Latest news with #pro-Mamdani
Politico
7 hours ago
- 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.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Israel ‘Squad' member Rashid Tlaib fundraises for NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Radical Israel-bashing 'Squad' Rep. Rashida Tlaib is doing a text blast to raise funds for a super PAC backing Zohran Mamdani for mayor — but not everyone is pleased with the pitch recently showed up on the mobile phones of prospective donors courtesy of the pro-Mamdani group New Yorkers for Lower as with the Michigan congresswoman, is an ardent foe of Israel and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state. 'Zohran, who's led hunger strikes for a cease-fire [in Gaza] and workers' rights, isn't raising any more money for his campaign under New York City's public financing system,' Tlaib said in the solicitation. The Mamdani campaign has already hit the maximum fundraising cap under the system after raising thousands of small donations that qualified it for the 8 to 1 in public matching Yorkers for Lower Costs has raised about $60,000 in its efforts to date, although that's a pittance compared to the more than $4 million secured by the Fix The City super Pac supporting Democratic mayoral front-runner and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.'Andrew Cuomo, who's on the legal team defending [Israel] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, has millions pouring in from his billionaire-backed super Pac,' Tlaib complained in the ad for Mamdani. 'Zohran is getting drowned out on the airwaves. That's why I'm supporting the official Zohran Mamdani support PAC — to run the ads Zohran can't,' said the congresswoman — who has been openly supportive of the Palestinian terror group Hamas and called for the destruction of Israel.A Jewish donor who is a staunch backer of Israel and requested anonymity told The Post they were 'appalled' at receiving a text message from Tlaib on behalf of Mamdani. Brooklyn state Assemblyman Kalman Yeger, a strong ally of Israel, also said he is not surprised that Tlaib is being used as a fundraising tool by the pro-Mamdani camp. 'Unfortunately, in New York City, there are antisemites out there who would be receptive to her message, and Mamdani is the most antisemitic candidate New York has ever seen,' Yeger said. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from western Queens, is running second behind Cuomo in recent Democratic primary month, Tlaib participated in a Democratic Socialists of America virtual organizing call for Mamdani, where she urged 'comrades' to back him for mayor. Tlaib, a member of the US House of Representatives' far-left 'Squad' alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx-Queens) and others, is known for her disdain of her own party's support for the only Palestinian American in Congress, she has been openly supportive of Hamas during her time in office and has even been censured by colleagues for defending it and for calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. During Netanyahu's address to Congress last spring, Tlaib was widely ripped for brandishing a sign accusing the Israeli leader of being a 'war criminal' and 'guilty of genocide.' She also repeatedly berated then-President Joe Biden as an 'enabler' over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and even declined to endorse Kamala Harris as her party's 2024 presidential pick. Branded by some Republicans as the 'poster child' for Trump derangement syndrome, Tlaib most recently held up real-time signs during President Trump's joint session of Congress last month declaring him a 'liar.'
New York Post
04-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Rashid Tlaib fund-raises for NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
Radical Israel-bashing 'Squad' Rep. Rashida Tlaib is doing a text blast to raise funds for a super PAC backing Zohran Mamdani for mayor — but not everyone is pleased with the solicitation. Tlaib's pitch recently showed up on the mobile phones of prospective donors courtesy of the pro-Mamdani group New Yorkers for Lower Costs. Mamdani, as with the Michigan congresswoman, is an ardent foe of Israel and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish state. 3 Rep. Rashida Tlaib is helping raise funds for a super PAC supporting mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Photo by3 Tlaib's message of support for Mamdani was sent out as a text to potential donors by New Yorkers for Lower Costs. Robert Miller 'Zohran, who's led hunger strikes for a cease-fire [in Gaza] and workers' rights, isn't raising any more money for his campaign under New York City's public financing system,' Tlaib said in the solicitation. The Mamdani campaign has already hit the maximum fundraising cap under the system after raising thousands of small donations that qualified it for the 8 to 1 in public matching funds. New Yorkers for Lower Costs has raised about $60,000 in its efforts to date, although that's a pittance compared to the more than $4 million secured by the Fix The City super Pac supporting Democratic mayoral front-runner and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 'Andrew Cuomo, who's on the legal team defending [Israel] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza, has millions pouring in from his billionaire-backed super Pac,' Tlaib complained in the ad for Mamdani. 3 Tlaib participated in a Democratic Socialists of America virtual organizing call for Mamdani last month. 