| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin | | Presented by |  | | | PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off for Thanksgiving this Thursday and Friday but back to our normal schedule on Monday, Dec. 2.
|  New York City mayoral candidate Whitney Tilson | Courtesy of Whitney for Mayor | WHO-NEY WHAT-SON? Investor Whitney Tilson is planning to run in the Democratic primary for mayor, offering a similar message to Adams from a decidedly different messenger. He’s a white millionaire from the tony Upper East Side of Manhattan who made his fortune managing a hedge fund. Adams, the city’s second Black mayor, grew up in a working-class section of Queens and worked in the NYPD before entering politics. Where they differ on style they match on substance. “On a policy basis, he's actually been pushing for some good things,” Tilson told Playbook, citing Adams’ opposition to bail reform measures, his concerns over migrants in the city and his recent push for zoning changes to facilitate housing development. “The problem is he's just incompetent and corrupt, and because he's incompetent and corrupt, he's been quite ineffective.” Tilson made national political news calling for President Joe Biden to step aside for Vice President Kamala Harris, the New York Post reported. But his city politics profile is virtually nonexistent. He previously made waves advocating for charter schools and against teachers unions as a founder of Democrats for Education Reform, a national organization which has spent millions in New York races. He’s also been a prolific New York political donor, so much so that he couldn’t recall which 2021 mayoral candidates he gave money to, when asked by Playbook. Tilson knew Ray McGuire through banking, but said he never met Andrew Yang and doesn’t recall contributing. And Tilson said the donation to Kathryn Garcia must have been made by his wife. (Records show he gave $2,000 to McGuire, and $250 each to Yang and Garcia.) When Playbook told him it would technically be illegal to donate in someone else’s name, Tilson said his wife must have “twisted my arm” to make the contribution instead. “I make so many donations that my wife and my friends just are like, ‘Hey, I'm doing a thing, whatever,’ and I just click. Boom. I don’t even think about it,” he said. “Like giving 250 bucks to me is not like, ‘Oh, I'm excited about this person, and I'm getting behind this person.’” Other Wall Streeters have made the jump to city politics with mixed success, from Mike Bloomberg’s three mayoral terms — bolstered by his enormous self-funding operation — to McGuire’s 7th place. Tilson is quick to note he isn’t Bloomberg-level rich — “I’m not one of those former hedge fund guys who’s flying around in his own G550” — and plans to take part in the public matching funds program, since he’s a “value investor” and he believes in the principle of it. Still, with his rich friends he’s setting an ambitious goal of maxing out fundraising — nearly $8 million including matching funds — by Jan. 15. The 2025 primary is scheduled for June 25, and early voting begins June 15. Tilson joins a crowded field: Adams plans to run for reelection, despite his indictment, and is being challenged by city comptrollers past and present, four current and former state lawmakers and a local attorney. “This idea to run for mayor is a new idea, just in the last three weeks,” Tilson said. “On the other hand, I've been preparing my whole life for this kind of opportunity. And I've built a good reputation and a broad network of friends on the Democratic side.” — Jeff Coltin
| | | | A message from Uber: Study Reveals Uber Drivers Make More than EMTs: NYC Uber drivers now earn an average of $52,900 annually after expenses, outpacing the salaries of many essential city employees, including EMTs and sanitation workers. Despite delivering vital services, these workers struggle with stagnant wages while Uber drivers have benefited from five TLC-mandated pay hikes since 2020. Read more on the wage disparity impacting NYC’s workforce. Learn More. | | | |  | From the Capitol | | |  Rep. Ritchie Torres is a self-proclaimed street fighter. | Getty Images | RITCHIE TORRES VS. THE WORLD… When Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres is on the attack, no one is safe. “I'm a street fighter, so bring it on,” Torres told Playbook. “I thrive on it. I could do this every single day. The governor is playing right into my hands and I love every moment of it." The Democratic congressman has spent the last two weeks slamming Gov. Kathy Hochul and teasing a run for governor in 2026. But the congressman is now levying his attacks