WFP helps Mondaire Jones

Oct 21, 2024

By Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin and Nick Reisman

Presented by

With Timmy Facciola

Then-Rep. Mondaire Jones speaks at the Capitol in 2022.

Mondaire Jones is locked in a knockdown House race just north of New York City. | Jemal Countess/Getty Images

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Working Families Party is intensifying its efforts to send a message about the candidate on its ballot line in NY-17: He’s not with us.

The hard-left third party plans to launch a “robust program” to expose the elusive, enigmatic victor of the WFP primary, Anthony Frascone, as an alleged GOP plant, according to a strategy memo obtained by Playbook. It’s urging its members in the Hudson Valley district to back Democrat Mondaire Jones — even if the WFP and Jones aren’t on the best of terms.

“Is the NY-WFP really asking NY-17 voters to vote on the Democratic line?

Yes,” the memo reads. The four-page missive accuses Republicans and Rep. Mike Lawler of sabotaging the WFP primary to deny Jones a second ballot line. (Lawler will run on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.)

The memo stresses that the WFP needs votes on its line to preserve it. “But because of the dirty electioneering tricks by Lawler’s camp, this year, we are sacrificing 8,000+ votes on the WFP line by asking voters in NY- 17 to vote on the Democratic line instead and defeat the threat of Lawler’s MAGA agenda,” it reads.

Lawler and Jones are locked in a knockdown fight just north of New York City over a suburban seat coveted by both parties in their quest for the House majority. WFP votes could make the difference in the tight race.

Frascone, the WFP candidate on the ballot, has no conventional campaign presence, as Playbook has reported , and did not return requests for comment. He has voted with the Independence and Republican parties but spent the last several years voting with the WFP, public records indicate. He has never applied for the WFP endorsement, the party said.

A state Supreme Court judge ruled Friday that Frascone could stay on the ballot. (He never showed up to court.)

Frascone’s June victory in the WFP primary came as Jones and the Progressive Party had a falling out. Jones’ endorsement of the more moderate George Latimer in NY-16 over Jones’ former colleague and fellow WFP endorsee Rep. Jamaal Bowman led the party to pull its operational and financial support of Jones. It did not, however, rescind its endorsement of him.

But the party is effectively lending resources to him now. It’s set to hold a news conference today in Tarrytown to address misinformation in the race. And its plan to push back on what it alleges is a stolen primary includes WFP-branded literature, door-knocking, phone banking and a microsite.

Lawler and his team have not directly addressed allegations that they’ve planted a spoiler. Asked for comment Sunday about the WFP’s efforts to get out the vote now, Lawler campaign spokesperson Chris Russell said succinctly, “The WFP should have done a better job of GOTV in the primary.”

Jones’ campaign manager, Shannon Geison, told Playbook, “Anthony Frascone is a Republican plant who was recruited to steal the Working Families Party line because Mike Lawler knew he couldn’t beat Mondaire Jones in the 17th district.” — Emily Ngo

HAPPY MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin , Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.

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WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany and New York City with nothing public scheduled.

WHERE’S ERIC? Announcing the details of a ticker tape parade for the New York Liberty.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Ingrid Lewis-Martin was a big obstacle to some of these street projects moving forward — she’s certainly a little distracted right now, as is the mayor.” — Sara Lind , co-executive director of Open Plans, one of the anti-car advocates who sees an opportunity in City Hall’s legal troubles, per The New York Times.

ABOVE THE FOLD

Democratic House candidate Laura Gillen campaigns in the Village of Hempstead on Oct. 17, 2024 as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries looks on.

Laura Gillen has been on the offensive to unseat Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito. | Emily Ngo/POLITICO

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Asian American voters helped pave the road to victory for Rep. Tom Suozzi in February, and Democrats are trying to ensure they do the same for Laura Gillen in neighboring NY-04.

Battleground New York is set to send mailers in Chinese, Hindi and Arabic to voters in western Long Island to urge them to back Gillen over GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, Playbook has learned. They include a quote from Rep. Grace Meng, who endorsed Gillen and was also instrumental in urging Asian New Yorkers to the polls in Suozzi’s special election.

