| | | | |  | | By Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin and Nick Reisman | Presented by American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network | With help from Jason Beeferman
|  New York's freshmen Republicans like Rep. Nick Lalota say losing Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker is a fundraising setback. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | Kevin McCarthy made the campaign cash flow as House speaker. His successor Mike Johnson is … working on it. And for the vulnerable Republicans seeking reelection in New York state, the difference is stark. More than $1.8 million had been raised by McCarthy-associated committees versus just $12,000 by Johnson-affiliated ones for Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Brandon Williams and Nick LaLota, according to federal filings reviewed by Playbook. Overall, McCarthy’s campaign raised more than 20 times what Johnson’s did for the 2022 cycle and the 2024 one thus far. New York’s Republican freshmen acknowledged the former speaker’s prolific rainmaking but had faith that others will pick up the slack. “Losing McCarthy is obviously a setback for our fundraising; it’s like losing a hall of famer in that category,” LaLota told Playbook. “But there are multiple all-stars looking to step up.” The Long Island representative noted Johnson’s first weeks as speaker-cum-fundraiser showed promise. LaLota also cited progress by Reps. Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer in GOP leadership as well as Rep. August Pfluger of Texas. Seven New York incumbents face competitive races in 2024, per Cook Political Report ratings, and New York could decide which party has the House majority in 2025. Republicans were buoyed by the local election gains of earlier this month, especially on Long Island, but they’re also fighting association with indicted GOP Rep. George Santos and pushing back on Democrats tying them to Johnson’s extremist views. Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman described the new speaker to Playbook as “someone for a national abortion ban with no exceptions, an architect of election denying, efforts to overturn the 2020 election and virulently anti-LGBTQ.” Goldman predicted Republicans won’t be able to replicate McCarthy’s fundraising, saying Johnson “has to build an entire donor network from scratch because he’s effectively unknown.” (A Siena Research Institute poll released today found 53 percent of New York voters have never heard of Johnson or have no opinion of him.) D’Esposito of Long Island has stressed he doesn’t share Johnson’s stance on abortion. He also said McCarthy retains considerable clout — even without the speaker’s gavel. “He’s still going to be supportive of candidates that were supportive of him, especially in seats that he helped deliver,” D’Esposito told Playbook. A spokesperson for Williams’ campaign said the Syracuse-area representative is confident in his fundraising as well as Johnson’s. “In 2024, the majority-makers from New York will once again prove that ‘the people’ have had enough of the ‘progressive fantasies’ of cashless bail, sanctuary cities, open borders and reckless government spending,” Taylor Weyeneth added in a statement. National Republican Campaign Committee spokesperson Savannah Viar listed similar issues as detrimental to Democrats, saying, “Republicans’ strong fundraising effort is beside the main point: no amount of Democrats’ money will make voters forget their terrible policies.” — Emily Ngo IT’S MONDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: New York’s doctors and nurses agree: Biomarker testing can lead to better care, better outcomes, and longer, healthier lives. But right now, many New Yorkers with cancer and other serious conditions are being denied access to these critical tests – especially New Yorkers of color and those in rural areas. Governor Hochul: Stand with patients and sign the biomarker bill without changes today. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Speaking at the JP Morgan Chase Tower’s topping out ceremony and making a housing announcement with the mayor in New York City. WHERE’S ERIC? Also speaking at the JP Morgan Chase tower celebration, making a housing announcement with the governor, honoring NYPD officers, convening with the city council’s Women’s Caucus, meeting the International Youth Exchange program’s inaugural class and hosting a community conversation. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I will continue to be a fearless fighter against antisemitism and for the public safety of all New Yorkers.” — City Councilmember Inna Vernikov after a gun possession charge from a rally was set to be dropped.
