| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Sally Goldenberg, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Rich Mendez
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The New York Times editorial board has been scaling back local political coverage over the last several years. | Mark Lennihan/AP | One of the most influential players in New York politics has benched itself without much explanation. The New York Times’ decision to immediately halt city and state endorsements scrambles the playbook of challengers to Mayor Eric Adams next year — especially the trio to his left looking to capitalize on the newspaper’s recorded frustration with the incumbent. The change, reported by the Times Monday, comes as the paper looks to shift to a “global audience.” It’s good news for Adams, who appeared unlikely to secure the backing if anyone else seemed even remotely viable. “It’s the end of an era,” Scott Stringer, who has both won and lost Times endorsements over his decades-long political career, told Playbook. “I had every intention of going in and making a case.” Stringer, who is running a savvy but longshot campaign to unseat Adams, is the prototypical Times candidate — an established, left-of-center Democrat from the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where the paper holds enormous sway. He would have had competition from state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Comptroller Brad Lander — a Brooklyn-based pol who defeated a Manhattan candidate after getting the paper’s backing in 2021. To understand the endorsement’s value, look no further than the back-of-the-pack 2021 mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia, the sanitation commissioner whose candidacy had failed to take off. Following the Times endorsement, Garcia catapulted to a near-lead spot and ended within 1 point of Adams. “She got a ton more money, she was seen as far more credible, she got a ton more earned media and it really sent a signal that she was a serious candidate,” Democratic operative Matt Wing, who volunteered on the Garcia campaign, told Playbook. Wing had his own memory of prepping his former candidate, Bill de Blasio, for the Times endorsement as the eventual mayor campaigned for public advocate in 2009. “We studied every editorial, to study which words they cared about the most, which were ‘independence’ and ‘integrity,’” Wing said. Following the interview, Wing stalked the website late into weekend nights, hitting refresh obsessively until he saw the good news. “I still have a printout in my office of that endorsement framed.” The move Monday wasn’t a total shock. The Gray Lady’s editorial board has been scaling back New York political coverage over the last several years, along with the newsroom. City Council endorsements, once routine, haven’t been made since 2017. Politicos on Monday questioned why the paper seemed to relinquish its local power — a move likely to further elevate the influential New York Post. Media commentator Ben Smith, editor in chief of Semafor and former Times columnist, put it this way: “The city will be run increasingly by minor political machines, bits of labor unions and other interest groups you didn’t even know existed.” — Sally Goldenberg and Jeff Coltin IT’S TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Equinor: Can offshore wind power America’s energy transition? Yes, and Equinor is playing a key role. Empire Wind 1 will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly into the NYC grid. It will help New York deliver its climate goals, create more than 1,000 union jobs, boost local economies, and decrease emissions. Equinor is proud to be a global leader in the innovation and advancement of offshore wind. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Thanking first responders for their help during Hurricane Debby, then making a transportation announcement. WHERE’S ERIC? Holding his weekly press conference, then hosting a reception celebrating Haitian heritage. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He was inheriting more than just a department that had to put out flames of burning buildings. We had to put out the flames that are actually burning inside the agency.” — Adams, on appointing Robert Tucker as fire commissioner amid allegations around sexism and age discrimination in the FDNY. The line got firefighters’ tongues wagging, the Post reported.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to highlight the fact that crime is down, but voters just don't feel safe yet. | Darren McGee/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul | PERCEPTION AND POLITICS: Crime is falling year-over-year across New York, including for the politically vital suburban counties on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. But voters aren’t feeling safe just yet. