| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With Timmy Facciola
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Some 81 percent of NYC-DSA members voted to endorse Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, and 90 percent of delegates at the convention last weekend did the same, co-chair Grace Mausser told Playbook. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani is running for New York City mayor with the Democratic Socialists of America’s endorsement. But his fellow socialists in office aren’t all on board. Mamdani’s run “carries with it the risk of blemishing” all the work of socialist elected officials, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher wrote in a statement arguing against NYC-DSA endorsing Mamdani for mayor. “Other candidates for mayor who are more likely to win will likely perceive Zohran as a spoiler and be reticent to work with the other (socialist electeds) for their connection to him,” Gallagher continued. “This is unfair to our project as a whole and could be ruinous.” Gallagher’s comment was shared with NYC-DSA members in an email last week ahead of the chapter-wide endorsement vote. Two DSA City Council members, Tiffany Cabán and Alexa Avilés, also argued against endorsing Mamdani at a member forum earlier this month, voicing concerns that his run could marginalize their position on the Council. Cabán fundraised at a Liberty game with mayoral candidate Brad Lander, Playbook reported last week , but she noted in a statement that she’ll “be extremely thoughtful about making any endorsement in the 2025 mayoral race” because of the high stakes. “I am always proud to participate in DSA’s democratic processes and I will continue to thoughtfully engage with the race as it develops.” Gallagher declined to comment, and Avilés didn’t respond. Debate is common in leftist organizations, needless to say, and the electeds were outnumbered. Some 81 percent of NYC-DSA members voted to endorse Mamdani, and 90 percent of delegates at the convention last weekend did the same, co-chair Grace Mausser told Playbook. “There are dissenters,” Mausser said, “and that’s part of being in a democratic organization.” Mamdani Is announcing without any endorsements from politicians, and other contenders didn’t have any either, he said in an interview with Playbook. “My hope is to earn those endorsements as the campaign develops and to showcase a campaign that speaks to whatever concerns there may be around a vision such as ours at a citywide level,” he said. The Queens Democrat is the furthest left candidate in the race. But he isn’t just angling for socialist voters, Mamdani said, noting that all rent-stabilized apartment dwellers across the city are in his sights — with the promise that his Rent Guidelines Board won’t raise rent one cent. As a South Asian Muslim, Mamdani is also hoping to activate new voters in the way Andrew Yang ran up huge numbers among East Asian voters in 2021. Even though he’s a longshot, he insists he won’t hurt the chances of other progressives in the race, like Lander or state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos. If his campaign brings out new voters, they’ll rank other candidates, too. “I would not be doing this if I thought that this would hurt the possibility of defeating Eric Adams,” he said. “I believe that I can defeat Eric Adams, and I believe that just by running, I increase the possibility of anyone defeating Eric Adams.” To that end, City Council Member Shahana Hanif is happy to see him in the race even though she isn’t endorsing him. “I’m excited there’s a broad field of progressive candidates,” she told Playbook. ”It’s 2021 2.0 mayoral race. We’re getting another chance and that focus of restoring a functioning, efficient government and an administration that is capable of governing without constant chaos, without the gossip of corruption.” — Jeff Coltin HAPPY WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Uber: New York City Uber riders pay $700 Million in taxes and fees annually* That’s more than the entire budget for New York City Parks Department. *Based on trips originating from NYC in 2023. Learn more. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Signing street safety legislation at her Manhattan office. WHERE’S ERIC? Hosting an economic development roundtable with UAE officials, calling in to 94.7 The Block, making a public safety- and transportation-related announcement and appearing on News 12. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “New Yorkers deserve people with integrity and accomplishments and who do things for the right reasons — who will do it for the benefit of the people and not their own self-serving reasons.” — Gov. Kathy Hochul when asked if voters should consider former Gov. Andrew Cuomo a viable candidate for mayor.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
The amendment’s expansive and vague language — support for “pregnancy outcomes” as well as LGBTQ+ people — has given Republicans an opening to warn of what they say are the provision’s unintended consequences. | Timmy Facciola/POLITICO | FLIPPING THE SCRIPT: The campaign to sink a proposed state constitutional amendment is aligning with battleground House Republicans’ immigration rhetoric. GOP-allied opponents of the amendment, which is meant to guarantee a broad array of rights in the state constitution, have released a new TV ad that warns the measure would give “special rights to illegal immigrants” and “open the door to non-citizens voting.” Democrats have insisted the claims in the ad are false. But the spot, which the ballot group Vote No on Prop 1 paid as much as seven figures to air, gives vulnerable House Republican incumbents and candidates a boost. “Those ads and that campaign are helping to remind people, in particular upstate New Yorkers, that here we go again,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, a freshman Republican facing a competitive bid for a second term, told reporters