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On the Issues: Presidential Candidate Comparison


election candidates

Click here to see the full list

Vice President

Vice President
Tim Kaine of Virginia. U.S. Senator, former Governor of Virginia, former Mayor of Richmond.
Vice President
Mike Pence of Indiana. Governor of Indiana, former member of the United States House of Represenatatives, where he was a leader of the Tea Party movement.
Vice President
William Weld of Massachusetts. Former Republican governor of Massachusetts 1991, former U.S. Senate candidate.
Vice President
Ajamu Baraka of Georgia. Human rights activist, founding executive director of the U.S. Human Rights Network.

 

Bio

Bio
Hillary Clinton, born in 1947, is most notable for serving as First Lady of the United States (1993-2001), a United States Senator from New York (2001-2009), and the United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. She's known for, among other things, her push for national health care reform in 1993-1994 as First Lady.
Bio
Donald Trump, born in 1946, is a businessman, real estate mogul, and television personality. He has built further on the buisness empire started by his father and made a national name for his real estate and casino businesses, and as the host of The Apprentice.
Bio
Gary Johnson, born in 1953, founded what became one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico. Former governor of New Mexico, winning his longshot 1994 bid, serving two terms. Has long-favored small government. Also ran for President as the Libertarian Party nominee in 2012. He got 0.99% of the national vote that year.
Bio
Jill Stein, born in 1950, is a physician and activist whose biggest focus has been environmental and health issues. She was the Green Party Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2010, and the Green Party Candidate for President in 2012. She received 0.36% of the national vote that year.

 

Campaign Websites

 

Jobs

Jobs
Clinton wants to invest in infrastructure to bolster the economy, including in clean energy. She is also focused on modernizing the economy through manufacturing and technology. She advocates for an increase in the minimum wage to $12 an hour nationally, with room for states to go higher, and she wants equal pay for equal work.
Jobs
Trump believes that lower taxes and less regulation, as a whole, will bolster the economy. He believes the U.S. has agreed to bad trade deals, which he promises to renegotiate, that have led to lost American jobs to countries like Mexico and China. He promised to keep companies in the U.S. and to make American manufacturing great again.
Jobs
Johnson generally favors less regulation, though any regulation which reigns in harmful actors will stay, he says. He also believes that out-of-control spending has hurt the U.S. economy, and that this spending needs to be reigned in. He believes smaller and less government will allow the economy to flourish.
Jobs
Stein believes in "living-wage jobs for every American who needs work." Government would be the last resort employer under this plan. She also believes in a $15 minimum wage and the breaking up of banks that are "too big to fail." Key to Stein's, and the Green Party's, platform is a "Green New Deal," which aims to create jobs through the building of clean energy infrastructure, so that America relies on 100% clean energy by 2030.


Taxes

Taxes
"Hillary will implement a "fair share surcharge" on multi-millionaires and billionaires." She will also fight for measures like the Buffett Rule, so that wealthier individuals pay their fair share of taxes, she says. She also looks to close up any loopholes which benefit Wall Street, cut taxes for small businesses, and "provide tax relief to working families from the rising costs they face." A Clinton Administration will look to tax high-frequency trading on Wall Street.
Taxes
Trump believes lower taxes will help the economy. In particular, he believes that business taxes are too high, and that they need to be lowered so that they are competitive with the rest of the world. He believes that a simplified tax system will help. Like many Democrats, Trump believes in closing the carried interest loophole.
Taxes
Johnson proposes getting rid of tax loopholes, as well as double taxes on small businesses. He favors "the replacement of all income and payroll taxes with a single consumption tax that determines your tax burden by how much you spend, not how much you earn."
Taxes
Stein wants Wall Street corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. Also believes in a tax on companies that pollute. She believes in higher taxes for the wealthy, and lower taxes for the poor and middle class.

 

National Debt

National Debt
"From the Democratic Party Platform: ""We believe that by making those at the top and the largest corporations pay their fair share we can pay for ambitious progressive investments that create good-paying jobs and offer security to working families without adding to the debt."""
National Debt
"You never have to default because you print the money," Trump said at one time. He has also suggested at times that borrowing is not a problem and that the U.S. could renegotiate its debt.
National Debt
Johnson plans to veto any bill which results in deficit spending. He also touts his record of vetoing many bills as governor of New Mexico, vetos he said helped balance New Mexico's budget.
National Debt
Stein said on her campaign website in 2012 that she would reduce "the budget deficit by restoring full employment, cutting the bloated military budget, and cutting private health insurance waste."

 

Trade

Trade
Clinton has moved in her support for trade deals, and has a new rubric for them, saying they must provide jobs for Americans, not sacrifice U.S. security, and be good for American national and international priorities. She supported NAFTA in the past, but admits to troubling outcomes for American jobs, and after supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership as it was in development, she has come out against the version put forward by the Obama Administration. On trade, she says she's held deals to "the same test. Will they create jobs in America? Will they raise incomes in America? And are they good for our national security?"
Trade
Trump has campaigned vocally against NAFTA, other past trade deals, and TPP. His vews on trade and the United States is best reflected in what he said at the Republican National Convention--"Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo."
Trade
Johnson generally supports NAFTA, TPP, and any other free trade agreements. He believes that any jobs lost to NAFTA while he was Governor of New Mexico were jobs that New Mexico didn't want anyway.
Trade
Stein believes that NAFTA and other similar agreements takes away jobs, hurts wages, and overall has negative economic impacts on Americans. She wants to "enact fair trade laws that benefits local workers and communities."

 

Immigration

Immigration
There are two major facets to Clinton's immigration plan: protect families and provide a pathway to citizenship. She says that comprehensive immigration reform is desperately needed.
Immigration
Trump promises no amnesty to undocumented immigrants and promises mass deportations, though at times he has appeared to soften some of his stances. His major campaign promise is to end illegal immigration and to institute "extreme vetting" of individuals, especially refugees, seeking entrance into the country. He talks about having a secure border and promises to build a wall along the southern border that he promises Mexico will pay for. He has also questioned birthright citizenship.
Immigration
Johnson desn't believe that immigration is as simple as building a wall. "We should focus on creating a more efficient system of providing work visas, conducting background checks, and incentivizing non-citizens to pay their taxes, obtain proof of employment, and otherwise assimilate with our diverse society," his website says.
Immigration
"Create a welcoming path to citizenship for immigrants" is posted on Stein's website. Past policy positions also indicates that she is not in favor of the mass deportation of people which has happened under President Obama and promised to a greater degree by Trump.

 

Health Care

Health Care
Clinton wants to defend, tweak, and expand, but not repeal, Obamacare. She praises how many more people have become insured, but she wants to get costs down.
Health Care
Trump promises to repeal Obamacare, and replace it with something far better. He says health care companies must be allowed to sell policies across state lines. He also wants transparency with health care costs and providers, and to "allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system." He argues for increased competitive, not government regulation of health care. Trump has also said that everyone deserves health care.
Health Care
Generally speaking, Johnson is in favor of repealing Obamacare. He believes that free market competition will do the best job of covering health care for people.
Health Care
Stein believes in a Medicare for All system.

 

The Environment

The Environment
Clinton will encourage clean energy: "Launch a $60 billion Clean Energy Challenge to partner with states, cities, and rural communities to cut carbon pollution and expand clean energy, including for low-income families." "Invest in clean energy infrastructure, innovation, manufacturing and workforce development to make the U.S. economy more competitive and create good-paying jobs and careers."
The Environment
Trump does not discuss the environment much. He has called climate change a hoax. And, he believes that the Environmental Protection Agency has too many regulations.
The Environment
Johnson places emphasis on protection of National Parks and wants the Environmental Protection Agency to "focus on its true mission." He also believes in regulations to protect from pollutors, but also believes that the government meddles too much in deciding which companies determine the future of clean energy.
The Environment
Stein and the Green Party are, historically, especially focused on the environment. The Green New Deal looks to have the U.S. be on 100% clean energy by 2030. Stein wants to end use of fossil fuels and any support thereof. She places a special emphasis on protecting ecosystems, and strengthening environmental justice laws.