The group — a new and influential coalition of labor unions and left-leaning organizations — is targeting about 16,000 Asian American households that could help make up a margin of victory.

“Retaking the House requires winning New York, and winning New York requires winning Asian-Americans on Long Island, period,” said Amit Bagga of Democracy Alliance and donor organizer with Battleground New York. “To win these votes, Democrats must approach the relationship as we would any other: with time, care and attention.”

The effort to target Asian New Yorkers by mail and phone is boosted by veteran strategist Trip Yang.

“In the past, AAPI voters have not always been prioritized in key elections, and when AAPI voters are reached out to, we often see that teams without the necessary cultural competence have been tasked with reaching communities they’re not a part of,” Yang told Playbook. “Battleground New York’s approach puts the voters we need to win first.”

For his part, D’Esposito, one of the state’s four vulnerable Republican freshmen, has cultivated a relationship with Indian, Taiwanese and other key constituents. He also helped Nassau County become host of the recent Cricket World Cup.

“An overwhelming majority of community members share Congressman D’Esposito’s commitment to fighting for safe streets, lower federal taxes, and against progressives’ push to upend women’s sports,” said his campaign spokesperson Matt Capp. — Emily Ngo

CITY HALL: THE LATEST

Mayor Eric Adams stands in front of supporters of “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity.”

A poll released last week indicates that 80 percent of New York City voters support the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan after it was explained to them. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: After the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan was explained to New York City voters, 80 percent say they support the proposal.

That’s according to a poll last week by Slingshot Strategies for the pro-housing group Open New York. The poll surveyed 900 registered voters.

The plan to make zoning changes in order to promote building a little more housing in every neighborhood will be the subject of a pair of council hearings this week, with City Planning officials testifying today, and the public testifying Tuesday.

Detractors have been making a lot of noise, hosting rallies and organizing community board votes against it. So City of Yes supporters like Open New York are eager to show they’re just a loud minority, while the general public supports new housing by wide margins. Asked if they’d support new housing in their neighborhood if it meant more affordable options, 82 percent said yes.

Slingshot, which is working for mayoral challenger Scott Stringer, also found that just 28 percent of voters have a favorable view of Adams — in line with other recent polls. — Jeff Coltin

FAMILY AFFAIR: Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s daughter Virginia Maloney is considering running for an open New York City Council seat next year, three people familiar with her plans told Playbook.

Council Member Keith Powers will be term-limited out of his District 4 seat on Manhattan’s east side, and the 2025 Democratic primary has already attracted five candidates who’ve put up big fundraising numbers.

But Maloney wouldn’t lack funds – or name recognition. She’s a project manager at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and the elder Maloney represented the east side in Congress for three decades before losing reelection in 2022. Before that, she served in the council for a decade and gave birth to Virginia during her tenure.

Virginia Maloney didn’t respond to a request for comment. — Jeff Coltin

More from the city:

— Leaks about Adams’ bribery case can’t be traced to the U.S. Attorney’s office, prosecutors argued in a new filing, so they shouldn’t face sanctions. (New York Times)

— The Democratic Socialists of America’s city chapter voted to endorse Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for mayor ahead of his expected campaign launch. (New York Post)

— Responding to top NYPD brass’ social media use, a new council bill would create “rules of decorum” for what city agencies can post. (New York Post)

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NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY

Antonio Delgado listens as Kathy Hochul speaks.

“I had discussions with folks in those barbershops,” Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado told Playbook in an interview Sunday. “Nobody was connecting to Trump’s message. Let’s be clear.” | Bebeto Matthews/AP

LG IN PA: Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado believes former President Donald Trump’s effort to win over young voters of color will fall flat.

Delgado was in Pittsburgh over the weekend to campaign for Vice President Kamala’s Harris’ White House bid — part of a broader push from lieutenant governors and Black elected officials in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state.

His trip took him to a record store and barbershops in the city, and he found young people ready to go door-to-door for Harris with “focus in their eyes.” In barbershops, he said, voters were not buying Trump’s message.

