| | | | |  | | By Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | PROGRAMMING NOTE: New York Playbook is taking its annual end-of-summer hiatus starting Monday. We’ll be back Tuesday, Sept. 3.
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Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says Democrats still have work to do this election season. | Photo courtesy of NYS Senate Media Services | THE TRUMP EFFECT: Count state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins among the Democrats who sees a sea change since Vice President Kamala Harris became the party’s standard bearer on the national ticket. Stewart-Cousins told Playbook in an interview that she has seen an uptick in volunteering for Democrats and, potentially, more support for the party’s down-ballot candidates. “I’m sleeping a lot better with Vice President Harris at the top of the ticket,” Stewart-Cousins said from the convention in Chicago. But the Yonkers Democrat also knows the galvanizing effect former President Donald Trump has on bringing out Democratic voters. Trump was viewed favorably by 39 percent of New York voters in a Siena College poll released this month; Harris has a 53 favorable rating. In 2018, state Senate Democrats rode a Trump backlash to their first working majority in the chamber in a decade. They haven’t lost electoral power since, and have expanded their control to a supermajority in the 63-seat chamber. “People started looking at their states hoping that there would be a bulwark against these very scary and oppressive actions that he wanted to take,” she said of Trump. Democrats’ control of either house of the state Legislature isn’t in doubt this year — the state Assembly has been in the party’s hands since the immediate aftermath of the Watergate scandal. So Stewart-Cousins plans to focus on turning out voters for the equality amendment, a ballot proposition that is meant to enshrine abortion rights and other protections in the state Constitution. She is also part of the broader coordinating committee to help Democrats get elected in battleground House seats. “I’ll educate folks and make sure people understand that every level of the ballot is important,” she said. Republicans are derisive of Harris’ potential positive coattails for New York Democrats, especially when it comes to issues like the migrant crisis and cost of living. “What a joke. With ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, Democrats can’t hide from their dual disasters of inflation and illegal immigration,” New York Republican spokesperson David Laska said in response. He knocked the efforts for the proposed amendment and echoed claims made by abortion opponents who have warned of the unforeseen consequences — ones Democrats have said are fear-mongering and dismissed as implausible. “Democrats must start telling the truth about Prop 1: that it will force males into girls’ sports and spaces and will give cover to radical teachers who want to transition kids behind their parents’ backs,” Laska said. “Once New Yorkers know what Prop 1 actually does, they’ll vote it down.” — Nick Reisman HAPPY FRIDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | Did you miss it? This month, POLITICO and AARP NY convened New York lawmakers Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), and industry experts to discuss the impacts of changing social security measures on New Yorkers. The conversations focused on the the future of Social Security, how the the 2024 elections could change the options and how Social Security impacts the housing crisis facing aging New Yorkers. Watch the highlights here. | | | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Heading back to Albany from the DNC. WHERE’S ERIC? Meeting with the mayor of Quebec City and holding a flag-raising ceremony. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’d tell you what I think of Donald Trump, but they told me I can’t use that word on TV. The closest I can get is FUBAR. Google it.” — Rep. Pat Ryan on stage at the Democratic National Convention.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg spoke at the Democratic National Convention about their son Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage of Hamas. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | SPOTLIGHT ON HOSTAGES: Families of Israeli Americans slain or held hostage by Hamas were embraced this week at the DNC — and several New York Democrats said they were glad the party has shown its support. A standing ovation and chants of “bring them home” met the parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin when they spoke onstage Wednesday. Rep. Tom Suozzi shared his spotlight with hostage Omer Neutra’s grief-stricken parents, who spoke Thursday at the New York delegation breakfast. (They had spoken at the Republican National Convention last month.) And the father of slain soldier Itay Chen was also in Chicago this week to speak with New York officials at DNC events around the city. Harris devoted a significant part of her nomination acceptance speech late Thursday to the hostage and cease-fire deal, saying she believes in Israel’s right to defend itself as well as Palestinians’ right to “self-determination.” All the families of hostages have said bringing their loved ones home should be a cause for both parties. “This is a political convention but needing our only son and the cherished hostages home is not a political issue,” Jon Polin said in his DNC speech. “It is a humanitarian issue.” The Polins’ remarks were one of the most powerful of the convention, many Dems said. “Throughout the entirety of the speech, everyone was on their feet, and you can hear a pin drop,” City Council Member Eric Dinowitz told Playbook. “I think what it shows is broad, diverse support within the Democratic Party to bring the hostages home, and as they said, see a deal that ends the violence and brings them hostages home.” Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein, meanwhile, had criticism for hard-left Democrats. “We, as a party, must condemn hate, must condemn antisemitism and all forms of hate, regardless of which side of the aisle it’s coming from,” he said. “And we’ve got to be honest with ourselves; Right now, it is coming from the far left.” — Emily Ngo