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An online poll suggests former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is testing whether he would be a popular choice for mayor. | AP | CUO-YES OR CUO-NO: Andrew Cuomo seems to be polling — again — and is even testing his viability as a mayoral candidate. Screenshots of an online poll reviewed by Playbook show questions message-testing the former governor’s defenses to allegations of sexual misconduct, highlighting his accomplishments as governor, and testing him against Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate and against Kathy Hochul and Letitia James for governor. There’s also a question asking about a hypothetical mayoral matchup between Jumaane Williams, Kathryn Garcia, Brad Lander and Cuomo. Much of the poll was first posted on X by journalist Ben Max. A web developer also posted on X that his wife got the same poll by phone last week. Cuomo’s on vacation in Sicily, and his spokesperson Rich Azzopardi didn’t respond to a request for comment, but he certainly didn’t shut down talk of a comeback in a Cuomo-friendly trial balloon in Vanity Fair this week. The main idea: There’s a certain brand of New York power player who — in the seemingly unlikely but quite imaginable world where Mayor Eric Adams gets indicted from this federal corruption investigation — would greatly prefer Cuomo to any more progressive alternatives. Cuomo almost certainly wouldn’t run against Adams, even if he were politically weakened. But an open seat? “It’s beyond exploratory; this is a full message test. They’re putting money where their mouth is,” said Evan Roth Smith, pollster and founding partner of Slingshot Strategies. “This is expensive stuff. This is thorough, thorough polling.” Roth Smith said pollsters “sign their work” with the specific wording of demographic questions, and he’s nearly positive this poll was conducted by Virginia-based Expedition Strategies, which Cuomo reported paying in campaign filings last year. Cuomo’s favorability was way negative statewide in a March 2022 Siena poll, months after his resignation. But 50 percent of Democrats at the time still felt good about him. — Jeff Coltin
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | | 
Mayor Eric Adams stressed his belief in God amid the recent FBI probe into his 2021 campaign at a Brooklyn church on Sunday. | Mayoral Photography Office | ADAMS’ DEFENSE FUND: The mayor is turning to a higher power — in addition to a legal defense fund — to help him through the federal investigation of his 2021 campaign for alleged collusion with the Turkish government. He referenced unspecified “attacks” on him during remarks Sunday at Brooklyn’s Tabernacle for Praise Cathedral. “Before that happened, I believed in God and I believe in God even more now,” he told a supportive and receptive audience. “You are not going to tell me that God took me this far and will abandon me. It’s not possible. I know who I am.” The appearance comes after the mayor set up a legal defense fund that will allow him to accept donations outside the normal campaign cycle, POLITICO first reported. The fund is monitored by the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board. The Eric Adams Legal Defense Trust “is necessitated by, and intended to defray, legal expenses in connection with the inquiries by the office of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York related to the operations of the Eric Adams 2021 mayoral campaign committee,” reads a signed affidavit from Adams. — Emily Ngo More from the city: — The federal government is asking a judge to remove control of Rikers Island from Adams and the city’s Department of Correction and put it into federal receivership. (Gothamist) — Brooklyn parents are mobilizing against Adams’ budget cuts that could weaken preschool programs across the city with a new group called New Yorkers United for Child Care. (Fox 5) — Cardi B is also slamming Adams’ cuts: “We’re going to be drowning in rats.” (Daily Mail) — Veteran Bronx restaurateur Jeffrey Garcia was named the city’s new “nightlife mayor” — even though there’s a hiring freeze in place across all city government agencies due to budgetary concerns. (New York Daily News)
| | | | A message from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:   | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | |  Upper West Side assemblymember Danny O’Donnell won't be seeking reelection next year, he announced Friday. | AP Photo | OH DANNY BOY: Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell announced he won’t be seeking reelection next year — setting the stage for what’s likely to be a hot Democratic primary on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. When he was elected in 2002, O’Donnell was the first out gay man in the Assembly and was the lead sponsor of the Marriage Equality Act that legalized same sex marriage in the state. Bronx Defenders attorney Eli Northrup is announcing his campaign for the seat today. Other potential candidates include Micah Lasher, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s policy director who previously ran for state Senate; real estate lobbyist Melissa Rosenberg; Legal Aid Society attorney Pablo Zevallos and real estate consultant Daniel Cohen. And more people are likely to consider. It’s one of the highest-turnout districts in the state, and O’Donnell told Playbook he doesn’t have a successor in mind. — Jeff Coltin SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL: A majority of New York voters condemned the attacks by Hamas against Israeli communities and military sites last month, a Siena College poll released today found. The poll showed 59 percent of all voters support the assertion the attacks should be condemned without equivocation. But there are differences