 

Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy
Clinton believes that the United States should defend its allies, push for diplomacy whenever possible, and be firm but not overaggressive with rivals such as China, Russia, and Iran. She is known as an interventionist, but has also spent time negotiating peace deals as Secretary of State. Her vote in favor of the Iraq War as a U.S. Senator is one that she has long been criticized for and has herself called a mistake.
Foreign Policy
Trump has an "America First" foreign policy, based on protecting the interests of the United States above all else, not meddling in other countries' affairs, protecting American security and jobs, seemingly no matter what it takes to do so. Trump has promised an aggressive approach with Mexico and illegal immigration, China and currency manipulation, and the Middle East and wars in the region. Trump has been criticized and questioned for an apparent coziness with Vladimir Putin of Russia, which he has denied.
Foreign Policy
Johnson believes that the U.S. meddles too much in foreign affairs and wars, and that needs to stop. He believes in fixing the problems that exist at home, while at the same time building relationships with allies abroad. Johnson has struggled with discussing foreign affairs on the campaign trail.
Foreign Policy
Stein wants to focus on diplomacy whenever possible, but also the punishment of abusers of human rights. Those human rights abusers include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, she says.

 

Combatting ISIS

ISIS
Clinton looks to support counter-terrorism law enformcement with the tools they need, and an increase of the airstrike campaign against ISIS in the Middle East. She has called for an "intelligence surge" to help the U.S. in its efforts against ISIS and other foreign threats.
ISIS
Generally speaking, Trump calls for a very aggressive military approach to ISIS, at times using expletives to explain his plan to bomb its forces and strongholds. He has repeatedly called for destroying oil fields that ISIS may have access to. But it is unclear to what extent he will pursue these strategies because he has not released as many plans regarding ISIS. Trump says U.S. leaders are foolish in telegraphing their military plans and that he will not divulge his. He has repeatedly insulted both U.S. political and military leaders.
ISIS
Johnson believes that the "meddling" of past administrations, Republican and Democrat, have created the monster that is ISIS. He has not shown a particular adeptness at discussing foreign affairs or presenting a plan to help eliminate threats from ISIS.
ISIS
Stein says little about ISIS, but overall she is calling for the U.S. to not be engaged in war and foreign intervention.

 

Gun Control

Gun Control
Clinton has made gun control a focus of her campaign; calling for expanding background checks, and keeping "guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, other violent criminals, and the severely mentally ill." Clinton has said she believes in the Second Amendment and responsible gun ownership, but that she wants to do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
Gun Control
Trump is pro-gun ownership and has promised to defend the Second Amendment. He believes that current gun regulations are a failure, and that background checks need to be fixed because it seems like criminals don't go through background checks.
Gun Control
Johnson does not believe in increasing gun regulations. He is of the mind that if you take guns away only outlaws and criminals will have guns.
Gun Control
Stein believes that the ownership of guns should be regulated for the sake of public safety.

 

Justice Reform

Justice Reform
Clinton supports legislation to end any form of racial profiling. She wants law enforcement to focus on violent crimes and not petty ones like possession of marijuana. National guidelines should be brought in on use of force, she says, and body cameras should be provided to every police department in the United States. She has regularly spoken about the need to improve community-police relationships and about incidents of police brutality against people of color. And, she believes in ending the use of private prisons.
Justice Reform
Trump calls himself the "Law and Order candidate," though as to what that means in terms of policy is unclear, though he has advocated for a robust stop-and-frisk policy nationwide based on what he sees as its success in New York City. Trump often talks about the need to support and respect police.
Justice Reform
Johnson believes that all unnecessary laws should be taken out so that not as many things are criminalized. He also believes that there should be an end to the "War on Drugs."
Justice Reform
Stein wants to end police brutality and de-militarize the police. She, like Johnson, wants to end the War on Drugs. She also proposes that drug addictions are treated like a health problem, not a criminal one.

 

Education

Education
Clinton supports the Common Core learning standards. She also believes in universal pre-kindergarten, college education that is debt free, and free tuition at all community colleges. She also looks to end overly punitive policies against students at schools and has discussed doing more for English Language Learners.
Education
Trump rejects Common Core and believes that education decisions, as a whole, should be left up to states. He therefore wants to completely abolish the Department of Education.
Education
Johnson rejects Common Core and believes that education decisions should be left to the states. He also wants to abolish the Department of Education because he believes that the federal government has no right to be involved with education decisions.
Education
Stein is not supportive of Common Core or standardized testing (and thinks curricula should be designed by educators). She prefers evaluation of teachers done by fellow professionals. She supports tuition-free, and debt-free, education through all four years of college.

 

LGBTQ Rights

LGBTQ Rights
Clinton pushes for full rights for LGBTQ people, in the United States and around the world. Clinton has 'evolved' fairly quickly on related issues, like marriage equality.
LGBTQ Rights
Trump vows to protect LGBTQ citizens and has had several particularly significant moments, including at the Republican National Convention, around promoting and protecting LGBTQ rights. He has not stated personal support for same-sex marriage, but says that it is the law of the land and that it should be protected as such.
LGBTQ Rights
Johnson believes that the government should not be in the business of telling people who to marry. He therefore does not look to restrict same-sex marriage, and in fact he cites this non-government interference idea as a major reason why he supported same-sex marriage before many liberals did the same.
LGBTQ Rights
Stein says that she will seek to end all forms of discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

 

Abortion

Abortion
Clinton looks to protect the reproductive rights of all women and protecting a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. She is also proud of her endorsement from Planned Parenthood.
Abortion
Trump calls himself "pro-life" and at times has called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. However he has at times touted a number of services that Planned Parenthood provides, and earlier in his life he considered himself "pro-choice." He has explained an 'evolution' on the issue. Trump has said that if he appoints several Supreme Court justices it is likely that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Abortion
Johnson believes that abortion is a deeply personal choice, and that as such the governnment should not be in the business of deciding who does or does not get abortions.
Abortion
Stein views reproductive freedom as a key facet of tackling women's rights issues. She also wants to expand access to the "morning after" pill.

 

Supreme Court Vacancies

Supreme Court Vacancies
The Supreme Court, in Clinton's eyes, should help protect women's rights and LGBTQ rights, and overturn the Citizens United case. She has not committed to renominate President Obama's SCOTUS pick, Merrick Garland, for the currently vacant seat.
Supreme Court Vacancies
Trump has stressed that the Supreme Court must protect the Second Amendment in particular, as it would be under threat, he says, if Clinton is elected President. Trump's SCOTUS nominees would be pro-life and more conservative in nature, he has said, pointing to recently-deceased Justice Antonin Scalia as a model.
Supreme Court Vacancies
Johnson would use potential nominees' positions on cases such as Kelo v. City of New London (a 2005 case on the issue of eminent domain) and others related to key issues for Libertarians to determine who he might nominate to the SCOTUS.
Supreme Court Vacancies
Stein would nominate justices to the SCOTUS who would overturn Citizens United and help restrict the flow of corporate money into politics.