“I had discussions with folks in those barbershops,” Delgado told Playbook in an interview Sunday. “Nobody was connecting to Trump’s message. Let’s be clear.”

Delgado knows what it’s like to win a close election on the margins. He successfully flipped a Hudson Valley swing seat in 2022.

Trump could benefit this year from a historic gender gap with Harris. Polls have shown Harris handily leading Trump among women.

But Trump has consistently led among men. Some Democrats worry Trump has also been able to win over voters of color , erasing what has been a long-standing advantage for the party at the presidential level — a change that could prove decisive for the Republicans.

Delgado insisted his experience with voters in Pittsburgh was different.

“I didn’t hear from one individual — and I’ve talked to quite a few — who said, ‘Oh yeah, this is someone we feel is on our side and genuinely cares about us,’” he said. “I think it’s important that we don’t get caught up in noise and in narratives that are meant to be divisive, meant to misinform and meant to make us lose focus on our common cause.”

The Trump campaign did not respond to a message seeking comment. — Nick Reisman

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A political action committee that represents Asian American physicians is flexing its muscles this campaign season in a bid to turn out voters.

The Coalition of Asian-American Independent Physician Associations Political Action Committee will launch a voter engagement drive today that will include advertisements in Chinese-language newspapers and targeted digital ads on WeChat and similar platforms.

The cost of the effort was not disclosed but is expected to be part of a broader six-figure spend by the PAC this election season.

The group’s get-out-the-vote campaign is designed, in part, to send a message to leaders in Albany about the concerns the group has over policies set at the state level that can impact the cost of insurance and health care.

“CAIPA’s Get Out The Vote campaign urges Asian American voters to send a message to elected officials that they cannot ignore our pressing health care needs,” said Dr. George Liu, the president and CEO of CAIPA. “Providers who serve the Asian American community and share our values rely on Albany’s support to protect against rising insurance premiums and prioritize our access to high-quality health care.” — Nick Reisman

HOCHUL’S FUNDRAISING WEEKEND: Gov. Kathy Hochul hit the fundraising circuit this weekend, headlining four events across the state in two days.

Hochul appeared at the annual Albany County Democrats’ picnic, which drew 200 people. Later, she was in Rochester for a Harris Victory Fund event with the Human Rights Campaign. She also put in headlining appearances at the Westchester County Democratic Party’s breakfast and the Monroe County Democrats’ annual fundraiser.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much cash the events raised.

But her appearances at the Democratic fundraisers come as Hochul has been pushing to expand the infrastructure of the state party and aid down-ballot candidates. The strategy has also led her to boost county committees. — Nick Reisman

More from Albany:

— The New York State Museum hasn’t seen a major upgrade in years, and millions of dollars set aside for improvements have not been spent. (New York Times)

— A western New York lawmaker is under fire for providing support to a controversial pastor. ( Buffalo News)

— One of the country’s most closely watched polls is conducted inside a Siena College dormitory. (Times Union)

KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION

— Rep. Mike Lawler told CBS News the rhetoric about Trump and fascism hurts other Republicans and “needs to stop.” (The Hill)

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a campaign issue for Mondaire Jones as fiery ads link the two Democrats. (New York Post)

— A Long Island village used government accounts to push an event that was a rally for Democrats, including Laura Gillen, while Dems said they paid for the promotion. (New York Post)

— Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand faces a challenge from Republican security firm founder Mike Sapraicone. (Newsday)

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

— A veteran NYPD officer who’s already been disciplined twice for living in New Jersey may be in trouble again for choosing the wrong suburb to live in. (Daily News)

— The number of people under 18 accused of major crimes — including murders, robberies and assaults — has increased sharply in New York City in the past seven years. (New York Times)

— The Vessel at Hudson Yards is set to reopen today with new safety measures after several people died by suicide at the site. (NBC New York)

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SOCIAL DATA

Edited by Daniel Lippman

CONGRATULATIONS: To the New York Liberty on their first-ever WNBA championship, after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in overtime Sunday night.

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