between Democratic and Republican voters: 57 percent of Democrats agreed the attacks should be condemned without hesitation; a higher number of Republicans at 68 percent said the same. At 75 percent, voters in New York also agreed that Jews are facing increased antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attacks — a view that is shared by both Democrats and Republicans, the poll found. The survey of 803 registered voters was conducted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15. It has a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points. — Nick Reisman SPEAKING FOR THE TREES: Environmental groups are pressing Hochul to sign a measure meant to stop New York from doing business with companies that contribute to deforestation is heading to Hochul’s desk. The proposal is being pushed for in a digital ad campaign set to start today that’s backed by the Environmental Advocates of New York. If approved, the measure would also create a supply chain “assistance program” to help small and medium sized firms, as well as minority and women-owned businesses that have “ethical and more sustainable” supply chains. — Nick Reisman WHAT’S THAT MEAN: Ballot proposals and pivotal changes to New York’s constitution put before voters will now need to be written in “plain” language easy for voters to understand. The new requirement signed into law by Hochul comes as voters next year will consider an amendment that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution as well as other protections. It also comes two years after voters considered (and voted down) a change to the redistricting process that even the most seasoned political veterans found prolix and difficult to understand. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Hybrid work is now the norm for many state workers. (Times Union) — State Sen. Kevin Parker has been accused of raping a woman in 2004, early in his tenure as a state legislator, according to a new lawsuit filed against him. (am New York) — The Adult Survivors Act is set to expire after Thanksgiving. (Associated Press) — Reducing the role that Regents exams play in graduations is creating concerns over eroding standards. (Newsday)
| | | | A message from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: Governor Hochul: It’s time to stand with patients and improve access to biomarker testing. New York’s doctors and nurses agree: biomarker testing can lead to better care, better outcomes, and longer, healthier lives. But right now, many New Yorkers with cancer and other serious conditions are being denied access to these critical tests – especially New Yorkers of color and those in rural areas. Both houses of the New York State Legislature passed bipartisan legislation that would ensure more New Yorkers can benefit from proven biomarker testing, but the bill is still sitting on Governor Hochul’s desk. These tests help identify targeted therapies, and can improve outcomes and quality of life. Every New Yorker who can benefit deserves access to these tests and the treatments they enable. Governor Hochul: Your signature is all that’s standing in the way. Put patients first and sign the biomarker bill without changes today. Learn more. | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Columbia University needs to reinstate Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, says a letter from progressive elected officials, led by AOC. (City & State) — A new Girl Scout troop consisting entirely of young asylum-seekers living in city shelters visited the Statue of Liberty (New York Daily News) — The LIRR billed riders about $1.4 million for unpaid tickets last year, but only got back less than $60,000. (Newsday)
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | OUT AND ABOUT — Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes celebrated his 40th birthday Saturday night with a blowout party at the Grill in New York’s Seagram Building, organized by White House Australia State Dinner planner Bryan Rafanelli. Guests sipped gin martinis and mingled as a jazz quartet played, before proceeding to the Pool Room for dinner of filet mignon. Hughes, his husband Sean Eldridge and close friends delivered toasts. SPOTTED: Laurene Powell Jobs, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Fareed Zakaria, Ezra Klein, Joe Kahn, Darren Walker, Mike Pyle, Benj Pasek, Felicia Wong, Cathy Rampell, Tony Marx, Morena Baccarin, Alex Levy, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Steve Ells, Laurie Segall, Erik Bottcher and Rohit Chopra. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: President Joe Biden (81) … POLITICO’s Dan Goldberg … Bloomberg’s Ian Kullgren … CNN’s Ryan Struyk … SKDK’s Cecelia Prewett (WAS SUNDAY): Time’s Sam Jacobs and Vera Bergengruen … Meghan Burris of NAFCU … Louis Susman … Calvin Klein ... NBC’s Lauren McCulloch ... Ted Turner … former Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) … Economic Innovation Group’s Milica Cosic … Emily Kohlman … Adriana Guzman … Ivan Levingston … Caitlin Graf … Charlie Siguler … Jerry Sheindlin ... Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel ... Trudy Stern ... Rabbi Shmuley Boteach ... Seth Cohen (WAS SATURDAY): NYT’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg … Megyn Kelly … NBC’s Tom Namako and Morgan Radford … former Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) … Eric D. Roiter … Ian Lipkin ... Robert Lapidus ... Shira Dicker … Eric Sayler (WAS FRIDAY): MTA’s Eugene Resnick
| | Real Estate | | — Midtown real estate mogul Charles Cohen is grappling with office vacancies across his portfolio. (Crain’s New York Business) — Manhattan’s Financial District is seeing a slate of office buildings turned into housing. (The New York Times)
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