New York officials temporarily cut off vehicle access to State Street. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Adrienne Adams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards are on Hochul's short list for lieutenant governor. (New York Post) — There are more calls for Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado to resign as he challenges Hochul for the Democratic nomination. (Times Union) — The fate of major environmental bills is in the hands of Assembly Democrats. (POLITICO Pro) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats are split over the response to Israel's Iran attack. (Axios) — Democratic Rep. John Mannion explained why he lashed out at Republican Rep. Mike Lawler on the House floor. (WSYR) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pressing to restore student mental health funding. (WBNG) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — A public defender was charged with smuggling THC-laced paper into Rikers. (New York Times) — A bill meant to strengthen law enforcement mental health is heading to Hochul's desk. (Newsday) — Cannabis license applicants are frustrated by the slow approval process. (Buffalo News) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES – Jesse Binnall and former Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) have launched King Street Solutions, a boutique government affairs firm. Binnall currently is a partner at Binnall Law Group. IN MEMORIAM: Leonard A. Lauder, Philanthropist and Cosmetics Heir, Dies at 92 (The New York Times) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymembers Al Stirpe and Stephen Hawley … AIPAC's Allegra Scheinblum … J.C. Polanco … Con Edison's Jamie McShane … Anthony Thomas. Missed Friday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politico
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Pick your poll
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Two new internal polls, first reported by POLITICO, agree: the Democratic primary for New York City mayor is effectively a two-person race between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani. And both polls suggest the race will come down to ranked-choice voting, with New Yorkers who prefer other candidates helping determine the winner. But the results varied. A poll from the ex-governor's camp showed him with a 12-point lead over the democratic socialist Assemblymember. The poll from Mamdani's supporters found something slightly, but significantly different — a tight race, with Cuomo up by just two points. Cuomo's poll of 600 likely Democratic primary voters by Expedition Strategies has him beating Mamdani 56 to 44 in the eighth round of voting. Cuomo started as 42 percent of voters' first pick, to Mamdani's 30 percent. The result shows Cuomo gaining more support, compared to the last public poll from Emerson College conducted late last month. While the Cuomo poll was in the field between June 3 and 7, candidates faced off in their first televised debate on June 4, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez selected Mamdani as her top choice the following day. During the same period, pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City also started blanketing the airwaves and mailboxes with ads saying Mamdani wanted to raise taxes and defund the police. A poll of 819 likely Democratic primary voters — conducted days earlier by Data for Progress on behalf of the pro-Mamdani super PAC New Yorkers for Lower Costs and the Working Families Party's national PAC — showed Cuomo up 40-33 on Mamdani in first-ranked votes. When ranked votes are distributed, Cuomo wins it in the eighth round by a 51-49 split — within the three-point margin of error. That result had top Cuomo adviser Melissa DeRosa desperately looking to discredit the poll. (Data for Progress had a strong showing in 538's pollster ratings, and was spot-on in the 2021 mayoral race.) While top campaign staffer Kevin Elkins said it was 'cruel to get (Mamdani's) supporters' hopes up like this.' But nothing could bring down the believers — like Mamdani campaign cinematographer Donald Borenstein who simply responded: 'LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO' Beyond the top line results, the two polling memos provide some more insight into the state of the race last week. Wonder why Cuomo's become more vocal on Trump? His polling shows that half of likely voters thought he was the best candidate to stand up to the president, compared to just 25 percent for Mamdani — suggesting that's a strength for Cuomo, even among voters who don't prefer him. And unlike Cuomo, who's known by 97 percent of voters (who are split 50-50 in their feelings about him), Mamdani still has likely voters who, for better or for worse, don't know him. More than a quarter, 28 percent, don't know enough about him to form an opinion, Data for Progress found. — Jeff Coltin IT'S TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany with no public schedule, and appearing in a pre-taped interview on NBC's 'The Kelly Clarkson Show.' WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Monday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'If Airbnb thinks it's a flex to publicly light their money on fire, we're happy to not stand in their way on