| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman | | Presented by |  | | | With Timmy Facciola PROGRAMMING NOTE: New York Playbook be off for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday but back in your inboxes on Monday.
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Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a big target on his back and his opponents are only too happy to take aim. | Richard Drew/AP | Mayor Eric Adams gets indicted? It’s an opening for ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to mull running for mayor. Red shift in New York City? An opening for Cuomo to eye running for mayor. The continuous talk of the town? Whether Cuomo will actually run for mayor. The likelihood is high and until it’s official, the former governor is benefiting tremendously from chatter about the possibility. But he’s got a big target on his back and his opponents are only too happy to take aim. The renewed speculation was sparked by a Jewish Insider story Tuesday detailing Cuomo’s outreach to New York’s Orthodox Jewish community, as well as coverage of the Democrat joining the legal team defending Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, per the New York Post. Team Cuomo responded as it has in past months, neither confirming nor denying, just promoting. “This is all premature,” Cuomo adviser Rich Azzopardi said, “but New Yorkers know it was Governor Cuomo who raised wages for hundreds of thousands of workers, codified Roe v. Wade into state law before the Supreme Court overturned it, put the strongest gun protections and paid family leave laws in the nation on the books and built projects previously declared impossible.” Several of the properly declared candidates immediately piled on. Brad Lander, the city comptroller, was all daggers, appearing to believe he could raise his profile by defining Cuomo’s. “Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home negligence, constant criminal probes, personal enrichment scandals, coverups, sexual assault allegations, federal perjury drama, interference with anti-corruption commissions, ignoring public health guidelines, misuse of government staff, and an inner circle convicted of public corruption, makes for quite a campaign platform,” Lander said in a statement. Lander was referring to a problem for the former governor that isn’t going away: In October, a GOP-led Covid House panel referred Cuomo to the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged lies to Congress about his administration’s reporting of nursing home deaths. Azzopardi had slammed the probe as the work of “pandering politicians … punching up.” Democratic strategist Chris Coffey warned candidates that allowing Cuomo to take up all the oxygen in the race means less scrutiny of others. “As soon as he announces, people are going to fall all over him and no one’s going to cover Brad Lander or Zellnor or Scott,” Coffey told Playbook. “It very much reminds me of a game we already played.” He was referring to the 2021 mayor’s race when Coffey’s then-client Andrew Yang occupied celebrity candidate status, and there was less focus on Adams until later in the cycle. Coffey so far has no candidate in the race. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani asserted that there’s a strategy at work. “Andrew Cuomo understands that the longer he is in this race, the more he will have to answer for his record,” Mamdani told Playbook. “And he knows that that is a record that includes closing hospitals, gutting mental health infrastructure and defunding mass transit and higher education.” Former Comptroller Scott Stringer’s spokesperson Alyssa Cass questioned Cuomo’s residency and said, “It’s very clear that Andrew Cuomo likes to see his name in the news as a possible mayoral candidate, but it's far less clear what he has to offer to New Yorkers, other than a record of scandal, bluster, and deadly blunders.” State Sen. Jessica Ramos offered her record of serving working families as a contrast, saying, “We know what we get with the former governor, and we need change — not more of the same.” State Sen. Zellnor Myrie and former Assemblymember Michael Blake are staying out of it for now, but independent candidate Jim Walden said he believes voters want someone “outside the Democratic machine for these times.” — Emily Ngo HAPPY WEDNESDAY. And happy Thanksgiving! Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | 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. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? Participating in an ethnic media engagement with Rampa TV and Radio, signing a sister cities agreement with Bridgetown, Barbados and briefing New Yorkers on Thanksgiving Day Parade safety with New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I have no car, no credit card, no cash, everything I have is tied up, they have put stop orders on my business accounts, and I can’t pay my bills.” — Rudy Giuliani as a federal judge ordered him to turn over his belongings to the two Georgia women who won a $148 million defamation verdict against him.