 

Campaign Finance Reform

Campaign Finance Reform
Clinton supports an overturn of Citizens United to limit the impact of money in politics. She also wants legislation which will "require outside groups to publicly disclose significant political spending." Her other piece of suggested reform is to start a "small-donor matching system for presidential and congressional elections to give small donors greater influence."
Campaign Finance Reform
Trump has described Political Action Committees (PACs) as a "horrible thing" because he feels that PACs lack transparency. Trump has also claimed that politicians do favors for donors, citing his own experience as a donor. He does not promote, though, public financing of campaigns.
Campaign Finance Reform
Johnson believes that spending in campaigns, including from unions and corporations, is perfectly allowable. Any restrictions on campaign finance would be a limit to free speech, in Johnson's opinion.
Campaign Finance Reform
Stein wants an overturn of the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court case. She believes that corporations should not be allowed to fund political campaigns, but believes that there should instead be public funding of campaigns.
***
by Brendan Birth and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
 
Feedback? Email Ben at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Week Ahead in New York Politics, October 31


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

While there's a lot happening in city politics, we're also on the verge of one week until Election Day. The presidential race continues to be turbulent and New York-centric in many ways. Watch as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaign across key battleground states leading up to Election Day, at which point both will hold election night events in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, there are a variety of other races in New York -- one Senate race, in which Senator Charles Schumer is expected to cruise to re-election; many House races -- some of which will help determine if the Democrats can pick up seats and near or take the majority; and all of the state Legislature: 150 Assembly seats, 63 state Senate seats. Read our rundown of key New York races to watch in both the House and the state Senate, where Democrats are also hoping to pick up seats that will give them a chance at the majority.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made additional endorsements of Democratic candidates in New York over the weekend, including for George Latimer for State Senate and Tom Suozzi for Congress.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has stayed out of New York races, only campaigning for Hillary Clinton for President -- he did so again on Sunday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before that, on Saturday, de Blasio marked the four year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy on Staten Island. De Blasio begins his week with four public events, including a morning radio appearance and an evening TV appearance -- see below for details (the TV appearance, on NY1, is de Blasio's first of a new weekly segment, "Mondays with the Mayor,").

There are a number of interesting events to be aware of this week, from panel discussion to City Council hearings. See below for the day-by-day rundown.

***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 Halloween. 

Mayor de Blasio has four public events on his Monday schedule:

  • At 8:05 a.m., Mayor de Blasio will appear live on 710 WOR.
  • At 4 p.m., “the Mayor will hold public hearings for, and sign, ten pieces of legislation - Intros. 251-A, 551-A, 552-A, requiring the creation of an additional City form to include voluntary and anonymous questions around gender, sexuality, language spoken, ancestry and ethnic origin; Intro 1011-A, in relation to mandating that whenever a food service worker is displaced due to a change in ownership or a transfer of contract, the new owner or contractor must retain the worker for 90 days; Intros. 1160-A, 1163-A and 1165-A, in relation to energy benchmarking, lighting retrofitting, and sub-metering requirements for mid-size buildings; Intros. 728-B and 959-B, in relation to reporting on the NYPD Patrol Guide and hate crime statistics; and Intro. 1282, in relation to authorizing an increase to annual assessment and spending in eight business improvement districts and two special assessment districts.”
  • At 6 p.m., “the Mayor and First Lady Chirlane McCray will march in the Park Slope Halloween Parade.”
  • And, during the 7 p.m. hour, Mayor de Blasio will appear on NY1’s Inside City Hall in a taped appearance.

At the City Council on Monday:

  • The Committee on General Welfare will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss oversight on “child abuse cases and the various city touchpoints for families.” City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will deliver opening remarks, per her public schedule.
  • The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws. Ahead of this hearing, City Council Members Dan Garodnick, Jumaane Williams, Ben Kallos, and possibly others, will be participating in a press conference on the steps of City Hall with members of Stabilizing NYC, Stand for Tenant Safety, and the Coalition Against Predatory Equity in support of the bills being heard, which are aimed at reducing tenant harassment and stopping predatory equity.

At 11 a.m. Monday City Council Members Margaret Chin and Daniel Dromm, with “Arab American, Asian Pacific Islander, Indo-Carribean, Latino, and LGBTQ community leaders will gather at the steps of City Hall...to celebrate the data equity legislation that Mayor de Blasio will sign into law later that day.  The three bills, Intros 251-A (Dromm), 551-A (Chin), 552-A (Dromm), allow New Yorkers to accurately identify their race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation on many important city forms...these bills will help ensure that city agencies are equipped to meet the needs of all New Yorkers...ensuring that everyone is counted and that City services reach people who need them the most.”

At 11 a.m. Monday, Gov. Cuomo and many others will attend the funeral of New York State Trooper Timothy Pratt, in South Glens Falls.

At 1 p.m. on Monday, the NYC Department of City Planning will hold a review session.

At 1:15 p.m. Monday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will make an announcement on minority and women-owned businesses.

At 4 p.m., Mark-Viverito will attend the La Marqueta Halloween event.

At 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Claremont Neighborhood Center in the Bronx, “Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will host youth of all ages as they enjoy an evening of fun, music, candy and haunted festivities at his annual Pumpkinfest & Halloween Spooktacular!” 

Tuesday
Tuesday is one week until Election Day.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, “City & State’s Borough 50 Series will recognize top 50 community leaders from Queens at a breakfast.”

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, Crain’s New York will hold “Crain’s 2016 New York City Summit: Getting Ready for 9 Million New Yorkers.” Mayor de Blasio will deliver keynote remarks. The summit will include several panels: on housing, moderated by Kathryn Wylde of Partnership for New York City; on jobs, including Gregg Bishop, commissioner of the city’s Department of Small Business Services; and on transportation, including MTA Chair Thomas Prendergast and city Department of Transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg and moderated by Richard Ravitch.

At noon Tuesday at 1 Police Plaza, "the Mayor and Police Commissioner O’Neill will host a press conference to discuss crime statistics...After, the Mayor will join the NYPD for a coordination group tabletop exercise for the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon."

At the City Council on Tuesday:

  • The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
  • The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses will meet at 11 a.m.
  • The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions will meet at 1 p.m.
  • The Committee on Small Business will meet at 2 p.m. for a tour of The Pfizer Building in Brooklyn.

On Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., Comptroller Scott Stringer will host a roundtable with minority and women-owned business leaders, at Compulink Technologies Inc. on West 39th Street.

At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Elections will hold its Commissioners’ Meeting.

At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, "Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will unveil more than half a million dollars in new investments from Brooklyn Borough Hall’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget to advance public safety and community-police relations in the borough. He will make the announcement at the New York City Police Department (NYPD)’s 90th Precinct Station House in Williamsburg, home to an innovative partnership that offers an alternative to suspension for local students facing school disciplinary action through mentorship and tutoring from police officers; this program, NYC Together, is receiving funding from Borough President Adams to outfit a multimedia learning center for use inside the precinct."

At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC) will hold a public meeting.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, there will be a hearing on the de Blasio administration’s proposed changes to the deed restriction removal process, as announced: to “add a new Chapter 16 to Title 43 of the Rules of the City of New York, setting forth review procedures for the modification or removal of certain deed restrictions.” The hearing will take place at 125 Worth Street. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is among those who will testify.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, ABNY Young Professionals and Tech:NYC will co-host “New Approaches Towards Public Safety: A Conversation on Community Policing.” Deborah Archer (New York Law School Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Impact Center for Public Interest Law), City Council Member Jumaane Williams, Elizabeth Glazer (Director of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice), and Jose Lopez (Organizing Director at Make the Road New York) will participate.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will attend a town hall meeting of District 23’s Community Education Council, at Brooklyn Collegiate.

On Tuesday at 6:45 p.m., Public Advocate Letitia James will attend the "5th Avenue Key Food Community Meeting" in Brooklyn.

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday: The Committee on Public Safety will meet at 10 a.m. discuss several proposed laws which would modify the Nuisance Abatement Law.

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the NYC Planning Commission will hold a public meeting.

At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy will hold “The Future of Charter Schools on their 25th Anniversary.” On the anniversary of the first charter school law being passed in Minnesota, the speakers will discuss the future of charters. Expert panelists will speak with Dr. David Steiner, executive director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) will hold “Domestic Policy in the 2016 Presidential Election: What's at Stake?” Discussion will “reflect on the stakes of the election from the perspectives of criminal justice, energy, education, social welfare and urban policy, and what Clinton and Trump administrations might do differently in each of these domains.” Panelists will include Professor Patricia Culligan; Professor Jeffrey Fagan; Professor Ester R. Fuchs; Professor Jeffrey Henig; Michael A. Nutter, former Mayor of Philadelphia; and David N. Dinkins, SIPA professor and former Mayor of New York City. The event will be moderated by Professor Alexander Hertel-Fernandez.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will hold “Breaking the Segregated Schools Cycle.”