this one.' — Hotel and Gaming Trades Council Political Director Bhav Tibrewal to POLITICO on Airbnb spending $1 million on an ad attacking three Cuomo opponents amid the union's lobbying battle against the tech giant. ABOVE THE FOLD NEW YORK FOR ALL PUSH: New York House Democrats are urging their Albany colleagues to approve a sanctuary state bill in the waning days of the legislative session. The bill, known as New York For All, would prevent state and local entities from coordinating with or providing resources to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. A group of nine House lawmakers — including Reps. Nydia Velázquez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerrold Nadler — urged top Albany Democrats to take up the bill in a letter obtained by Playbook. They warned that President Donald Trump 'has unleashed chaos and cruelty on immigrants, tearing families apart, disappearing people, using political repression tactics, and disregarding court orders with impunity.' Passage of the bill is taking on heightened urgency after Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to anti-ICE protests. The Trump administration on Monday activated 700 Marines to respond to the unrest as well. The letter does not reference the California protests, but the alarm over Trump — and his aggressive efforts to address undocumented immigration through deportations — is an overriding concern for the lawmakers. 'We urge the New York State Legislature to reject Trump's efforts to scapegoat our most vulnerable neighbors as a pretense for dismantling our core democratic institutions. At the same time, we are committed to protecting New York against efforts to take away federal funding for critical services in retaliation for opposing this administration's policies.' Immigration politics remain profoundly tricky (and unavoidable) for Democrats, even in a deep blue state like New York. Hochul, a Democrat who will run for re-election next year, has not taken a public position on the bill. It's also unclear if Democrats — mindful of lawmakers in swing seats — have enough votes to pass it. The governor has supported the deportation of violent criminals, but does not back families being ripped apart, her office has said. Hochul has also pushed back against the Trump administration's effort to upend the Greenlight Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses — a concept she opposed as the Erie County clerk when Eliot Spitzer proposed it nearly 20 years ago. Her potential Republican foes next year — Reps. Elise Stefanik, Mike Lawler and Bruce Blakeman — have all called for expanded policies for New York law enforcement to work with ICE. Hochul will face questions — and likely pressure — Thursday when she and several other governors testify to a Congressional panel over their states' sanctuary policies. Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday will hold a news conference with suggested questions for their federal counterparts to ask the governor. — Nick Reisman CITY HALL: THE LATEST LANDER'S LOBBYISTS: Mayoral hopeful Brad Lander never refunded campaign contributions from corporate lobbyists and real estate bigs that he pledged not to take money from — and even accepted more money from lobbyists, breaking his pledge once again. Lander spokesperson Dora Pekec told Playbook in March the comptroller would 'of course return any donations that do not conform to our pledge' against real estate developer money and lobbyists representing corporations. But Lander's campaign finance report released two months later showed he held onto money from at least ten real estate developers and ten lobbyists, even after POLITICO flagged the names. The May 23 report also showed he took in new contributions from lobbyists, including $250 from Jim Capalino, who leads his eponymous firm, $200 from Jonathan Bing of Greenberg Traurig and $1,000 from lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig's PAC. Pekec said they've now sent back the money, and this time they mean it. 'Donations not conforming to the campaign's policy have been returned,' she said, adding that it'll be reflected in the next filing, due Friday. Lander has reported raising more than $1.7 million for his mayoral campaign and has gotten an additional $5.8 million in public matching funds. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Both major leaders of the Satmar Hasidic community in Williamsburg are expected to endorse Cuomo for mayor. (Williamsburg 365) — Longshot mayoral candidate Michael Blake sued to get onto the final debate stage, claiming his donors were illegally rejected. (New York Post) — Rafael Salamanca Jr. is eyeing Bronx borough hall. He has to topple Vanessa Gibson to get there. (City & State) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY FAIR PLAY IN ALBANY: State Attorney General Letitia James is trying to get a bill over the finish line that's meant to expand consumer protection laws. But the proposal is getting push back from private sector boosters in the final days of the state's legislative session. Dubbed The Fair Act, the bill would amend the state consumer protection laws to include modern-day issues like making it easier to cancel subscriptions, repay loans and better understand pricing plans. Private-sector groups in the last week have urged state lawmakers to reject the bill. The influential Partnership for New York City in a memo opposing it wrote the proposal is a 'significant restructuring of New York's consumer protection laws.' A coalition of local business groups warned in a letter that the bill would expose companies to legal risk. 