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday touted the drop in crime during the first half of the year — a 26 percent reduction in Rockland County and an 18 percent decline for Nassau County — as a sign that her “approach is working.” Hochul has pursued changes to New York’s law that curtailed when cash bail is required to expand the number of bail-eligible criminal charges. She pushed for and won the approval of a new slate of hate crime charges as well as efforts to combat shoplifting. And she has sought to address gun crime by beefing up the State Police and a task force designed to combat the problem. The changes, along with the aftershocks of the pandemic subsiding, could all be playing a role in the reduction in crime, Democrats said. “I’m cheering that the stats are down, but not ignorant to the fact that perception is not following the statistics,” said Assemblymember John McDonald, a Democrat who had backed the anti-shoplifting measures. “There’s a lot of different things coming together and the good news is it’s resulting in reduced crime. It’s something that we should all be cheering and happy about.” Public safety remains a potent concern for voters — and one that generally plays better for Republicans. Former President Donald Trump and his party readily depict major cities as out-of-control hellscapes, regardless of whether the stats substantiate those claims. The issue could once again play a role in New York House races. A half-dozen seats are considered to be in play and the outcome of the races could determine control of the chamber. A Siena College poll released last week found most voters — 55 percent — believe crime has gotten worse in the last year, contrary to the reality of the numbers. Republicans have effectively wielded an anti-crime platform in recent campaigns, including against Hochul who was caught off guard by a surprisingly strong challenge two years ago. She won by a comparatively modest margin. And some GOP lawmakers expect the issue will continue to be a pivotal one for voters. “I do think it will impact the election,” Republican state Sen. Jim Tedisco said. “And just saying things are rosy right now people aren’t buying it.” — Nick Reisman
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The Assemblymember’s campaign website was surprisingly short on Adams content, given their close political alliance. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office | MASTER OF HER DOMAIN NAME: Jenifer Rajkumar launched her comptroller campaign website Monday — and the Assemblymember’s haters launched their website to counter her. JeniferForNY.com calls her “Passionate. Determined. Fearless” and features a launch video with scenes around the city. While JeniferRajkumar.com calls her “Con artist. Conservative. Clout Chaser” among other terms, and features links to negative quotes and news stories going back more than a decade. Rajkumar had a calm response to the opposition, suggesting she could be a vessel for peace in a fractured world. “There’s a lot of hate in the world right now,” she said in a statement. “Throw all your hate on me. I am here to heal, unite and lead this city.” It wasn’t immediately clear who made the knockoff site, which doesn’t include any identifying information. With Lander running for mayor, the comptroller field could include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, City Council member Justin Brannan and others. — Jeff Coltin DOMINO DOESN’T FALL: One person who WON’T be running for comptroller? Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m staying put,” the Democrat told PIX11 Monday. He considered running citywide but now plans to run for reelection. State Sen. Kevin Parker has filed to run for BP, and didn’t rule out challenging Reynoso next year, Playbook first reported. Cannabis consultant Khari Edwards, who finished 5th place in 2021, has also filed to run again. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — The hosts of plugged-in political podcast FAQ NYC wonder if the mayor is really as weak as his critics believe. (The New Yorker) — The city has paid out at least $82 million in police misconduct lawsuits so far this year — a 61 percent increase from the same period last year, according to Legal Aid Society. (Gothamist) — The Caribbean community in New York City has been looking to energize its voter base as the November elections draw near. (Documented NY)
| | | | A message from Equinor:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  A bill backed by state Sen. Jeremy Cooney would increase transparency to the state contracting process. | Office of Sen. Jeremy Cooney | PLEASE SIGN: Good-government advocates urged Hochul Monday to approve a measure that’s meant to add a dose of transparency to the state contracting process. The bill, backed by state Sen. Jeremy Cooney and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, would require state agencies to post online the details of contracts that are exempt from oversight by the state comptroller’s office. Many of these exempt contracts are approved due to emergencies and that can make it difficult to track the spending. “This will provide greater transparency of state spending, allowing more public scrutiny and accountability,” a memorandum of support released by Reinvent Albany stated. The pending law is also part of a broader push and pull between the governor and comptroller — a power dynamic that was on display during Andrew Cuomo’s time in office that often veered into personal animosity with longtime Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — State Senate Democrats promoted two staffers to key leadership roles. (City & State) — Ballot errors and legal loopholes were addressed in the latest package of voting laws approved by Hochul. (Niagara Gazette) — A proposed bill would ease the transition for residents when a nursing home closes. (Spectrum News)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