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | |  Adams and his team in Albany on Feb. 6, 2024. Christopher Ellis, who runs the mayor’s Albany office as director of state legislative affairs, has left the administration. | Courtesy of the NYC Mayor's Office | ADAMS’ LOSES ALBANY AIDE: Adams could be in a tough position in Albany next session — under indictment, running for reelection against sitting legislators and missing his top legislative liaison. Christopher Ellis, who runs the mayor’s Albany office as director of state legislative affairs, has left the administration for a job with the lobbying firm Constantinople & Vallone. Ellis has been in the public sector for decades and now has a young family and decided to move on, City Hall said — insisting it’s not about the mayor’s indictment and the other swirling investigations into top aides. They’re in the process of hiring his replacement, with legislators due back in Albany in a little over a month. Adams has started to preview his state legislative agenda, reiterating Tuesday that he’ll push lawmakers to codify exactly what criteria city workers can use to involuntarily detain someone and provide them with medical treatment, POLITICO’S Joe Anuta reports. New Yorkers with severe mental illness were thrust into the headlines again after a recent fatal stabbing spree. But state officials have been cool to the Supportive Intervention Act, which has yet to gain a state Senate sponsor. Adams has never had an easy time in Albany. Now, he’s negotiating to get his criminal trial to start on April 1, the day the state budget is due. At least three lawmakers are running against him, and they and their allies won’t be incentivized to help the mayor look good. “He’s the mayor of New York so he’s not going to be shut out, but I think he’ll find things difficult with some of the things he wants to get done simply because of the political situation,” Assemblymember Jeff Dinowitz said. “Things are always difficult as it is.” Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak is exuding confidence, however, pointing to Adams’ success last session for the “working people’s agenda.” “It was around this time last year that Politico and other reporters also started to incorrectly speculate that the Adams administration wouldn’t have success in Albany,” she said. “You were wrong then and you are wrong now.” — Jeff Coltin
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Former Gov. David Paterson said the criminal case could keep Adams from running for reelection. | Richard Drew/AP | GOVERNOR JUDAS: Former Gov. David Paterson “has disgraced himself” by working for someone running for mayor against Adams, an adviser close to the mayor told Playbook Tuesday. “The former governor is a flat-out failure, and he’s willing to betray his friend in order to secure some shekels,” the person said, responding to Playbook reporting that Paterson had taken a job advising independent mayoral candidate Jim Walden. Paterson said it wasn’t a big deal, and Adams was still a friend. Asked about the attack, Paterson said the criminal case could keep Adams from running for reelection, so “it’s pretty callow for his people to be unnecessarily antagonizing people.” Politically astute people in the Adams administration will find out who spoke anonymously to Playbook, Paterson added, and “karma will visit them.” — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Federal investigators raided the Queens home of Al Cockfield, and Adams ally who runs a PAC the mayor fundraised for. (Daily News) — The city may shutter the Floyd Bennett Field migrant shelter amid concerns it’ll attract the unwanted attention of the Trump administration. (New York Times) — Whitney Tilson — a Wall Street investor who was among the first Democrats to demand Biden exit the race — is running for New York City mayor. (New York Post)
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  “At the very least we need to increase funding for indigent legal services, including counsel and immigration proceedings," state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said. | Hans Pennink/AP | STOPPING TRUMP: Advocates for immigrants have started to press top state lawmakers for more help to counteract the incoming Trump administration’s deportation plans. The push could lead to a doubling down on sanctuary policies meant to protect undocumented immigrants, which have come under fire from Republicans. The New York Immigration Coalition has been urging lawmakers to take up the New York For All proposal, which would bar all local and state law enforcement entities from working with federal immigration enforcement agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol. “At the end of the day it really is a public safety measure,” said Murad Awawdeh, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. A Cuomo-approved executive order in 2017 placed limits on local law enforcement’s work with agencies like ICE and CBP. The pending legislation would give many of the provisions in the executive order the force of law while also restricting the sharing of information with immigration authorities. And some Democratic state lawmakers, meanwhile, want to bolster legal defense for immigrants facing deportation proceedings by