| | | | |  | | By Emily Ngo, Nick Reisman and Jeff Coltin | |  The Working Families Party has broken up with former Rep. Mondaire Jones — but they still want him to win the party primary. | Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP | New York Minute: Mayor Eric Adams’ Charter Revision Commission is set to release its preliminary report today, including recommendations for what questions could make it on the ballot this November. The commission is also kicking off a second round of public meetings, starting tonight on Staten Island. A VERY MESSY PRIMARY: Fight an alleged attempt at sabotage first, feud over what it means to be progressive later. Frenemies Mondaire Jones and the Working Families Party are working in tandem — even if not exactly together — against what both say is a GOP ploy to swipe the WFP line from Jones on Tuesday and spoil the vote for Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in November. Jones’ rival in the WFP primary, Anthony Frascone, has no conventional campaign presence — no apparent website, social media or evidence of stumping and no response to Playbook despite multiple attempts to reach him. But he does have a record of voting with the Independence and the Republican parties before his last several years of voting with the left-leaning WFP. And he ran for a local office as an Independence Party member in 2011. “We reject any attempt by GOP operatives to hijack our ballot line and are making sure WFP voters in the district know that there’s a primary on Tuesday,” New York Working Families Party spokesperson Ravi Mangla told Playbook. The “we” is the WFP, not the WFP and Jones, whose relationship soured after he backed more moderate, pro-Israel challenger George Latimer over endangered one-time colleague Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a neighboring district. The WFP responded by pulling its operational and financial support for the Democratic former House member in the lower Hudson Valley. The influential third party didn’t rescind its endorsement of Jones, and it still will work against vulnerable incumbent Lawler. And so on Tuesday, it’s Jones and the WFP versus Frascone to ensure Jones has the Democratic and WFP lines to compete this fall against Lawler on the Republican and Conservative Party lines in one of the country’s most competitive House races. “With no record of accomplishment and a voting history similar to that of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Lawler is nervous about winning in NY-17,” Jones spokesperson Shannon Geison said in a statement. “That’s why MAGA Republicans are trying to steal the Working Families Party line.” Lawler’s campaign refused to address the very grave allegations linking him to a would-be GOP saboteur and instead took an equally hard swipe at Jones’ campaign. “Radical Mondaire Jones, who voted with AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and the Squad 97 percent of the time, is clearly running scared in NY-17,” Lawler spokesperson Chris Russell said in a statement. Jones’ campaign had tried but failed in April to boot Frascone from the WFP ballot. Lawrence Garvey, the chair of the GOP in Rockland County, where Frascone lives, did not return multiple Playbook requests for comment. The National Republican Congressional Committee came closest to addressing the charges that the GOP is trying to hijack or steal the WFP line, but like Lawler’s campaign, attacked Jones for moving twice to run for office and “stabbing his friends in the back.” “If Mondaire is that worried about losing his primary and the line he thinks he’s entitled to,” NRCC spokesperson Savannah Viar said, “shouldn’t he be out knocking doors instead of placing silly stories?” — Emily Ngo IT’S MONDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In Rochester, making an economic development announcement. WHERE’S ERIC? Making an education announcement with the schools chancellor in the South Bronx and attending a 90th birthday celebration for Bishop Huie Rogers. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I am the hip-hop congressman.” — Rep. Jamaal Bowman at a campaign rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the last days of the highest-profile battle this year over the direction of the Democratic Party.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to see an energetic President Joe Biden at the presidential debate. | Patrick Semansky/AP | IN JOE’S CORNER: Gov. Kathy Hochul wants President Joe Biden to “recreate the magic” of his State of the Union address this year and bring a feisty argument to former President Donald Trump in Thursday’s debate. Sunday’s CNN interview was yet another example of Hochul’s turn as a Biden campaign surrogate this election year — providing him the support of one of the nation’s most prominent governors who represents a media-heavy state. “I could not believe the electricity, way over-performing expectations because he has such a clear vision for this country where he wants to take us in the next term,” she said. But left unsaid is the deep anxiety for Democrats heading into the high-stakes, unusually early TV debate between Trump and Biden. And the president has some work today even in deep blue New York, where he is up only 8 points over Trump in a Siena College released last week. (That same poll found Hochul with rock-bottom numbers as well). Hochul thinks Biden, 81, should bring the same level of energy from his address to Congress earlier this year, a performance that