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, there will be “A Public Summit for The Future of Penn Station,” hosted at The Museum of the City of New York, co-hosted as well by The Transit Museum and Untapped Cities. This discussion “will seek to move beyond criticizing the current station and focus on identifying elements of a successful long-term vision.”

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday: The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.

On Thursday, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony “to mark the opening of a legal clinic for pro se litigants that is being staffed by the New York Legal Assistance Group.” 

At 8 a.m. Thursday, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce will have its “Best in the Business Awards Breakfast.” This event “celebrates the business leaders in New York City, who have built outstanding businesses - contributing to the economy and community as well.” This event “celebrates the business leaders in New York City, who have built outstanding businesses - contributing to the economy and community as well.” Kathryn Wylde of Partnership for New York City; Hank Williams of Platform; Maisha Walker of Message Medium; Infor; and Uber are the honorees.

On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will host a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Town Hall to discuss a variety of NYCHA-related issues.

On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance and the Gray Panthers of NYC will hold a forum on “Ageism and Why it Matters.” There will be a “conversation about the pervasive effects of “ageism” in our personal AND work lives.”

Friday and the weekend
At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the New York City Food Policy Center will host a discussion of “The Power of Community Gardens in New York City.” This event is meant for participants to “learn about community gardens and their role in community and economic development; discuss the intersection between race, food, and social justice; and gain an increased understanding of the state of community gardens in NYC.” The panelists include Bill Losasso (Director of GreenThumb), Aziz Dehkan (Executive Director of the New York City Community Garden Coalition), Steve Frillmann (Executive Director of Green Guerillas), and Lenny Librizzi (Director of Green Infrastructure at GrowNYC).

This is GOTV - get out the vote - weekend for Tuesday's elections. People across New York and the rest of the country will be knocking on doors, making calls, handing out flyers, and more in order to see their preferred candidate(s) win on Election Day. 

***
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 Brendan Birth and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

Key Congressional & State Senate Races in New York Will Shape Chamber Control


Teachout Faso

Zephyr Teachout (D), left, & John Faso (R), debate in NY19


As Election Day draws near, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have debated three times and are in the home stretch of the campaign -- as are Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. This election has shaped up to be like none other. When another round of revelations about Trump’s past recently emerged, in the forms of a tape of Trump bragging about unwanted sexual touching and new sexual assault allegations against him, which he has denied, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was re-focusing efforts toward winning Congressional elections, and away from the presidential race.

As Ryan and many others have indicated, there is in fact a great deal more on the line November 8 than the Presidency -- Republicans currently hold majorities in both houses of Congress, and many state houses. Democrats are hoping that not only does Hillary Clinton’s lead in the polls translate to victory for her, but that they are able to pick up enough seats to at least swing the U.S. Senate, if not the House of Representatives, too. Even President Barack Obama, enjoying high popularity as an outgoing president, is escalating his efforts to flip or hold swing districts by taping television ads and robocalls for several Democratic candidates and endorsing 30 more House candidates this week. Republicans are trying to hold on to their majorities in similar fashion.

There are currently 46 Democrats in the Senate -- including two independents who caucus with Democrats -- and 54 Republicans. Thirty-four of the 100 Senate seats on the ballot this year across the country (Senators serve staggered six-year terms). There are six Senate contests considered toss-ups where Democrats are likely to gain seats, while Republicans will likely win one currently Democratic seat, according to entities like Cook Political Report and Rothenberg Political Report, among others.

All of the House of Representatives’ 435 seats are up for election, as they are every two years. Democrats currently hold 188 seats to Republicans’ 247. There are dozens of swing districts, including several in New York, and Democrats are poised to pick up a number of seats, though few think it will be enough to take the majority.

In New York, there are several swing House districts that will factor into the final equation. Also in New York, Republican leadership of the state Senate is at stake, and there are a handful of swing districts where the votes will determine whether Republicans or mainline Democrats have the upper hand in negotiating a coalition government with the Senate’s Independent Democratic Caucus. 

While the entire New York State Legislature -- all 63 Senate and 150 Assembly seats -- and every House seat is up for election, one of the state’s two U.S. Senate seats is also on the ballot: Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat, is seeking reelection, facing Republican Wendy Long. The state Senate is New York Republicans’ only stronghold in statewide government, as all six statewide elected positions (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, and two U.S. Senators) are all held by Democrats. The state Assembly is overwhelmingly Democratic.

GOP candidates, including New Yorkers running for the House and state Senate, are largely on the defensive this cycle as many struggle to stay out of the shadow of Trump, whose candidacy has been marred by scandals, a lack of message discipline, and infighting with Republican establishment leaders. Many Republicans are conflicted over how they should associate themselves with Trump: whether to condemn some of his remarks and behavior and revoke any endorsement, but risk losing support from their voting base, or to support party nominee for President and risk losing some moderate Republicans, swing voters, and independents.

The U.S. House has been under Republican majority 18 of the last 22 years, and in order to flip it, Democrats need to win 30 additional seats while holding on to the ones they currently control. The New York state Senate has a somewhat similar story: Republicans have controlled the chamber for most of several decades. It is not completely clear how many added seats mainline Democrats need to win because of the six-member IDC and Sen. Simcha Felder, a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans. The margin is only one or two seats at this time.

As Gotham Gazette recently reported, mainline Democrats and the IDC have improved their relationship and may soon be discussing a partnership -- much will depend on the power offered to IDC leader Jeff Klein.

As they attempt to swing seats, Democrats have their eyes particularly trained on Long Island, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, campaigned for Senate candidates this week; the Capital Region, and the Hudson Valley. In several cases, sitting Republicans are vacating their seats or Republican incumbents are uniquely vulnerable. When it comes to House races in New York, it is a similar story: regions closest to Democrat-heavy New York City are home to swing districts, while many Upstate communities are Republican strongholds. 

Within New York City, there were quite a few competitive party primaries as Democrats faced off, but the general election features largely non-contests -- in many instances, there is no or only a token Republican on the ballot. The same goes for congressional seats representing New York City.

But, there are major New York City interests at stake in races outside the city: both for the state Senate and the U.S. House, not to mention the Presidency. New York City effort and money is flowing into races across the state, while some New Yorkers also make calls and knock on doors in swing states for their favorite presidential candidate.

Below, a list of key swing races for the House and the state Senate in New York, with additional resources for more information: 

Congressional District 19 - Zephyr Teachout (D), John Faso (R)
The race for the mid-Hudson Valley’s 19th congressional district is arguably the most high-profile congressional race in New York this election cycle. In a race to replace retiring Rep. Chris Gibson, a Republican, the contest is between former gubernatorial candidate, campaign finance reform advocate, and Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout, a Democrat, and former minority leader of the state Assembly and also a former candidate for governor, John Faso, a Republican.

Teachout, who challenged Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic gubernatorial primary, is among other progressive congressional candidates endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. She has recently gained the support of President Obama as well. Faso boasts the support of Rep. Gibson, a major endorsement due to Gibson’s popularity. 

Outside money has been flowing into this race, like others, with much of it attacking Teachout. Faso has sought to portray her as a carpetbagger with ultra-liberal New York City values while Teachout attaches Faso to trickle-down economics and a broken campaign finance system. A final televised debate on Monday night displayed sharp disagreements over trade agreements (though they both reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership), large financial institutions, property taxes, water contamination, Hudson River anchorages, and rebuilding infrastructure covering local, state, and national issues.

The race is neck-and-neck, according to a Siena poll released September 27, which showed Faso at 43 percent to Teachout’s 42 percent, with a margin of error of +/- 3.8%, and many voters still undecided. 