against both Hochul and Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club president Allen Roskoff after the New York Post published a 2022 questionnaire Torres filled out for Roskoff’s organization. In that questionnaire, Torres said he supports granting all undocumented immigrants citizenship and that he would refuse donations from police unions — answers the congressman says were written by a staff member at the time and not him. Hochul’s campaign says the questionnaire is emblematic of how Torres has flip-flopped on the issues. Torres is responding to both actors with fury. VS. Allen Roskoff: “I find it hypocritical that Kathy Hochul is recruiting a committed anti-Zionist and far-left extremist to serve as her attack dog and accuse me of ‘far-left extremism,’” Torres said in a statement he said was in reference to Roskoff. “Governor: if you think slandering one of the most visibly and vocally pro-Israel members of Congress as a ‘far-left extremist’ is going to work as a line of attack, then I have the Bronx River, Brooklyn Bridge, and Buffalo Bills to sell you.” So ensued a back and forth between Roskoff and Torres. (It’s not the first mean-spirited back and forth Torres has gotten into this year.) “He claims that I'm anti-Zionist,” Roskoff said. “I'd love to know what the backup is to that, and how dare he accuse me.” Torres said Roskoff’s friendship with Kathleen Chalfant, an actress who aligns herself with pro-Palestinian causes, brands Roskoff as anti-Israel. Torres also pointed to the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club as a “far-left” organization. “I severed my relationship with him because he is too far to the left on issues of public safety and Israel,” Torres said. Roskoff responded: “As far as having friends who have different opinions than me on Israel, so does Ritchie. Ritchie has allied himself with people who have supported BDS, and he has not denounced that. I think he's unhinged. Perhaps he needs a vacation.” Torres responded by calling Roskoff “the most petty, pathologically vindictive person I’ve ever met in my life.” Roskoff specifically mentioned Torres’ association with City Council member and BDS-supporter Carlos Menchaca, who Torres says was only a “colleague” of his. “The reputation of Jim Owles as a far-left organization is crystal clear and Israel has become a litmus task on the far-left, of which he is a part,” Torres said. The back-and-forth continued after that — and got awfully viscous — but we’ll spare you the rest of the details. It wouldn’t be in the spirit of Thanksgiving.
| | | | Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking developments—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now. | | | | | VS. Kathy Hochul: The governor’s initial approach was to not respond to Torres’ attacks: “If I'm going to get out there and swat back every little comment that's made about me in the next two years, I'm not using my time effectively,” she said Tuesday. Hours later she abandoned that tact, when her campaign spokesperson, Jen Goodman, torched Torres in the Post article, saying “Ritchie Torres has proven to be a pandering hypocrite.” This morning, Torres posted on X that Hochul’s previous A-rating from the National Rifle Association (from 2012) showed how the governor herself has flip-flopped. “The governor was against responding to me before she was for it,” Torres said. “The accusation of flip-flopping by the governor (which is especially rich coming from the foremost flip-flopper) is itself an act of flip-flopping by the governor. You can’t make this up.” Beyond the Jim Owles questionnaire, Torres’ own campaign website in 2022 shows the congressman pledging to “reimagine our criminal justice system.” Two years before, he voted in favor of a city budget that included a $1 billion cut to the NYPD. The website also described providing citizenship and health care to undocumented immigrants. That “issues” page from his website has since been deleted. “Ritchie can cowardly blame his staff, delete the issues page from his website to cover his tracks, or wildly flip-flop on positions he held less than two years ago, but the Congressman’s record remains clear and shockingly out of step with New Yorkers,” Goodman told Playbook. Torres, the street fighter, responded: “If Kathy Hochul wants to adopt Donald Trump's position on immigration, that's her prerogative, but I prefer to have a center-left Democratic Party that embraces both immigration reform and border security.” — Jason Beeferman | | | | Policy Change is Coming: Be prepared, be proactive, be a Pro. POLITICO Pro’s platform has 200,000+ energy regulatory documents from California, New York, and FERC. Leverage our Legislative and Regulatory trackers for comprehensive policy tracking across all industries. Learn more. | | | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | | | 
Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest sits in the front row at a rededication ceremony for the Shirley A. Chisholm State Office Building featuring Council Member Crystal Hudson, Rep. Yvette Clarke, New York Attorney General Letitia James, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others on Nov. 27, 2024. | Jeff Coltin / POLITICO | NO SEAT AT THE TABLE: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries rededicated the Shirley A. Chisholm State Office Building in Brooklyn this morning, and Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest was left out of the program. Jeffries has well-established animosity toward the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Souffrant Forrest is a member. So as City Council Member Crystal Hudson, a Jeffries ally, got a speaking slot at the small ceremony, Souffrant Forrest was left sitting in the front row while other dignitaries gathered for a photo-op. Both members have an office in the building. Jeffries blamed the slight on “logistics” and not politics, telling Playbook they couldn’t have too many speakers at their own event. But Souffrant Forrest said she wishes she could have been included. “I would have loved to pay homage to Shirley Chisholm’s legacy,” she said about the late former Congressmember. “She’s a trailblazer and I like to think of myself as the first Black woman elected to this seat — the first Black woman socialist sitting in this seat.” — Jeff Coltin
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | IN OTHER NEWS | | HOCHUL READY TO CALL ICE, BUT NOTHING NEW: Hochul vowed on Tuesday to call federal immigration authorities on any undocumented immigrant who commits a crime in the state: “If someone breaks the law, I'll be the first one to call up ICE and say, 'Get them out of here,’” she said. The rhetoric might seem harsh for any prominent Democrat, but Hochul’s administration says the governor isn’t saying anything new — instead she is reiterating an active executive order from 2017 that allows the state to work with federal immigration officials when a crime is committed. “Congress utterly failed to fix our broken immigration system and now states like New York are left to pick up the pieces,” Hochul spokesperson Avi Small told Playbook. “Governor Hochul will continue enforcing State policy, which protects law-abiding immigrants being targeted by the federal government while ensuring violent criminals are held accountable.” Still, the governor’s comments seemed to fall in line with the beginning phases of President-elect Donald Trump’s mass-deportation plan. Tom Homan, who is set to serve as Trump’s border czar, has vowed to prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes in the plan. Hochul’s pledge to call ICE came moments before she announced $250,000 for a group of nonprofits, including New Immigrant Community Empowerment and others, in Queens. That event was not on her public schedule or publicized by the governor’s office. — Jason Beeferman — PARDON ME, SIR: Adams has a choice of whether to fight Trump or embrace him. (Vanity Fair) — STRINGER FAM BAR MITZVAH: Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer’s son is going to become a Bar Mitzvah in two weeks, and the religious rite may mirror Stringer’s own political ambitions. (Forward) — HOW IT WENT DOWN: The eleventh-hour mayor-council negotiations behind the ‘City of Yes’ housing deal birthed changes to the historic housing plan. (The Real Deal) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
| | | | A message from Uber: Study Shows Uber Drivers making over $52k while NYC Heroes Get Left Behind
A new study reveals a growing wage divide in New York City: Uber drivers are making an average of $52,900 a year after expenses, while city employees like EMTs and sanitation workers starting salaries are below $44,000. Since 2020, rideshare drivers have received five pay increases through TLC mandates while many frontline city workers face stagnant wages amid rising living costs. This gap underscores an evolving dynamic in NYC’s workforce, where gig workers see consistent earnings growth while essential city roles lag behind. This pay disparity is raising questions about the city’s priorities and the need for equitable wages in public service amidst the affordability crisis.
Read the full story to see how gig work earnings are reshaping NYC’s labor landscape. Learn More. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