'Zohran is getting drowned out on the airwaves. That's why I'm supporting the official Zohran Mamdani support PAC — to run the ads Zohran can't,' said the congresswoman — who has been openly supportive of the Palestinian terror group Hamas and called for the destruction of Israel. A Jewish donor who is a staunch backer of Israel and requested anonymity told The Post they were 'appalled' at receiving a text message from Tlaib on behalf of Mamdani. Brooklyn state Assemblyman Kalman Yeger, a strong ally of Israel, also said he is not surprised that Tlaib is being used as a fundraising tool by the pro-Mamdani camp. 'Unfortunately, in New York City, there are antisemites out there who would be receptive to her message, and Mamdani is the most antisemitic candidate New York has ever seen,' Yeger said. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from western Queens, is running second behind Cuomo in recent Democratic primary polls. Last month, Tlaib participated in a Democratic Socialists of America virtual organizing call for Mamdani, where she urged 'comrades' to back him for mayor. Tlaib, a member of the US House of Representatives' far-left 'Squad' alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx-Queens) and others, is known for her disdain of her own party's support for Israel. As the only Palestinian American in Congress, she has been openly supportive of Hamas during her time in office and has even been censured by colleagues for defending it and for calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. During Netanyahu's address to Congress last spring, Tlaib was widely ripped for brandishing a sign accusing the Israeli leader of being a 'war criminal' and 'guilty of genocide.' She also repeatedly berated then-President Joe Biden as an 'enabler' over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war and even declined to endorse Kamala Harris as her party's 2024 presidential pick. Branded by some Republicans as the 'poster child' for Trump derangement syndrome, Tlaib most recently held up real-time signs during President Trump's joint session of Congress last month declaring him a 'liar.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Allies of socialist Zohran Mamdani form super PAC to support his New York mayoral bid
NEW YORK — Allies of socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani have launched a super PAC in his support, according to state Board of Elections filings. The PAC, called New Yorkers for Lower Costs, was formed Tuesday for the purpose of supporting Mamdani with ads and other materials ahead of June's Democratic mayoral primary, the filings show. There are no records it has spent or received any money yet, and it's unclear who exactly is running the PAC, though The New York Daily News was able to confirm its incorporation paperwork was filed by Regina Monge, a progressive political consultant based in Washington, D.C. Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which has long been critical of the involvement of super PACs in the electoral process since they have no spending limits and serve as a way for rich donors to flood local races with cash. The candidate earned the left-wing group's endorsement earlier this year. 'I thought DSA was against dark money,' a New York political operative who has worked on various local campaigns told the Daily News after being informed of the new pro-Mamdani PAC. 'This is interesting. I guess if you can't beat them, join them?' But a source on Mamdani's team said the PAC is a positive sign for the campaign, showing that those in the political sphere believe in Mamdani and see him as a powerful and viable candidate. Mamdani's mayoral bid has gained traction over the past few months with snazzy social media content and strong left-of-center policy takes. He has campaigned on a promise to freeze rents for rent-stabilized tenants in the city, make city buses free and provide free universal child care. He has raised more than $3.4 million with public matching funds since his campaign announcement in October — much of that money coming in the form of small-dollar donations, which his team has touted as signs of strong grassroots support. The Queens assemblymember came in third in a recent Quinnipiac University poll, netting 8% of the vote to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 31% and Mayor Adams' 11%. Monge, the consultant who filed the paperwork for the new Mamdani-boosting PAC, has a history of working for lefty political organizations and politicians. The Justice Democrats, a political action committee formed by ex-Bernie Sanders staffers that was instrumental in electing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive members of 'The Squad,' paid Monge nearly $47,000 during the 2024 election cycle for 'fundraising consulting,' records show. More recently, on Jan. 28, the campaign for Jessica Cisneros, a progressive congressional candidate in Texas, paid Monge $3,000 for consulting. Monge didn't return a request for comment, and a Mamdani representative declined to comment on the PAC's formation. Independent expenditures like the new Mamdani PAC aren't allowed by law to coordinate with declared candidates they're supporting. Super PACs can be a powerful force in mayoral races — offering an avenue for millionaires and billionaires to pour funds into campaign mailers and political ads in support of their preferred candidates. So far, the only other super PAC that's been filed in the race is in support of Cuomo. _____