For more on the race in Congressional District 19:
John Faso and Zephyr Teachout air differences in congressional race - The Troy Record
Candidates debate on Time Warner Cable - Monday October 24, TWC
Upstate, a ‘Classic Boxers’ Match’ That Is Virtually Tied - The New York Times
National House profile rises as Faso, Teachout vie - Albany Times Union
Spending in Faso-Teachout House race tops $8.5 million - Poughkeepsie Journal 

Congressional District 24 - John Katko (R), Colleen Deacon (D)
Colleen Deacon, a Democrat and former regional director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is challenging incumbent Rep. John Katko, a first-term Republican, in New York’s 24th congressional district representing all of Cayuga, Onondaga, and Wayne counties, and the western part of Oswego County. While Katko had a seemingly insurmountable lead of 19 points heading into the last few weeks of the election, the district, which includes Syracuse, is relatively Democratic, and opposition to Trump could push Deacon to a come-from-behind victory, according to The New York Times

Katko positions himself as a “strong and independent leader” championing national security, job growth, and an end to Common Core in public schools, according to his campaign website. Deacon appeals to voters as someone who “understands the struggles of Central New Yorkers,” advocating for ending the gender wage gap, pushing for comprehensive family leave, and addressing the opioid crisis, according to her site.

Deacon is among other House candidates whose received an endorsement from President Obama this week. Emily’s List and other progressive political action groups are emailing their supporters to solicit donations for Deacon’s campaign as well. According to Politico, the Democratic Party is also taking advantage of a legal loophole to direct millions of extra dollars to congressional candidates, including Deacon, bypassing usual limits on coordinated spending between parties and candidates.

For more on the race in Congressional District 24:
Live Q&A today with Rep. John Katko on race for Congress - Syracuse.com
Dems use loophole to pump millions into fight for the House - Politico
Poll: John Katko opens 19-point lead over Colleen Deacon in race for Congress - Syracuse.com
Katko Leads Deacon 53-34% Five Weeks Out - Siena College Poll

Congressional District 3 - Jack Martins (R),  Tom Suozzi (D)
Republican State Senator Jack Martins has been a rising star in the state Legislature. He’s been expected to move up in GOP leadership, though he has gone against the wishes of his party by running to replace retiring Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat, in District 3 on Long Island. The move by Martins creates a void in the state Senate, where Republicans are desperately trying to maintain their majority. New York’s 3rd Congressional District is also seen as a swing district, as with most of Long Island.

Roll Call reports that the National Republican Congressional Committee has revoked funding for Martins’ campaign amid public polling numbers showing the Republican candidate losing big: Siena College has Martins’ down by 16 points in a poll released on October 8. Democratic nominee Tom Suozzi, a former Nassau County executive, appears headed toward victory -- and he has just received an endorsement from President Barack Obama -- but anything can happen.

The candidates have agreed on the need to combat political gridlock in Washington through bipartisanship, with both candidates touting their records for doing so. While the candidates have also agreed on a need for more gun control and support for the state of Israel, they’ve differed over healthcare and immigration reform.

For more on the race in Congressional District 3:
Suozzi battles Martin in final stretch for Israel’s seat - Times Ledger
GOP Poll Shows Tight Race in New York District NRCC Has Abandoned - Roll Call
NY Senate GOP wants Martins to bypass congressional run - New York Daily News
Tom Suozzi leads Jack Martins by 16: Newsday poll - The Island Now
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette
Senate Republicans Face Departures with Battle for Control Looming - Gotham Gazette 

Congressional District 1 - Lee Zeldin (R), Anna Throne-Holst (D)
Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican, is facing Democratic challenger Anna Throne-Holst in the race for New York’s 1st Congressional District seat. Zeldin, who is in his first two-year term, holds a sizeable lead, 53 to 38 percent, according to a Newsday/Siena College poll released October 8.

Environmental concerns over protecting the vulnerable East End of Long Island from rising sea levels and storms like Hurricane Sandy have become topics of debate for the two candidates. Throne-Holst wants to make gun control an issue as well, having hosted a separate forum specifically focusing on the topic and releasing a related television ad. The candidates have also differentiated themselves over the Affordable Care Act and creating a path to citizenship for immigrants. The two candidates held a heated forum answering questions about environmental protection, gun violence, and Donald Trump, whom Zeldin supports. 

Emily’s List and other progressive political action groups are emailing their supporters to solicit donations for Throne-Holst’s campaign, having identified the district as a place where Democrats can flip a seat. Though Throne-Holst is not included in the list of House candidates whom President Obama has endorsed.

For more on the race in Congressional District 1:
Zeldin leads Throne-Holst in 1st District, Newsday poll shows - Newsday
Congressional Candidates Show Their Environmental Stripes - East End Beacon
Congressional candidate hosts forum on gun violence - News 12 Long Island
Not Hillary and Donald, It’s Anna and Lee - East Hampton Star

Congressional District 21 - Elise Stefanik (R), Mike Derrick (D), Matt Funiciello (G)
A partisan poll conducted earlier this month on behalf of the National Republican Congressional Committee shows first-term Rep. Elise Stefanik leading her Democratic challenger Mike Derrick 54 to 29 percent in the race for New York’s 21st Congressional District. Still, the top House Republican Super PAC and other conservative groups have continued to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into Stefanik’s campaign, according to Politico, suggesting concern about the race and the need to keep the seat Red.

Stefanik, Derrick, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello shared a debate stage in early October. Key issues in the district include improving the economy and services for veterans, along with how to protect the district and the nation from the threats of terrorism. The candidates have also contrasted over trade, specifically Stefanik's support of the Trade Promotion Authority bill, which gives the president “fast-track” authority to negotiate trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and which Stefanik supported with her vote in Congress.

For more on the race in Congressional District 21:
New York's Elise Stefanik Holds Wide Lead in GOP Poll - Roll Call
NY-21: TWC News North Country Debate Showdown - NY-21 TWC News
Republicans rush to build firewall to save the House - Politico
GOP territory may lift Stefanik - Albany Times Union

Congressional District 22 - Kim Myers (D), Claudia Tenney (R), Martin Babinec (Reform)
Republican Rep. Richard Hanna is retiring in central New York’s 22nd Congressional District, opening the seat for three candidates to compete: Republican State Assemblymember Claudia Tenney, Democrat and minority leader of the Broome County Legislature Kim Myers, and a wealthy business entrepreneur, Martin Babinec, who won the Reform Party primary as a write-in candidate and has successfully petitioned to run as the Upstate Jobs Party candidate. 

The race for District 22 has been deemed one of the most competitive congressional elections in the nation by Cook Political Report. 

Progressive groups are buoying Myers’ campaign, having identified the district as a place where Democrats can flip a seat. According to a Time Warner Cable/Siena College poll released September 29, Tenney sits on a modest lead in the three-way race, with 35 percent to Myers’ 30 percent. Tenney is fighting a significant fundraising deficit, having raised $606,902 through September 30, compared with $1.4 million raised by Myers, and Babinec has put in $2.2 million of his own wealth. Still, the Upstate seat is in Republican hands and voters may keep it that way.

For more on the race in Congressional District 22:
22nd Congressional Debate in Hamilton - Oneida Daily Dispatch
Poll: Claudia Tenney leads in 3-way congressional race - Democrat & Chronicle
Money flows into 3-way race for Congress - Pressconnects
Oneida County Leaders Endorse Kim Myers - Madison County Courier
State’s top leaders endorse Kim Myers for Congress - Madison County Courier

STATE SENATE RACES TO WATCH

State Senate District 7 - Elaine Phillips (R), Adam Haber (D)
Republican State Senator Jack Martins decided to run for a seat in Congress despite the advice of fellow Senate Republicans, who asked Martins to stay in the state Legislature to protect their narrow majority. Now, Republican Elaine Phillips and Democrat Adam Haber are in a tight race for the open Long Island seat. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district and Haber has out-raised Phillips, though Republicans hope Martins’ popularity will help carry the election in their favor -- he previously defeated Haber in the 2014 election by roughly 13 percent of the vote.