John Mannion is spending $58,000 on TV ads this week. | Mannion for New York via AP | UPSTATERS ON AIR: Syracuse-area Democrat John Mannion, facing the House Republican viewed as the most vulnerable in New York, is getting on air beginning today, spending $58,000 on TV ads this week, according to tracker AdImpact. One of Mannion’s challenges against Rep. Brandon Williams is building more name recognition, so the state senator and former teacher is introducing himself in a classroom setting. In the spot called “My Office,” which Playbook previewed, he discusses how lack of opportunity has led his one-time students to move away. It’s an early splurge considering Mannion finished the second quarter with only about $340,000 cash on hand after his bruising primary, while Williams has $1.4 million but has yet to spend on TV. The DCCC will boost Mannion with $150,000 in ads in the Syracuse and Utica markets this week, according to AdImpact. Farther south, Rep. Marc Molinaro will debut his first TV ad of his reelection campaign on Wednesday. Molinaro is being challenged by Democrat Josh Riley. “Growing Up,” a biographical ad, focuses on how the GOP House member’s childhood, including his family’s reliance for a time on food stamps, informs his fight to make life more affordable for New Yorkers. Molinaro has reserved $112,000 this week in addition to a $108,000 spend planned in conjunction with the NRCC. Riley, who has been outraising Molinaro, has already placed several TV spots. — Emily Ngo CRYPTO $PEND: The crypto PAC that spent big in June’s primary between George Latimer and Rep. Jamaal Bowman — betting correctly on Latimer as the eventual victor — will pour money into TV ads this fall to benefit Democratic Reps. Pat Ryan in the Hudson Valley and Rep. Tom Suozzi on Long Island, Playbook has learned. Fairshake PAC, funded by the cryptocurrency industry, has reserved about $2 million in ads in Ryan’s race against GOP challenger Alison Esposito, according to AdImpact. The group has planned an additional $2 million for Suozzi, defending his seat against Republican Mike LiPetri in a race expected to be far less competitive. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Former Rep. George Santos wants prospective jurors to fill out a questionnaire to determine what they already think of him ahead of his fraud trial. (Daily News) — Susan Molinari, a former Staten Island Republican in Congress, is crossing party lines to back Democrat Kamala Harris for president. (NY1)
| | | | During unprecedented times, POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy. Live briefings, policy trackers, and and people intelligence secures your seat at the table. Learn more. | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — A judge ruled Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name should not appear on New York’s ballot, saying that he falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions despite living in California. (AP) — A former Cornell University student was sentenced to 21 months in prison after making threats against Jewish students. (AP) — Upstate fire departments are in line for federal funding. (Spectrum News)
| | | | A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. Our world needs reliable and accessible renewable power that reduces emissions and stabilizes the grid. Offshore wind is part of the solution, and Equinor is doing its part. Equinor has deep experience in this industry and is already powering more than a million homes worldwide with offshore wind. Now, we’re building Empire Wind 1 for New York. Homegrown energy and homegrown jobs. The project serves the people who live and work in the community. And we’re just getting started, from clean air and innovations to investments that make Equinor in New York a wind-win. Plug in at www.equinor.com/US. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman ENGAGED — J.T. Foley, executive director of the Coalition for Fantasy Sports and former VP of government relations for Las Vegas Sands, proposed to Lauren Kirshner, political adviser to Todd Ricketts and an RNC and Scott Walker alum, on Saturday at Grimes Glen State Park in New York. Lauren's planned early birthday dinner with family and friends on Canandaigua Lake turned into an impromptu engagement party for the couple, who met through mutual friends. Pic ... Another pic MAKING MOVES: Matthew Pennello is the New York Bar Association’s new director of government relations. He was previously director of cabinet affairs in the Hochul administration… Rebecca Lamorte is joining Brown & Weinraub Advisors, per Empire Report. She was previously at the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York. MEDIAWATCH: ESPN New York Radio moving to 880 AM as WCBS-AM's all-news format comes to an end. (Newsday) … NBC 4 reporter Myles Miller is joining Bloomberg News as a managing editor. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen … Queens County Clerk Clerk Audrey Pheffer … Assemblymember Latrice Walker … CFTC Commissioner Caroline Pham … Kristalina Georgieva … Grace Davis of Rep. Nick Langworthy’s (R-N.Y.) office … AP’s Kelly Daschle ... Bloomberg’s Joanna Ossinger ... Margot Roosevelt … Andrew Malkin … Chris Dhanaraj … Emily Myerson Missed Monday’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 | | | | |
