Who Will Challenge Eric Adams for Mayor in 2025?
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Published in THE CITY
With Mayor Eric Adams facing federal charges and multiple top aides exiting City Hall, it’s no surprise that candidates — including fellow Democrats — are already raising their hands to try and make him a one-term mayor.
Adams has spoken out for months about a “coordinated effort” to kick him out of City Hall in 2025 — and there have been attempts for months by the city’s top progressives to figure out who could do that in a race where the general election often ends up an afterthought, given the overwhelming voter registration advantage for Democrats in the city.
Whoever tries may have to overcome a well-financed incumbent, no matter what the headlines or polls say. Adams has already generated just over $4 million in total campaign contributions as of September 2024. That puts him financially ahead of all registered competitors so far in mid-2024, according to campaign finance records…
A Low Turnout Election in NYC Yields Few Surprises as Most Incumbents Hold Seats
Published in THE CITY
A series of Democratic primaries for federal and state lawmakers in the city Tuesday night that had been billed as a referendum between centrists and leftists yielded wins for both sides but few immediate upsets or surprises in races that drew only a handful of eligible voters to the polls.
Among the notable results and contests:
In a heavily covered Congressional race for a seat representing Westchester along with some of The Bronx, Rep. Jamaal Bowman became the first “Squad” member to be defeated at the polls, by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, in a campaign where outside groups spent a record $18 million to unseat the prominent critic of Israel elected during the George Floyd protest wave of 2020…
Not Just Congress: 9 Races to Watch in New York’s June Primary
Published in THE CITY
Voting in New York’s primary starts soon, with early voting beginning June 15. What’s on the ballot?
New York’s second primary of the year, after April’s snoozy presidential primary, will have Congressional and state-level seats for voters registered in New York with a major party. (Can you vote? Here’s our guide on that.)
But not everyone will have races on their ballot; some seats are uncontested. Others are technically up for grabs, but don’t have serious challengers to incumbents. Check your sample ballot from the Board of Elections with this address look-up tool.
Among the tight races is a contest in 16th Congressional District, which covers parts of Westchester county and a portion of The Bronx, that has drawn national attention…
Hochul declines to criticize Alvin Bragg after release of migrants accused of police assault
Published in City & State
A day after she said that the migrants accused of assaulting New York City Police Department officers in Times Square should be deported, Gov. Kathy Hochul doubled down on her message – but declined to criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his office’s decision not to set bail for many of the suspects in the case.
Police in New York City have so far arrested multiple people associated with the attack, mostly migrants residing in city shelters. They are charged with attacking two officers while an arrest was taking place on Saturday evening. The suspects kicked the officers repeatedly. Injuries were not life-threatening – one officer sustained cuts to his face while the other was being treated for bruises. Five suspects were released without bail, despite being charged with a bail-eligible felony. The decision has led to widespread criticism and renewed scrutiny of the 2019 law that eliminated bail in the majority of criminal cases in an effort to keep poor people out of jail…
Kathy Hochul is not done talking about crime
Published in City & State
Gov. Kathy Hochul is putting an iron fist on retail theft. At a press conference today, Hochul discussed her plan to tackle growing numbers of larceny in the city, saying she wants to tackle it like she has tackled gun violence, which has decreased in recent years. According to the governor, larceny offenses were up 51% in New York City from 2017 to 2023.
“We’re not talking about, you know, a kid who makes a mistake one time. We are not criminalizing poverty here,” Hochul said. “We really are focused on what has become a sophisticated organized retail operation, the smash and grab efforts. They go in and swipe everything off the shelves.”
Crime has already emerged as a Republican talking point during this election year. Last year, Hochul spent a great deal of her political capital to roll back bail reforms. This year, she’s focusing on retail theft. Hochul’s budget agenda for the 2025 fiscal year includes…
Which New York Republicans are endorsing Trump?
Published in City & State
Republican members of Congress from New York have been slow to call sides in the 2024 presidential primary, even as it has become apparent that former President Donald Trump is likely to once again win the Republican presidential nomination. Recently, though, many Republicans from New York have come out of the woodwork to support the former president.
Going into Super Tuesday, Donald Trump has an overwhelming lead in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. So far, he has won 273 delegates – over 200 more than former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his only remaining competitor in the race. Despite his multiple criminal and civil cases, his MAGA support in New York has not wavered.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents the 21st congressional district and serves as chair of the House Republican Conference, has been one of Trump’s biggest allies in New York from the very beginning. She endorsed his reelection bid way back in November 2022, a few days before he formally launched his 2024 campaign…
Jumaane Williams calls for fire retardant storage cases for lithium ion batteries
Published in City & State
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams Friday proposed funding the purchase and distribution of fire retardant storage cases for storing lithium ion batteries, one of the leading causes of fires in New York City last year.
“Lithium ion batteries are difficult to contain and the fire can spread very quickly putting civilians and firefighters in danger,” Williams said at a City Council Committee on Fire and Emergency Management budget hearing.
Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said the department has been testing a range of storage products intended to safely contain the batteries, but none have been successful so far. Lithium batteries are now a leading cause of fires, she added…
Adams says crime is down as he takes aim at NYPD critics
Published in City & State
Mayor Eric Adams and top New York City Police Department officials went after critics of the department during a briefing at One Police Plaza on Wednesday about first-quarter crime stats. The mayor and Police Commissioner Edward Caban sought to counter public perception that crime has increased while insisting that “everyday New Yorkers” want to see an increased police presence in the subways.
Adams said that despite public perceptions, New York City is the “safest big city in America.” The mayor said that the crime rate steadily decreased in the first quarter of 2024, showing that the city is quickly moving in the right direction – though he acknowledged that there is still much work left to be done. According to Adams, the three biggest challenges that the city is facing when it comes to crime are “recidivism, severe mental health issues and random acts of violence.”
Caban agreed and added that the problems are not new. The commissioner said that widespread recidivism has been troubling the criminal justice system for years. “In many cases, you are arresting the same people over and over again,” said Caban, who blamed the situation on a “lack of consequence” for offenders…