New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
This Tuesday will mark just four weeks until Election Day, November 6. The deadline to register to vote in this year’s elections is this Friday, October 12.
The elections for governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller, attorney general, the state Legislature, and Congress will continue to be a major focus this week. We are awaiting news of any general election debates in the races for governor and attorney general -- the comptroller candidates will hold their first debate this week -- or between U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and her Republican challenger, Chele Farley. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic attorney general nominee Letitia James, like Gillibrand, have yet to agree to any debates with their opponents, which for Cuomo and James also include nominees from other parties.
Much of the election focus is on battleground races for control of the New York State Senate, where Republicans currently cling to a one-seat majority, and for New York seats in the House of Representatives that could help determine whether Democrats are able to flip that chamber nationally.
Democrats currently hold all the statewide seats in New York, and those on the ballot this year are expected to stay in Democratic hands, but Republicans are hoping to pull off at least one upset, whether it is Marc Molinaro for governor, Keith Wofford for attorney general, Jonathan Trichter for comptroller, or Farley for Senate.
Along with the electoral races, there is continued attention this week on the controversial confirmation of new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which took place over the weekend. And, there is some government happening in New York City, as well as a variety of panel events and conferences to be aware of, as usual -- see our day-by-day rundown below.
***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***
The run of the week in detail:
Monday
Monday is Columbus Day. Many elected officials are marching in the annual Columbus Day parade.
Mayor de Blasio will appear Monday night in his usual weekly segment on NY1’s Inside City Hall, in the 7 and 11 p.m. hours.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, the Municipal Arts Society will hold its 2018 Summit for New York City: Shaping the City, at Saint Bartholomew's Church. There are a variety of speakers and panels schedule. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will deliver the morning keynote address at 9 a.m.
At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio will sign Intro-954A, a bill that creates a third gender category for birth certificates in New York City, at SAGE National Headquarters in Manhattan. First Lady Chirlane McCray and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will participate.
At the City Council on Tuesday: The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses will meet at 2 p.m.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Correction will hold a public meeting at 125 Worth Street.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver remarks at the Annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Event, at Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. At 7 p.m., Hochul will address New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, at Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.
On Tuesday morning, the four candidates for New York State Comptroller will participate in their first debate, hosted by Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) and moderated by Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max. The debate will air on MNN and be available on MNN’s YouTube channel in the coming days.
At 1 p.m. Tuesday, schools Chancellor Richard Carranza will deliver the keynote address at the Hispanic Education Summit at CUNY Graduate Center. At 5:30 p.m., Carranza "will attend an event for NYC Kids Rise, a college-savings program," and deliver brief remarks, at P.S. 76 in Queens.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, U.S. Rep Jerrold Nadler will hold a congressional town hall meeting at Manhattan Community College’s Tribeca Performing Arts Center.
In the evening, First Lady McCray "will host a roundtable with Spanish-speaking journalists about mental health in the Latino community...Later the First Lady will make an announcement about mental health at the Latino/Hispanic Heritage Reception" hosted by McCray and Mayor Bill de Blasio at Gracie Mansion. Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza will be among those in attendance.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the New York Civil Liberties Union will host its 2018 Henry Schwarzschild Memorial Lecture at Reid Castle in Purchase. Insha Rahman of the Vera Institute will deliver the lecture, focusing on the “abuses and effects of the current bail system.”
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will receive the Larry Kramer Activist Award at the Gay Men's Health Crisis Gala, at the Plaza Hotel.
Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday:
--The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.
--The Committee on Contracts will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding an “update on the administration’s efforts to expand contracting with minority and women-owned businesses.”
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Citizens Budget Commission will host NYCHA interim Chair Stanley Brezenoff at its “Trustee Breakfast” at the Yale Club. The discussion will concern “NYCHA's $32 billion in capital needs and updates on NYCHA's activities and planning since Brezenoff started as Interim Chair on June 1.”
"On Wednesday at 8:30 AM, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and New York City Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza will join school principals, superintendents, teachers, students, and parents in unveiling plans for the Brooklyn STEAM Center, a first-of-its-kind facility in New York City that will support students with real-world work experience in emerging professions based at the Brooklyn Navy Yard."
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board will hold a public board meeting at 100 Church Street.
On Wednesday at 5 p.m., this week's Max & Murphy will air on WBAI radio -- 99.5FM or wbai.org -- and will feature interviews with Republican attorney general candidate Keith Wofford and Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, New York City Transit President Andy Byford will host a “community conversation” on the Fast Forward plan at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in Jamaica, Queens.
Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday:
--The Committees on Public Housing and Oversight & Investigations will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “mismanagement at Throggs Neck public housing.”
--The Committee on Higher Education will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing on CUNY’s Pathways initiative.
--The Committee on Youth Services will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the Summer Youth Employment Program, COMPASS NYC, and School’s Out NYC.
At 9 a.m. Thursday, Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson will deliver keynote remarks at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies’ annual meeting at the FPWA Conference Center in the Financial District. The meeting’s topic will be “how to tackle the poverty to prison pipeline” and will feature a day of discussions. Other speakers will include John Ducksworth of New York Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael Lindsay of NYU’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, Ashwin Vasan of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Health Access Equity Unit, and Sharon Content of Children of Promise.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board will hold a board meeting at 100 Church Street.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, New York City Transit President Andy Byford will host a “community conversation” on the Fast Forward plan at the Harlem Hospital Center Mural Pavilion.
Friday and the weekend
Friday, October 12, is the deadline to register to vote in this November’s elections (it is also the deadline to change party affiliation for next year’s primaries in New York).
At 9 a.m. Friday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer will speak at the Polish Heritage Breakfast at the Polish & Slavic Center in Greenpoint.
Mayor de Blasio may make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show at 10 a.m. Friday.
***
Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).
***
by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