Wall Street and the financial crisis has become a hot item of debate, with both candidates attempting to connect the other to major financial institutions in a negative light. Anti-semitism has also come up, with Haber depicted in Fiddler on the Roof garb in an attack ad from an outside group. For his part, Haber released an ad in late September campaigning for environmental protection, improving local education, and bringing down property taxes.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorsed Haber and campaigned for him on Long Island on Monday. Phillips, meanwhile, has received several important endorsements including from nonpartisan environmental group League of Conservation Voters. As is the case with other Republican candidates on Long Island, which is naturally vulnerable to sea level rise, storms, and flooding, Phillips departs from party lines about the environment since a far majority of voters on Long Island believe in climate change and its threats.

For more on the race in State Senate District 7:
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette
Candidates challenge each other’s ties to Wall Street, financial crisis - New York Daily News
Phillips says race could determine control of Senate, influence of suburbs - The Island Now
Candidates clashed on their respective records in service at forum - The Island Now
Haber Decries Ad Depicting Him As Fiddler On The Roof - Talking Points Memo
Adam Haber releases new ad; Elaine Phillips touts endorsements - Newsday
Senate Republicans Face Departures with Battle for Control Looming - Gotham Gazette

State Senate District 49 – Jim Tedisco (R), Chad Putman (D)
Republican State Senator Hugh Farley decided to retire from the state Senate after serving voters in Schenectady and Saratoga counties since 1977 -- nearly 40 years. Farley tapped veteran GOP Assemblymember Jim Tedisco to replace him, while Democratic nominee Chad Putman declared his candidacy prior to the news of Farley stepping down. Putman has his work cut out for him: he’s never held public office, Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district, and Tedisco has major advantages of name recognition as an outspoken Assembly member and the support of a well-liked incumbent. Both candidates have focused on fighting corruption in Albany and been critical of Common Core education standards.

For more on the race in State Senate District 49:
Capital Region Republicans reject Trump comments, but not candidacy - The Daily Gazette
GOP, Democrats eye key races for control of New York Senate - The Saratogian
SD49 candidates weigh in on the Albany corruption case - The Daily Gazette
SD49 candidates criticise common core standards  - The Daily Gazette
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette
Senate Republicans Face Departures with Battle for Control Looming - Gotham Gazette

State Senate District 39 – Bill Larkin (R), Chris Eachus (D)
Democrat Chris Eachus overcame a spending deficit to come within three percentage points of defeating incumbent Republican State Senator Bill Larkin in 2012, though much has changed since then. Larkin has been under attack for taking two state pensions; writing a letter of support for former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos during his trial (Skelos was convicted on corruption changes); and controversy over a criminal investigation into the treasurer of his campaign committee. With Democratic voter enrollment in Orange County on the rise, Democrats are hoping this is the year to unseat Larkin, who has served 13 terms, but it won’t be easy.

Larkin appears to be in hiding -- he has skipped three joint appearances in just the last two weeks, according to the Times-Herald Record, including two debates and a candidates' forum held by a local law enforcement group. Eachus hasn’t been able to readily differentiate his own ethics standards, as the New York Daily News reports that the Democratic candidate failed to disclose $200,000 of outside income last year.

For more on the race in State Senate District 39:
Orange Co. Legislator Eachus again seeks to unseat state Sen. Larkin - Times Herald-Record
State Senate candidate calls for government reforms - Times Herald-Record
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette
Senate Republicans Face Departures with Battle for Control Looming - Gotham Gazette

State Senate District 9 - Todd Kaminsky (D), Chris McGrath (R)
Democratic State Senator Todd Kaminsky won his seat in the state Senate in a special election to replace Skelos in April, securing the only Democratically-held seat on Long Island. Now Kaminsky must again face Republican candidate Chris McGrath. Democrats are hoping the higher turnout for a presidential election cycle and Kaminsky’s popularity as a former federal prosecutor and Assembly member will be enough to again carry the election. Gov. Cuomo also campaigned with Kaminsky on Monday, praising his work to root out corruption.

For more on the race in State Senate District 9:
Cuomo endorses Kaminsky, Haber in state Senate runs - Newsday
Sen. Todd Kaminsky to run first TV ad in re-election campaign - Newsday
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette 

State Senate District 46 – George Amedore (R), Sara Niccoli (D)
Incumbent Republican State Senator George Amedore lost his seat in the state senate in 2012 by a margin of only 18 votes to Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk. Amedore won the seat back in 2014 by a wider margin. Now, he faces another tough re-election bid against Democratic nominee Sara Niccoli, a local government official, political activist, and sheep farmer with significant name recognition around the Capital Region, for a challenger.

At a debate this week, the two candidates agreed on the need for ethics reform in state government, but differed in how to address the issue. While Amedore called for term limits and a forfeiture of public pensions for officials convicted in corruption cases, Niccoli said campaign contributions are the root of the issue, calling out her competitor's ties to real estate developers, according to the Daily Freeman.

For more on the race in State Senate District 46:
Sen. George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, faces a challenge from Sara Niccoli - The Saratogian
SD46 included in another rundown of races to watch - City & State New York
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette

State Senate District 43 – Kathy Marchione (R), Shaun Francis (D)
Incumbent Republican State Senator and proud National Rifle Association member Kathy Marchione faces a general election contest from retired professional baseball umpire and labor organizer Shaun Francis. Francis has won support from notable Democrats like U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who is also up for re-election, and fellow Democratic candidate for Congress Zephyr Teachout who is sharing office space with Francis in Hudson. Marchione is an embattled incumbent who has taken a lot of heat over her handling of the water quality crisis in Hoosick Falls, but she does hold the significant advantage of name recognition.

For more on the race in State Senate District 43:
Trump Could Tip Key Races for State Senate Control - Gotham Gazette
GOP, Democrats eye key races for control of New York Senate - The Saratogian
State Senate hopeful Francis earns Schumer endorsement - The Troy Record
Teachout, Francis open new Hudson campaign office - The Register-Star
Francis presses Marchione on Trump at candidate forum - Albany Times Union

State Senate District 37 – George Latimer (D), Julie Killian (R)
Incumbent Democratic State Senator George Latimer fended off a Republican challenger in 2014, winning that general election by 5 percent of the vote. Now he is facing Republican challenger Julie Killian in the contest for the lower Hudson Valley’s 37th District which encompases parts of Sound Shore, Eastchester, Yonkers and Bedford. Independents and minor party voters could play a role in deciding the contest, as they make up a significant number of voters in the district. Democrats have an enrollment advantage over Republicans in the district and Latimer’s campaign has substantially outraised Killian, though Killian is actually outspending Latimer.

Despite the Democratic advantage, the race has been characterized by accusations, such as a television ad for Killian that blames Latimer for ignoring women who’ve been sexually abused in Albany. The two candidates have made multiple appearances to debate one another, most recently on October 21, at which the candidates differentiated themselves over items like the state’s tax cap, which limits the amount local property taxes can be raised each year.

For more on the race in State Senate District 37:
37th NYS Senate district seat hotly contested race in Westchester - News 12 Westchester
Latimer, Killian face off in heated Senate race - The Journal News
Cuomo fundraises for Senate Dems, including Sen. George Latimer - PressConnects (Gannett)
SD37 included in a races to watch article - City & State New York

State Senate District 40 – Terrence Murphy (R), Ali Boak (D)
First-term State Senator Terrence Murphy, a Republican, faces Democratic nominee Ali Boak in the Hudson Valley’s District 40. Democrats benefit from a slight enrollment advantage in the district, though that hasn’t stopped Republicans from winning the seat in the last two election cycles. Republicans are spending big campaign dollars to keep Murphy securely in his seat. The Lower Hudson Valley Journal News identified five key issues where the candidates differentiate themselves: ethics reform, term limits for state legislators, control over the state senate, the opioid crisis, and the expansion of the Spectra pipeline.