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
The office space being used by the city is going to shrink under a plan by Mayor Eric Adams' administration. | Rod Lamkey Jr. for POLITICO | SPACE SAVERS: Mayor Eric Adams is shrinking the city’s office footprint to account for a smaller municipal workforce — a controversial “mayoral priority” that’s quietly underway, according to a review of internal communications and budget documents. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services recently directed some agencies to identify underutilized office space they can give up in a cost-saving measure, according to four people familiar with the plan. The move is politically risky since the city’s largely unionized municipal workforce of over 300,000 is a core part of the mayor’s base. Adams, a Democrat and former NYPD captain, often touts his union credentials. In memos to agency heads Jesse Hamilton — a longtime Adams ally who is spearheading the project — referred to the “Citywide Space Savings Task Force” as a “mayoral priority.” Hamilton, a former Brooklyn politician, runs the agency’s real estate division. “We at DCAS are constantly evaluating our use of space in order to maximize effectiveness and cost-savings,” agency spokesperson Dan Kastanis said. … It drew backlash from the City Council, which has an increasingly combative relationship with the mayor. “City agencies must have the support needed to fill vacancies and deliver essential services to New Yorkers,” council spokesperson Julia Agos said in a statement. “The purported plan to reduce office space is troubling and raises serious concerns about its impact on this priority. It's disappointing that we were once again not directly informed of a significant policy change, and had to learn about it from the press.” Read more in today’s POLITICO story. — Sally Goldenberg, Janaki Chadha, Maya Kaufman More from the city: — Time is running short for developers to sign up for the 421-a tax break extension. (Crain’s) — Council member Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, spoke at the DNC. (NY1) — Parking placard abuse complaints in the city doubled in a year. (Gothamist)
| | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
Rep. Nancy Pelosi still holds Gov. Kathy Hochul to blame for losing the House two years ago. | Rod Lamkey Jr. for POLITICO | BLAME GAME: Rep. Nancy Pelosi believes the road to the House majority will run for New York — but she’s not speaking to Hochul about political strategy. The former House speaker told POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin in an interview Thursday she has been talking to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about efforts to flip up to five seats in the state. Pelosi also made clear she still blames Hochul for the party’s poor results in New York. Hochul won a full term by a relatively modest margin over Republican Lee Zeldin two years ago. The race largely hinged on voter concerns over crime and Hochul did not focus on the issue until the very end of the campaign. “I think it related to the gubernatorial race,” Pelosi said of the House losses for the party. Hochul this year has been leading a coordinated effort by Democrats to aid the party’s House candidates, a project that includes expansive volunteer work and the opening of field offices. She has also opened up the state Democratic Party – usually a vehicle for the political aspirations and needs of the incumbent governor – to help down-ballot candidates. Hochul has also been talking up the effort at the DNC this week in Chicago, meeting with donors and party leaders to push for Democratic House hopefuls. Still, Pelosi has been withering in her assessment of Hochul. She first blamed the governor in an interview with Maureen Dowd last year. And she mocked Hochul in exchange with freshman Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, a Hudson Valley lawmaker who represents a swing seat. — Nick Reisman DNC DEETS: It wasn’t all politics, speeches, parties and breakfasts at the DNC. Here’s a bit of what Playbook witnessed behind the scenes in Chicago as New York delegates gathered to celebrate the Harris-Walz ticket: — State Sen. Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn brought their children with them to the convention, the rugrats making appearances at the delegation breakfasts. — New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City Council Member Chi Ossé aren’t delegates, but no matter, because they were able to be at the convention through other routes. Ossé was there with content creator credentials. — State Sen. John Liu spent his afternoons kayaking the Chicago River. — Gay rights activist Allen Roskoff, known for handing out Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club swag, was handing out copies of “The Inflection Election: Progress or Extremism?” by Mark Green. — Emily Ngo More from Albany: — The New York Thruway Authority is suing the builder of the Mario Cuomo Bridge over claims of shoddy parts. (LoHud) — Attorney General Tish James is fighting to uphold a $450 million civil judgment against Trump. (New York Times) — Hochul is no fan of Chicago’s deep-dish pizza. (New York Post)
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | More from Congress: — A former congressional candidate on Long Island has been swept up in the FTX scandal. (New York Post) — Rep. Pat Ryan called Trump a "serial liar and thief" during his DNC speech. (Mid Hudson News)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — WCBS, the storied all-news radio station that’s set to change formats, celebrated its history with a 3-hour special. (Newsday) — Saratoga Springs did not get much of a bounce from hosting the Belmont Stakes. (WAMC)
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