Tuesday in Albany. “The state Legislature, mostly downstate Democrats, have decided to ignore basic language and reasonable policy.” It’s an ironic position for Democrats, who had planned to use the amendment as a way to boost turnout for their candidates. The Democratic-led Legislature backed the amendment as a way to bolster abortion rights and access to reproductive care after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But the amendment’s expansive and vague language — support for “pregnancy outcomes” as well as LGBTQ+ people — has given Republicans an opening to warn of what they say are the provision’s unintended consequences. “Every opportunity Molinaro has had to protect a woman’s right to choose, he’s voted against it,” said Josh Riley, Molinaro’s Democratic opponent. “I’ll protect abortion access, Molinaro won’t, and it’s really that simple.” Sasha Ahuja, campaign director of New Yorkers for Equal Rights, blamed opponents of the amendment for trying to “scare New Yorkers into voting against their own rights.” "Prop 1 has nothing to do with our country’s immigration laws, and it does not hand out special rights to anyone,” Ahuja said. “This ad is just the latest salvo from extremists trying to divide and distract voters from what Prop 1 is about: protecting abortion and preventing government discrimination, permanently." Unlike arguments against abortion or rights for trans people, the concerns raised in the spot over border security could be more salient with voters. A Siena College poll released Monday found 69 percent of voters statewide supported the amendment. But New York voters have a less favorable view of immigration policy. Voters responding to the poll were split 50-46 on whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump would do a better job on the issue. — Nick Reisman
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said the working relationships with other governments have not been impacted by either the mayor’s indictment or administration departures. | Bebeto Matthews/AP | REALLY, NO DISTRACTIONS: The women deputy mayors backstopping Mayor Eric Adams insist that City Hall — and thus, New York City — is running smoothly, even as Adams fights corruption charges. The relationships, they say, are solid and the expectations are clear. “Maybe it’s my personality, where people know that I’m not going to really spend a lot of time gossiping and talking about things that are not important, but everybody’s been taking a telephone call,” Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom told Spectrum News NY1 on Tuesday. “Within City Hall, we really, from the very beginning, have worked really well together,” she said in the interview alongside new First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer and Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi. “I think it’s one of the signatures of this administration.” Joshi added the working relationships with other governments have not been impacted by either the mayor’s indictment or administration departures, including that of former First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “We’ve got a lot of experience in government sitting at this table, and the projects and the relationships that grow out of them are things that we nurture over years,” Joshi said. “Now, in times of crisis, they’re as solid as they were when they were when we started.” — Emily Ngo More from the city: — Adams said he would still run for reelection even if the city’s Campaign Finance Board rules he’s not eligible for matching funds. (Daily News) — Hundreds of New Yorkers testified during a marathon City Council hearing reviewing the Adams administration’s sweeping “City of Yes” plan. ( Daily News) — Three major banks charged Black homeowners in New York City more interest on their mortgages than they did white borrowers, according to a new analysis. (Gothamist)
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
It is still unclear what Gov. Kathy Hochul intends to propose and how that proposal would raise enough revenue to pay for billions of dollars in capital projects for the creaky mass transit system in the New York City region. | Julia Nikhinson/AP | NOT DOA: Kathy Hochul does not want to be held responsible for squashing congestion pricing. “I know how to kill something,” she said Tuesday of the controversial toll program she paused in June. “I did not kill it.” Hochul, speaking with Axios, also dialed back the idea that pausing the $15 toll on entering parts of Manhattan was done “indefinitely” — a word she used when announcing the program would not go forward as planned. “I never used the word indefinitely,” she said. The governor has insisted the move was meant to address cost-of-living concerns raised by voters. But she was also acting on concerns raised by House Democrats that Republicans would use the issue as a cudgel in key races. The decision has led to legal challenges from transit advocates. But a replacement plan is expected by the end of the year or at the start of 2025 when Hochul unveils her budget. It is still unclear what Hochul intends to propose and how that proposal would raise enough revenue to pay for billions of dollars in capital projects for the creaky mass transit system in the New York City region. Hochul on Tuesday was very careful in how she described the forthcoming proposal. “I will reveal to the world the strategy that we’ve been working on for a long time,” she said. “The Legislature is also involved.” — Nick Reisman MTA BUDGET GAPS ARE BACK: The MTA’s budget woes are here again, according to a new report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. “A year ago, the MTA was looking forward to a period of solid fiscal health, but its financial condition has quickly turned from stable back to uncertain,” DiNapoli said in a statement. There are several problems, the comptroller’s office found, including paid ridership that has not rebounded as quickly as expected since the