For more on the race in State Senate District 40:
Ali Boak Calls On Terrence Murphy To 'Dump Trump' - Yorktown Daily Voice
40th state Senate race: Murphy vs. Boak - The Journal News
Senate GOP transferred $142,000 to Terrence Murphy’s campaign - PressConnects (Gannett)
Sen. Terrence Murphy of Yorktown is running for a second term - Poughkeepsie Journal

State Senate District 41 – Sue Serino (R), Terry Gipson (D)
The Hudson Valley has become a battleground for state Senate elections as well as congressional races and State Senate District 41 in Putnam and Dutchess counties is no exception. Republican State Senator Sue Serino, who is serving her first term in office, will face a re-match of the 2014 election against Democratic challenger Terry Gipson -- Serino won that election by less than 5 percent of the vote. Though the last time around Gipson had the incumbency advantage, having won the seat in 2012 through a three-candidate field with the Conservative Party abandoning veteran state Senator Steve Saland, a Republican, over his support for same-sex marriage. Serino and Gipson have had their fair share of disagreements over issues including ethics in campaign finance and Common Core. 

For more on the race in State Senate District 41:
Serino, Gipson disagree on Presidential race, ethics and Common Core - Poughkeepsie Journal
Gipson Seeks To Tie Serino With Trump In State Senate Race - Daily Voice
Senate Reps pump $180,000 into Sen. Sue Serino’s re-election bid - PressConnects (Gannett)
Dutchess County will see a replay of the 2014 race for the 41st District - Poughkeepsie Journal
Serino, Gipson debate SD41 issues at Dutchess Chamber breakfast - Daily Freeman 

State Senate District 5 – Carl Marcellino (R), James Gaughran (D)
Incumbent Republican state Senator Carl Marcellino has been representing Long Island residents in the state Senate since 1995. This year he faces a notable Democratic challenger, James Gaughran, a Suffolk County water commissioner who lost a race for Nassau County Comptroller in 2014. It’s been rumored by Politico, Newsday and others that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent $11,000 to Gaughran and will endorse the candidate in the District 5 race later this week as he is campaigning for other candidates on Long Island. 

Gaughran has gone after Marcellino over his record in the state Senate, specifically his vote against the Child Victims Act, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse and allow a one-year window for victims to revive old civil cases, according to the New York Daily News. More recently, Marcellino and other Long Island Republicans are coming under fire from their opponents for their association with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, who were recently arrested on federal corruption charges.

For more on the race in State Senate District 5:
Cuomo endorses Kaminsky, Haber in state Senate runs - Newsday
State Sen. Reps hold up child-sex abuse victims bill slammed by Dems - New York Daily News
Ed Mangano’s corruption case is bad news for Republicans - New York Post

State Senate District 6 – Kemp Hannon (R), Ryan Cronin (D)
The race in Long Island’s District 6 is a rematch of the 2012 contest, in which state Senator Kemp Hannon, incumbent Republican first elected in 1989, defeated Democrat Ryan Cronin by fewer than 5,000 votes. Conservative interest groups are spending a lot of money to protect the seat. The New York Daily News reported that the Greater New York Hospital Association has formed a Super PAC that has spent nearly $200,000 on mail, digital ads, phone calls and campaign management supporting Hannon, who is the chair of the Senate Health Committee. As the case with other races on Long Island, Cronin has been critical of Hannon for being associated with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, recently arrested on corruption charges.

Though Republicans are using another politician to bash their opponents: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. According to the New York Post, Hannon produced a mailer using Cronin’s face and a stack of $100 bills peeking out of a suit coat’s breast pocket that paints the Democratic challenger as a crony for de Blasio. Though connecting Cronin to de Blasio hasn’t kept the mayor’s political rival, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, from contributing money to help Cronin, and the governor is expected to endorse the Democratic candidate as he campaigns throughout Long Island this week.

For more on the race in State Senate District 6:
Cuomo endorses Kaminsky, Haber in state Senate runs - Newsday
Ed Mangano’s corruption case is bad news for Republicans - New York Post
GOP campaigns on unpopular de Blasio in battle for state Senate - New York Post
Group that fought Lavern's Law spends big on GOP senator who helped - New York Daily News

***
by William Fowler for Gotham Gazette

Read more by this writer.

The Week Ahead in New York Politics, October 24


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

We're in the home stretch of the Presidential race -- and all the other races that are on the ballot November 8 -- with Tuesday marking two weeks until Election Day. As Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and other presidential candidates fight for votes, there are also a variety of races happening in New York. Some will determine party control of the State Senate; others will help decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives -- there are several swing districts in New York. In New York City, there's few, if any, competitive races for local Senate, Assembly, or House seats. [Read: Limited Down Ballot Choices for New Yorkers Come November 8]

Mayor Bill de Blasio spent time this weekend again campaigning for Clinton, this time in Virginia. Back in the city, de Blasio starts his week with no public events. De Blasio will hold a town hall meeting in the Bronx on Thursday evening and will appear at a live event on WNYC radio on Friday morning from the station's The Greene Space.

Governor Andrew Cuomo begins his week on Long Island, campaigning for Democratic state Senate candidates.

This week will see the four-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy hitting New York.

And, along with a variety of committee hearings this week -- details of which are below -- this week the City Council holds its second of two October full-body Stated Meetings, at which new bills are introduced and bills that have passed through committee are voted on by the full Council.  

As always, there's a great deal happening all over the city, with many events to be aware of - 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
At 10 a.m. on Monday, the State Assembly’s Ethics and Guidance Committee will meet.

On Monday at 11 a.m. in Corona, Queens, ""First Lady Chirlane McCray and American Psychiatric Association President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D will be joined by elected officials, advocates and health leaders to announce a major investment in the health of NYC’s communities."

At 11 a.m. Monday, Public Advocate Letitia James will attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the NYPD Candidate Assessment Center.

At 1 p.m. on Monday, “Council Member Rory I. Lancman and the New York Democratic Lawyers Council (NYDLC) are rallying New York lawyers to protect the right to vote against suppression and intimidation efforts in this fall’s election in New York and in swing states.” Council Member Lancman, Council Member Costa Constantinides, and Representative Hakeem Jeffries will be among those who participate.

"On Monday evening, Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray will host a reception at Gracie Mansion with business, non-profit and philanthropic leaders who participated in the Ladders For Leaders program. They will celebrate a record-breaking year for the City's Summer Youth Employment Program. This event is closed press."

Tuesday
Tuesday marks two weeks until Election Day.

Starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Crain’s New York will hold its 2016 Family Business Summit. This event will “explore how New York family-owned businesses have managed to survive in the city while growing their businesses through the generations.”

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, “City & State’s Borough 50 Series will recognize top 50 community leaders from Queens at a breakfast.”

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, there will be a “New York Building Congress Breakfast Forum with Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen.” The event will “feature the release of the latest Building Congress research report, New York City Construction Outlook 2016-2018.”

On Tuesday at 10 a.m. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will participate in a Women and Girls and Civic Engagement panel at The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem, an event being hosted by Generation Citizen.

On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in Manhattan, "Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman will announce a first-of-its-kind gun trafficking report...The report analyzes tens of thousands of crime guns recovered by law enforcement, illustrating gun trafficking trends that undermine New York’s strong laws."

At 11 a.m. Tuesday outside the David Dinkins Municipal Building, "Public Advocate Letitia James will call on New York City and New York State to expand access to 3-D digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) technology, a new breast cancer screening technology proven to increase early detection of breast cancer."

At 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and Police Commissioner James O'Neill will attend Team Up! at The Hunts Point School in the Bronx. At 6:30 p.m. Fariña will attend a District 20 Town Hall at P.S. 204 in Brooklyn.

At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Vera Institute of Justice will hold an event on the question of what drives jail growth.

On Tuesday at 1 p.m., "lawmakers and immigrant advocates from around the country will host a call to discuss the significant progress that has been made and to describe what more states and cities can do. The call is coordinated with the release of a new Center for Popular Democracy report, Promoting Equality, that highlights innovative policies that cities and states have passed to promote community safety, inclusion and equality, such as language access initiatives, municipal IDs (NYC has issued almost one million), access to counsel programs for people facing deportation, and policies to prevent co-optation of city and state police for federal immigration enforcement." Participants on the call will include Cristina Jimenez, Co-Founder, United We Dream; Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner, New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs; Natalia Aristizabal, Lead Organizer, Make The Road New York; John Avalos, Member, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 11; and Shena Elrington, Director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice, Center for Popular Democracy.