Democrats wanted to be an answer to Republican attacks over the president’s age and cognitive abilities. Of course, the GOP blasts against Biden’s advanced age haven’t abated, and the president’s relatively slim lead in New York coincides with voters’ concerns about crime and the migrant crisis — issues that have resonated with Republican and independent voters. Democrats plan to boost turnout in New York with a proposed amendment that would enshrine abortion rights and other guarantees into the state constitution. And Hochul urged Biden on Sunday to focus on reproductive concerns when he squares off against Trump. “One of the few promises (Trump) kept was to overturn Roe v. Wade. And as a result, we have women that are suffering, that are driving hundreds of miles for an abortion, emergency rooms, being denied health care when their own lives are on the line. That's what we have now,” Hochul said. “So, President Biden should remind everybody who did this to American women.” — Nick Reisman
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New York City Council Member Chi Ossé speaks at a broker fee bill rally with Council Member Shahana Hanif and others on June 12, 2024. | Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | |
New York City Council Member Chi Ossé speaks at a broker fee bill rally with Council Member Shahana Hanif and others on June 12, 2024. | Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit | BELOVED BROKER BILL: A whopping 66 percent of New York City Democrats support the bill banning landlords from charging renters brokers fees, while just 17 percent oppose it. That’s according to a June poll, first in Playbook, paid for by broker bill booster Tusk Philanthropies and conducted by Slingshot Strategies. Similarly, 66 percent of city Dems said they’d be less likely to support Adams for reelection if he vetoes the bill known as the FARE Act, while just 13 percent said they’d be more likely to back him. “Voters are tired of paying for something everyone else in virtually every other city gets for free,” Tusk Philanthropies’ Bradley Tusk said in a statement. “The data is clear that elected officials who oppose the bill will have a political liability on their hands next year. Their opponents are licking their chops.” No surprise there — policies that directly save people money generally poll well. But some opponents argue it would have negative effects. “The FARE Act will raise rents, result in the loss of jobs for hard-working New Yorkers and make it more difficult to secure an apartment, and no poll can change those facts,” said Real Estate Board of New York President James Whelan. The Council held a hearing on the bill this month, and the speaker’s office hasn’t made a decision on whether it’ll be amended or brought for a vote. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — The head of the UFT is withdrawing support for Adams’ effort to shift 250,000 retirees onto a Medicare Advantage plan. (POLITICO Pro) — Every nook and cranny of city sheriff’s offices is filled with cannabis from unlicensed pot shops amid a crackdown. (Daily News) — The owner of cheesecake spot Junior’s, Alan Rosen, is thinking about running for mayor as a Republican. (New York Post)
| | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
The unions that support Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis don't actually like political newcomer Timothy Mitts, despite the mailers. | Timothy Mitts/Facebook | IN MITT TO WIN IT? Two labor unions backing Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis are spending thousands to boost a Conservative Party candidate who could split the vote with Skoufis’ Republican challenger in November. Communications Workers of America District 1’s super PAC arm, New Yorkers Together, reported spending nearly $8,000 on mailers this month supporting Timothy Mitts in the Conservative Party primary in the lower Hudson Valley district. The Carpenters Fund for Growth and Progress, an arm of the Carpenters union, has also reported sending out two mailers and phone banking for Mitts. Mitts, a landlord and former Republican, is running against GOP nominee Dorey Houle for the third party line. If Mitts wins the Conservative line, he’d take some votes from Houle in the general election. Skoufis beat Houle by just 1 percent in the 2022 general, so the line could be a major factor in the rematch. A little spending goes a long way, since there are fewer than 4,000 Conservative Party members in SD-42, and turnout will be just a fraction of that. Neither CWA, the Carpenters, Houle, nor Mitts responded to a request for comment. But Mitts posted the positive flyers on Facebook, calling them “unsolicited endorsements.” — Jeff Coltin CUOMO TEA LEAF WATCH: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued to sidestep questions over his political future during an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” “That is a direct question and there will be no direct answer,” he said when Maher asked if he was considering a run for governor or mayor of New York City. Cuomo has pointedly not ruled out a future campaign following his 2021 resignation amid allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, which he has denied. “I have no current plans to make plans,” Cuomo added — borrowing a line used by his late father. During the same interview, Cuomo criticized Attorney General Tish James’ civil case against Trump. He was responding to Maher, as the host talked about the criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which resulted in 34 felony convictions. “If his name was not Donald Trump and if he wasn’t running for president … I’m the former AG of in New York, [and] I’m telling you that case would’ve never been brought,” Cuomo said. “That’s what is offensive to people, and it should be because if there’s anything left, it’s belief in the justice system.” Though Cuomo invoked the attorney general, it seemed he may have also been implying Bragg should not have brought forth his case — and multiple press reports interpreted the comments that way. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Adams is backing Assemblymember Ron Kim, who called in 2020 for defunding police but has since pushed for a new police precinct and stricter hate-crimes laws. (New York Post) — Retiring New York Public Radio reporter Karen DeWitt reflects on the fractured news landscape she’s leaving behind. (Times Union) — When 26 lawmakers who support the congestion pricing pause were asked how to fund transit upgrades, most shrugged. (NY Focus)
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. Nick LaLota was endorsed by Trump on Friday. John Avlon is one of the Democrats hoping to take him down. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for FairVote | FOCUS ON DEMOCRACY: Democrats John Avlon and Nancy Goroff, who are battling Tuesday for a chance to challenge GOP Rep. Nick LaLota on Long Island, share at least one priority: defending democracy from Donald Trump, POLITICO reports today. The strategy mirrors one being put to the test nationally by Joe Biden’s campaign, which has shifted to a more forceful tone focusing on not only Trump’s hush money conviction but his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and sow mistrust in longstanding institutions. But it could be a risky one, some Democrats fear — especially in the stretch of suburbs that has grown redder over the years and was the rare spot of trouble for the party in an otherwise strong 2022. “Ultimately, to worry about democracy, you have to believe that democracy is working for you,” said Zak Malamed, a Long Island-based strategist and former Democratic House candidate who co-founded a PAC to combat extremism. — Emily Ngo More from the delegation: — A 2021 visit to the West Bank changed Bowman’s worldview — and could cost him reelection. (POLITICO) — Central New York Democrats will decide Tuesday whether Sarah Klee Hood or John Mannion has a better shot at unseating GOP Rep. Brandon Williams. (Syracuse.com) — Former CNN anchor Avlon takes on professor Goroff in a primary aimed at finding a Democrat who can win on Long Island. (Associated Press)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — A 9/11 survivors group sued the city over the government blocking the release of documents on ground zero toxins. (Gothamist) — Columbia placed three administrators on leave over allegedly sending unprofessional texts during a panel discussion on antisemitism. (Associated Press) — Rats are on the ballot in Brooklyn, with Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman supporting extermination while challenger Eon Huntley favors a no-kill, birth-control approach. (Daily News)
| | SOCIAL DATA | | MAKING MOVES: Morgan Snyder is joining New Heights Communications as a comms manager. She previously was deputy upstate press secretary for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. … Ankita Verma is now an adviser for strategic comms for special envoy Abby Finkenauer at the State Department. She previously was deputy comms director for Ocasio-Cortez … Mexican President-elect Claudia Scheinbaum named Juan Ramón De La Fuente as the country’s next foreign minister. He was previously Mexico’s envoy to the United Nations. … … Upland Workshop, a strategic advisory firm, has hired Alex Barinka, Julia Verlaine and Meredith Cash. Barinka most recently was Big Tech and social media reporter at Bloomberg News, Verlaine previously was head of marketing and communications at the Rohatyn Group and is a Wall Street Journal alum, and Cash most recently was a senior sports reporter at Business Insider. WEEKEND WEDDING: Becky Stern, vice president at Pythia Public, and Ethan Lustig-Elgrably, government affairs director at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, got married Friday at the City Clerk’s office in Manhattan — then proceeded to Brooklyn, where they cast early primary votes in their wedding attire. They met back in 2014 as City Council staffers. Pic MEDIAWATCH: Uptown Manhattan Patch reporter Peter Senzamici is joining the New York Post, covering Manhattan Civil Court. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: former New York Gov. George Pataki … Fox 5’s Morgan McKay … Redistricting Queen Miranda Goodwin-Raab … Kathleen Horan … U.S. Chamber’s Suzanne Clark … Robert Reich … U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture Jeff Prescott … NYT’s Zach Seward and Adrienne Hurst … Edelman’s Kevin Goldman … Amelia Makin … (WAS SUNDAY): Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) … Aaron Cutler of Hogan Lovells … Brian Pomper … Nick Weinstein … Kaelan Dorr … City & State’s Twitter ace Caitlin Dorman … Mark Leder … Josh Lauder … Naomi Alson … Ryan Woodbury … Robert Lezama ... (WAS SATURDAY): the Partnership for New York City’s Kathy Wylde … DiNapoli Chief Shawn Thompson … Brit Hume … AP’s Jill Colvin … Uber’s Michael Falcone … Megan Chan … Carson Daly Missed Friday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
