Welcome to the first installment of Road to June!
Every Friday, New York County Politics will be posting a brief rundown of new developments in the primary races for Manhattan District Attorney, Manhattan Borough President and City Council. We will also be covering developments in citywide races once every three weeks.
CITYWIDE
Mayoral Race
Endorsements
On Jan. 7, Kathryn Garcia was endorsed by three unions representing nearly 3,000 essential workers in total.
The unions in question were the SEIU Local 444-Sanitation Officers Association, SEIU Local 246 and Uniformed Sanitation Chiefs Association. To date, Garcia has received endorsements from unions representing over 85 percent of the Sanitation Department workforce.
“In my 14 years of leadership experience in City government, I am proud to have worked with dozens of unions to deliver core services safely, efficiently and effectively,” said Garcia. “The men and women who keep our City running understand the need for experienced, competent leadership at City Hall. I am honored to receive the endorsement of Local 444, Local 246 and the Uniformed Sanitation Chiefs Association, and I will continue to fight to protect our essential workers and ensure they have the resources they need to do their jobs.”
Announcements
Over the past few weeks, the Mayoral race saw the introduction of a candidate, the departure of a candidate, and two existing candidates releasing detailed plans for the City.
On Dec. 23, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang officially threw his hat into the ring. His presidential campaign, while unsuccessful, helped him accumulate a large following due to his adamant support of Universal Basic Income (UBI). Under this system, all Americans over the age of 18 would receive $1,000 per month from the federal government.
On Jan. 1, Eric Adams unveiled 100+ Steps Forward for NYC, a list of 106 policy proposals to help the City recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The list includes policy proposals related to public health, housing, the environment, the economy, transportation and education.
“As a lifelong New Yorker who faced the same hardships many New Yorkers are facing now, I know what our city needs to recover and come back stronger than ever,” said Adams. “For far too long, our City government’s ineffectiveness and inattention to serious problems has led to great injustices, holding our city back from reaching its true potential. With these 100-plus steps and our other detailed plans to come, we will finally deliver on New York’s promise of opportunity and prosperity for all.”
On Jan. 3, Max Rose officially withdrew his candidacy. Rose did not provide a reason, but assured his followers that he will continue fighting on behalf of the City.
“Representing New York’s 11th Congressional District has been an incredible honor and privilege,” Rose said in a statement. “While I won’t be a candidate for Mayor this cycle, I am not going anywhere in the fight to make our city and country live up to their promises.”
On Jan. 7, Shaun Donovan released his comprehensive education plan. His plan seeks to build the system back better, repairing the damage wrought by COVID-19 while also correcting racial and economic inequalities that predate the pandemic.
“As we focus on both recovering from COVID-19 and eliminating longstanding barriers to all students’ success, we must rebuild trust with families, students and educators; lead with a vision for equitable schools that dismantles historical inequities and fosters holistic skills and development; learn and apply lessons from the pandemic; and better serve students most at risk of falling through the cracks,” Donovan wrote on his campaign website.
Events
- Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club Mayoral Candidate Forum: Saturday, Jan. 23, 2-4 p.m. (Registration link TBA)
- Eastside Democratic Club Mayoral Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2-4 p.m. (Registration link TBA)
- Grand Street Democrats Mayoral Forum: Sunday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m. (Registration link here)
- Four Freedoms Democratic Club Mayoral Endorsement Meeting: Thursday, Feb. 18, 6:45-8:45 p.m. (Registration link here)
Comptroller Race
Endorsements
On Dec. 21, the New York Working Families Party officially endorsed Brad Lander for City Comptroller.
“We know Brad will lead with a clear vision of budget justice and the conviction to move funds to the communities where they are most needed,” the WFP said in a tweet.
Announcements
On Jan. 5, State Senator and Comptroller candidate Brian Benjamin told the Campaign Finance Board that he will be relinquishing nearly two dozen contributions, from donors who claimed that the donations were made in their name without their consent. The decision came after three named donors – all working for the same security firm – informed news outlets that they had never even heard of Benjamin.