'Small businesses will be threatened with legal shakedowns should this bill become law,' the groups wrote. James' office has tried to address these issues. She's negotiated safeguards for the private sector geared toward incentivizing customers to complain directly to businesses first. The provisions are meant to limit litigation to only the most significant consumer disputes. — Nick Reisman PRISON OVERSIGHT DEAL NEARS: State legislators are expected to reach a two-way deal on prison oversight, POLITICO Pro reports. The package comes at the end of a session when two separate incidents stoked outrage, including the release of video showing the killing of handcuffed Marcy Correctional Facility inmate Robert Brooks by prison guards. It's expected to include 10 separate bills lumped into an omnibus measure. That includes proposals to mandate fixed cameras in prisons, require the quick release of body camera footage to the attorney general's office, and expand the state Commission on Correction. 'We're increasing transparency and accountability in our correction facilities,' state Sen. Jamaal Bailey said. 'This is not an attack on correction workers — they work really hard and we appreciate the work that they do. We just want to make sure that the facilities are safe for everybody — for the incarcerated individuals, in addition to the staff and the correction officers.' — Bill Mahoney More from Albany: — Andrew Cuomo's very pricey bridge lighting scheme is getting a cheap denouement on the auction block. (POLITICO) — Top state Democrats blasted Trump's 'one big beautiful bill' for its potential hit to New York. (Buffalo News) — The state Senate approved a controversial aid-in-dying bill, which now goes to Hochul. (POLITICO Pro) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: More than 100 signatories spanning labor, policy, social services and health care groups are urging the state's congressional delegation to do more to protect the New York Essential Plan, which benefits low-income New Yorkers who aren't eligible for Medicaid. The Republican megabill now moving through the Senate may spell doomsday for the landmark health care plan, which could see its $13 billion annual budget halved, POLITICO Pro has reported. The Essential Plan also helps lawfully present non-citizens who would have to be shifted onto state-only Medicaid. 'In short, these changes would be a disaster for New York — withdrawing billions of dollars a year in federal funding for the state, imposing $2.7 billion annually in increased Medicaid costs, raising healthcare prices for hundreds of thousands of US citizens who access healthcare through New York State of Health,' the massive coalition writes in its letter today to New York's federal representatives. Among those signed on to the plea are 32BJ, the New York State Nurses Association, the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York, the Fiscal Policy Institute and the Chinese-American Planning Council. New York's congressional Democrats have sought to push back on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' including by messaging that the Republicans are targeting health care. But they're greatly limited as the minority in both the House and the Senate. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led by Rep. Adriano Espaillat, is demanding a congressional probe into Trump's response to anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. (Punchbowl News) — A Medicare proposal some Republicans want to include in their sweeping megabill has the backing of a key Democrat. (POLITICO) — House Speaker Mike Johnson says July 4 is still the target for passing Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' (POLITICO) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — New York City will remove a defunct jail barge from the Bronx waterfront and add a new marine cargo terminal. (Gothamist) — WNYC's Brian Lehrer and NY1's Errol Louis take stock of the city's political scene in a joint interview. (The New Yorker) — Former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano wants the Supreme Court to review his corruption case. (Newsday) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES: Albert J. Pirro, Jr. has joined public affairs and venture consulting firm Oaktree Solutions as a strategic adviser. Pirro was a land use and zoning attorney with Abrams Fensterman. MEDIAWATCH: Josefa Velásquez is joining Newsday as an investigative reporter. She was previously economics and equity editor for WNYC/Gothamist and is a POLITICO alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez … former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer … CNN's Jeff Zeleny … NBC's Shannon Pettypiece, Kate Snow and Sarah DeCaro … WSJ's Corinne Ramey … Meta's Meredith Carden … ABC's Ellie Kaufman … Jeff Greenfield … (WAS MONDAY): Letty Pogrebin Missed Monday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