pandemic. About half the people who ride buses are not paying fares, and real estate-related tax revenues are below projections. According to the report, released Wednesday morning, a budget gap of over $200 million could materialize this year and increase to more than $650 million by 2028. The gaps could end up being much larger — $3 billion in 2028 — if fare evasion continues at its current clip, if revenue expected from casinos is delayed and if other macroeconomic factors conspire against the MTA. These woes, which would impact the $19 billion annual operating budget, are related to other gaps in the MTA’s multi-year infrastructure budget. Hochul put a giant hole in the MTA’s current five-year capital plan when she announced a “pause” on congestion pricing, a policy that would have led to collecting enough tolls this summer to pay for $15 billion in repairs and upgrades. Instead, without the money, the MTA is going to have to suck several hundred million dollars a year out of its operating budget to pay for maintenance and borrowing-related costs. A year ago, fixing the MTA’s problems was one of Hochul’s major accomplishments. Now, those problems are another one of her many headaches. — Ry Rivard More from Albany: — Hochul will sign an expansion of New York City’s red-light camera program and an extension of similar measures across the state. (POLITICO Pro) — State elections officials have certified a dozen write-in candidates for president. (Times Union) — Democrats are spending to unseat Republican Sen. Anthony Palumbo on Long Island. (City & State)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Former DCCC Chair Steve Israel served eight terms in Congress. | John Shinkle/POLITICO | KEEPING ’EM GUESSING: Split-ticket voters in New York’s House battlegrounds will make it harder to predict the outcomes of congressional races in the coming presidential election, former DCCC chair Steve Israel told Playbook in an interview. “Because the margins are so slim, you may not see this massive down-ballot effect across the country,” the Long Island Democrat said. “You may actually see the reverse: Independent voters, really moderate voters, who believe in guardrails voting for Trump but then decide, I’ve got to have a Democrat to stop him.” Israel, who served eight terms in Congress, predicted that “you’ll also see voters voting for Harris and saying, ‘I need a Republican to be the check.’” — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Democrat Josh Riley leads Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro by 4 points in a SurveyUSA poll. (NewsChannel13) — The third debate between Rep. Brandon Williams and John Mannion turned personal as they engaged in their most bitter and fiery attacks yet. (Post-Standard) — Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan is touting his agreement with Republicans about President Biden’s responsibility on the border crisis in his closing ad. (Fox News) — Rep. Mike Lawler and Mondaire Jones vie for Jewish support in a bellwether Hudson Valley race. (Jewish Insider)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — Rudy Giuliani has been ordered by a federal judge to turn over his Upper East Side townhouse and other property to the Georgia election workers he defamed. (POLITICO) — How Beijing recruited New York Chinatowns for its influence campaign. (Wall Street Journal) — The CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch was indicted on federal charges that he ran a sex trafficking business in New York City, the Hamptons and other locales. (Newsday) — The once-mocked LaGuardia Airport is now considered the “best airport” in the country, according to a ranking from the Forbes Travel Guide. ( Gothamist)
| | | | A message from Uber: Ever thought about what it’s like to drive for Uber in New York?
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Learn more. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Justin Chae has launched a new political and public affairs firm, Legion Outreach Consulting. He was previously owner of Meridian Strategies. Hires include Eugene Noh as VP of campaigns and strategy and Stefan Smetko as public affairs director. — Mitch Schwartz is now senior adviser for public affairs at MTA Construction and Development. He was previously senior VP at Moonshot and is a de Blasio alum … Ben Chang will be VP of global comms at the Council on Foreign Relations. He most recently served as VP for comms and university spokesperson at Columbia University, and is an NSC and U.S. Foreign Service alum. — Will Kinzel is now head of global government affairs at Carlyle. He most recently was founder of the consulting firm Parafossam and is an alum of Molson Coors, Delta Air Lines and former Speaker John Boehner. OUT & ABOUT: Political mockumentary “Citizen Weiner” had its world premiere Tuesday night at the Village East theater in Manhattan. The “reality movie” follows City Council candidate Zack Weiner who really ran and lost against Gale Brewer on the Upper West Side in 2021 and leaked his own BDSM sex tape as a stunt. “Shame is a big liability in American politics,” said Weiner, who is not related to Anthony Weiner. “And I wanted to do it in as fun and funny of a way as possible.” SPOTTED: Fellow council opponents Sara Lind and Maria Danzilo, Allie Ryan, campaign lawyer Daniel Bright, THE CITY’s Katie Honan, the New York Post’s Jon Levine, Abortion Positivity Project’s Sophie Nir, NY Dems’ Jen Goodman and Playbook’s own Jeff Coltin, who is a talking head in the film. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sanjay Gupta ... RWDSU’s Chelsea Connor … NYC Schools Chief Kenita Lloyd … Ken Kurson … Nicole Bode … WSJ’s Ryan Barber … Brian Ross … FGS Global’s Peter Benton-Sullivan … Vanity Fair’s Caleb Ecarma ... Allison Preiss of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau … Meghan Mitchum … (WAS TUESDAY): Alan Patricof ... Allen Fagin Missed Tuesday’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 | | | | |