Events
- Eastside Democratic Club City Comptroller Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m. (Link TBA)
- Uptown Community Democrats City Comptroller Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. (Registration link here)
- Four Freedoms Democratic Club Manhattan BP and City Comptroller Endorsement Meeting: Thursday, Jan. 21, 6:45-8:45 p.m. (Registration link here)
Public Advocate Race
Endorsements
On Dec. 21, the NY Working Families Party (WFP) officially endorsed Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for re-election.
“We’re proud to support the original NYWFP champion for a second term as the people’s Public Advocate,” the WFP said in a tweet. “For over a decade, he’s shown up for the many every single time. We need his leadership now more than ever.”
Events
- Grand Street Democrats Public Advocate Candidate Forum: Sunday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m. (Registration link here)
MANHATTAN
Manhattan District Attorney Race
Endorsements
On Dec. 21, Jackie Rowe-Adams, co-founder of Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E. Jackie, announced her endorsement of Tali Farhadian Weinstein for Manhattan District Attorney. Rowe-Adams chose Weinstein primarily due to her adamant stance on gun control.
“Tali understands that gun violence is the most important public safety crisis in New York City. She knows we need the police to work with us, and knows how to bring them into our community safely,” said Rowe-Adams. “I’m endorsing Tali for Manhattan district attorney because she is the only person who has taken the time to listen to our personal experiences with gun violence and cares about our needs. Tali has proven to be a dedicated and courageous leader, and I know she will work diligently to ensure our streets are safe for our children.”
Events
- Four Freedoms Democratic Club Manhattan District Attorney Q&A Session: Wednesday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. (To join, click here)
- Eastside Democratic Club Manhattan District Attorney Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m. (Link TBA)
- Four Freedoms Democratic Club Manhattan District Attorney Endorsement Meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6:45-8:45 p.m. (Registration link here)
Manhattan Borough President Race
Events
- Grand Street Democrats Comptroller and Manhattan BP Candidate Forum: Sunday, Jan. 10, 2 p.m. (Registration link here)
- A several members of Grand Street Democrats will be hosting a separate meet-and-greet for Lindsey Boylan on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7-8:30p.m. To join the meeting, click here.
- Uptown Community Democrats Manhattan BP Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. (Registration link here)
- Four Freedoms Democratic Club Manhattan BP and City Comptroller Endorsement Meeting: Thursday, Jan. 21, 6:45-8:45 p.m. (Registration link here)
City Council Races
Endorsements
On Jan. 4, the Three Parks Democratic Club voted on who to endorse for City Council District 6. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer won with an overwhelming 70 percent of the vote; Sara Lind came in a distant second, with 14 percent.nDuring the same meeting, Three Parks also voted overwhelmingly to endorse Public Advocate Jumaane Williams (D) for re-election.
Announcements
On Jan. 1, Pierre Gooding officially announced his candidacy for City Council District 9.
This will be Gooding’s second time running for the district, the first being in 2017. He ran on the Reform Party ticket, but lost decisively to incumbent Bill Perkins.
“Gooding has stayed active since his first City Council bid in 2017,” his campaign team said in a statement. “Gooding has continued to serve those in need by helping them operate two homeless shelters (Harlem, Queens) and bringing home 800 American-Ghanians marooned in Ghana due to closed borders.”
Today, District 3 Candidate Leslie Boghosian Murphy released the following statement, in response to news that the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) has promised to relocate a shelter from West 36th Street to West 40th Street in Hell’s Kitchen:
“I am gratified that the City of New York is starting to respond to our numerous calls to address the safety concerns on West 36th and West 37th Streets. But Mayor Bill de Blasio and our local elected officials need to do more than shuffle people a few blocks away to West 40th. The residents in these transitional housing sites are still, after all these months, without sorely needed social programs including mental health and addiction services.”
Events
- West Side Democrats City Council District 7 and Comptroller Candidate Forum: Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m. (Registration link here)
- Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club City Council District 3 Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 14, 7-9 p.m. (To join, click here)
- Uptown Community Democrats City Council District 7 Candidate Forum: Thursday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m. (Registration link here)
Corrections:
Andrew Yang announced his candidacy for NYC Mayor on December 23rd, not January 23rd as original reported.
The story originally reported that Grand Street Democrats endorsed Manhattan Borough President candidate Lindsey Boylan. The endorsement is only from a several members of the club, and is not an official endorsement from the club. Grand Street Democrats will not be announcing their endorsement in this race until February.