creating a universal right to counsel. That proposal is expected to be an expensive one, though lawmakers have yet to estimate an exact cost. “It’s not cheap, but I think it’s the right thing to do and points in the right direction,” said Manhattan Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “At the very least we need to increase funding for indigent legal services, including counsel and immigration proceedings.” Albany Democrats have been pondering ways to counter the president-elect, and as Playbook reported Tuesday, some ideas — like joining Canada — are rather unrealistic. But with immigration a charged political issue, funding for undocumented immigrants could be a tricky proposition for the Legislature, even in the Democratic-dominated Capitol. Gov. Kathy Hochul has not weighed in on these proposals, but she has supported more funding for legal services as well as job placement for migrants with temporary protected status. Still, the governor told reporters Tuesday she supports people who have legally arrived in New York, including those with asylum status. “Someone breaks the law, I’ll be the first one to call up ICE and say, ‘Get them out of here,’” Hochul said. “So, there is a difference in categories of individuals.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Weighing a run for governor, Rep. Ritchie Torres distanced himself from past left-leaning positions by saying the border crisis had changed his view on immigration policy. (New York Post) — Major changes are confronting New York teachers in the new year. (Spectrum News) — Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says there is insufficient oversight by the state Department of Health of a Medicaid program meant to guard against abuse. (POLITICO Pro) — The Clean Slate Act, which will seal the criminal records of more than 2 million New Yorkers, went into effect with little controversy. (Newsday)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
“These facilities, who serve our most vulnerable constituents, and who are already struggling to maintain operations, will not be able to sustain the cuts caused by Section 203,” urged a letter co-signed by Rep. Yvette Clarke and several other New York members. | Frank Franklin/AP | BIPARTISAN HELP FOR HOSPITALS: Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke and Republican Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota are signatories of a letter asking House leaders to include bipartisan hospital-funding legislation in the year-end spending package. The New Yorkers’ Save our Safety-Net Hospitals Act seeks to prevent massive cuts to hospitals’ Medicaid payments, addressing a policy that prevents states from compensating “disproportionate share hospitals,” or DSH, for losses associated with treating patients eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. “These facilities, who serve our most vulnerable constituents, and who are already struggling to maintain operations, will not be able to sustain the cuts caused by Section 203,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Five other New York House members have co-sponsored the legislation, which LaLota introduced in August. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, veer away from anti-Trump resistance to Cabinet picks. (Semafor) — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis will be at the heart of Republicans’ negotiating over taxes next year. (Punchbowl News) — Rep. Pat Ryan ran as a “different kind of Democrat” — and won big. (New York mag)
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — Trump’s lawyers are demanding Attorney General Letitia James drop her civil fraud case against him "for the greater good of the country.” (Fox News) — Hochul’s veto of a bill to develop crossings for wildlife drew criticism from environmentalists. (Buffalo News) — A whale was spotted in New York City’s East River this week, the Coast Guard says. (Gothamist)
| | | | 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. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MEDIAWATCH: The Wall Street Journal recently laid off Kimberly Johnson, who worked for the paper for 10 years most recently as election editor, Daniel Lippman reports. In her time at the Journal, she was head of WSJ Pro and deputy chief news editor. WSJ editor Emma Tucker last year sent a memo to staff saying Johnson had a “record of building and leading teams across the newsroom” and said she had “sharp news judgement and digital prowess.” She is an alum of the AP and the Denver Post and was a freelancer in West Africa. MAKING MOVES: Hunter (Mulford) Kaslander is now VP for health and wellness media at Burson. She most recently was an account director for media relations at Porter Novelli. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: THE CITY’S Katie Honan … former City Council Members Elizabeth Crowley and Danny Dromm … former Assemblymember Janet Duprey … Capalino’s Mark Thompson … Lime’s Phil Jones … Charlie Albanetti … Steve Bannon … Tim Pawlenty … NBC’s Libby Leist … Dina Cappiello of RMI … (WAS TUESDAY): Roz Chast ... Jonathan Weiner ... Sara Moonves 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 | | | | |