At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Elections will hold a Commissioners Meeting.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the New York City Bar Association will hold its “Barbara Paul Robinson Series: Profiles of Leaders in the Law, with U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Sonia Sotomayor.” Charlie Rose of CBS News will moderate the discussion with the two justices.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, there will be a fundraiser for State Senate Democrats, hosted by Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Michael Gianaris, with Governor Andrew Cuomo the special guest, according to Politico New York.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will hold “Criminalizing Poverty: A Dirty Truth.” This event will explore the question of whether being poor really is a “crime.” A panel discussion will be moderated by Alysia Santo of The Marshall Project and Peter Goldberg, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, will give opening remarks. Public Advocate Letitia James is scheduled to speak as well.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Urban Democracy Lab will hold a discussion on “The Politics of Documenting Neighborhood Change.” Zaheer Ali (Oral Historian, Brooklyn Historical Society), Heather Dalmage (Professor of Sociology and Director of the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice at Roosevelt University), Max Holleran (PhD candidate, Sociology, New York University), and Rebecca Amato (Historian and Associate Director of the Urban Democracy Lab at New York University) will speak at this event. Jack Tchen (Associate Professor and Director of the A/P/A Institute at New York University) will be the moderator.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gracie Mansion, "Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray will host the third annual UpStander Awards at Gracie Mansion."

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday:

  • The Committee on Aging will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss “a Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing legal counsel for senior citizens subject to eviction, ejectment or foreclosure proceedings.”
  • The Committee on Juvenile Justice will meet at 10 a.m. for a tour of The Ryer Limited Secure Placement in The Bronx.
  • The Committee on Governmental Operations will meet at 10 a.m. for oversight of the New York City Board of Elections.
  • The Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws on food vendors.
  • The Committee on Higher Education will meet at 1 p.m. for oversight of CUNY Pathways.
  • The Committee on Courts and Legal Services will meet at 1 p.m. for oversight: “Evaluating the Progression of Justice Reboot.”
  • The Committee on General Welfare will meet at 3 p.m. to discuss several proposed laws.

The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics will hold a meeting on Wednesday.

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance will speak at a Citizens Budget Commission breakfast. Vance will “discuss the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative and his office's efforts to invest in public safety, crime prevention, and the justice system.”

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Center on Media Crime and Justice at John Jay College will hold a briefing on domestic violence in New York City. Deputy Chief Martin Morales, the Commander of the NYPD Domestic Violence Unit, will be the keynote speaker.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Center for New York City Affairs will host a panel on New York City Public Schools that have successfully achieved racial and economic integration.

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, New York Law School will hold “Master Class: NYC’s Land Use and Zoning Laws.”

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will hold “Voting Against Hunger: Presidential Elections and Food Assistance in the US.” There will be discussion of “how figures like FDR, JFK, and Ronald Reagan have dramatically changed the course of hunger in our country.”

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday:

  • The Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections will meet at 10 a.m. to continue discussions from its October 20 meeting.
  • The Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss a “resolution approving the new designation and changes in the designation of certain organizations to receive funding in the Expense Budget.”
  • The City Council will hold a Stated Meeting at 1:30 p.m. It will be prefaced, as usual, by a pre-stated press conference led by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, City & State New York will hold “State of NY Health.” Discussion will focus on both advances and risks in health-related issues in New York State. State Senators Liz Krueger and Kemp Hannon will participate.

On Thursday at 6 p.m., the Brennan Center for Justice will hold “Corporate Citizen? A Book Talk with Ciara Torres-Spelliscy.” Torres-Spelliscy “will explore this resistance and offer reforms to support these new understandings of the corporation in contemporary society.” She will be joined by Alyssa Katz from the New York Daily News.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Department of City Planning will have its first kickoff meeting for the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study. Among other things, this study “seeks to foster a thriving neighborhood by reinforcing and encouraging a robust local economy anchored by a mix of uses and businesses, while creating opportunities for new housing with affordable housing in appropriate locations.”

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Mayor de Blasio and City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. will hold a town hall meeting in the Bronx.

Friday and the weekend
At the City Council on Friday:

  • The Committee on Transportation will meet at 10 a.m. for oversight of “the future of driverless vehicles in New York City.”
  • The Committee on Environmental Protection will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss “a Local Law to amend the building code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing requirements for the selection, installation and maintenance of plants for green roof systems.”
  • The Committee on Veterans will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a “resolution calling on the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign into law, the Fairness for Veterans Act of 2016.”
  • The Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss two issues related to snow and ice removal.

Over the weekend of October 28, Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray will be hosting weekend Halloween Parties at Gracie Mansion.

At 10 a.m. on Friday, State Senators Liz Krueger and Brad Hoylman, and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz will “present a moderated discussion on the financial and fiduciary implications of divesting New York State's pension fund from fossil fuels.”

On Friday, beginning at 4 p.m., “State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) will host his Annual Hurricane Sandy Remembrance and Recovery Walk...Attendees will gather at Rockaway Beach at Beach 67th Street where there will be a prayer and moment of silence, reflections by elected officials, community leaders and residents and a singing and mime performance by youth from Battalion Pentecostal Assembly Church. Attendees will then walk from the beach to Battalion Pentecostal Assembly Church.”

At 2 p.m. on Sunday, City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez will hold his annual “State of the District” event.

At 8 p.m. on Sunday, Time Warner Cable News and NY1 will televise the only U.S. Senate Debate between Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat, and Republican Wendy Long. The debate will be held at Union College, and Errol Louis and Liz Benjamin will moderate. 

***
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 Brendan Birth and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

With Chamber Control at Stake, No Democratic Challenger to Republican Senator from Brooklyn


golden nypd

Sen. Marty Golden (photo: @NYPDAuxilary)


With a great deal on the line for New York City, Democrats are trying to flip the State Senate and a handful of races across the state will make the difference. One Brooklyn district has a significant Democratic voter registration advantage and an incumbent Republican, yet no one is challenging Senator Martin Golden. In 2012, a Democratic challenger won 42% of the vote against Golden.

In the overwhelmingly Blue state of New York, and an even Bluer New York City, a Democratic challenge to an incumbent Republican in a presidential election year would seem to be a no-brainer. But in the 22nd State Senate district in Southern Brooklyn, Democrats have failed to put forward a candidate to run against Golden, a long-serving senator, the only Republican senator from the borough, and one of only two in the entire city.

Golden, a former NYPD officer and New York City Council member, has represented the district for nearly 14 years. He has a strong base of support and has defeated recent challengers despite a heavy enrollment advantage for Democrats in the district. As of April, the district has 27,599 active registered Republican voters, 66,990 Democrats, and 31,756 unaffiliated voters across Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, parts of Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach and Marine Park.

Although Golden faced challenges in the last two cycles, 2014 and 2012, he wasn’t too surprised that he has no Democratic opponent this year. “I’m sure they wanted to spend their money wisely,” he said of the Democratic Party, “to try to take over the Senate and look for better opportunities across the state.”

That confidence seems to stem from an ability to work well with all his colleagues, including those across the aisle. “It’s not about Republican or Democrat, it’s about what we can do,” he said. “I work across party lines to deliver resources to our county and our city and that’s one of the reasons I’m running unchallenged.”

A self-proclaimed “economic development nut,” his main focus once he is reelected will be creating jobs for his district while reducing the tax burden on constituents, he said. His other priorities include education, transportation, public safety and seniors.

For the Democrats, the odds of posing a strong challenge to Golden were better this time around than they have been in years. At the state level, the party has seen renewed hope of taking back the Senate from Republicans, who do not have outright numerical dominance of the chamber but retain control by partnering with the Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway faction of Democrats. One other Democrat, Simcha Felder from Brooklyn, also caucuses with the Republicans. With the presidential election this year, more Democrats are expected to turn out on Election Day, and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s strong approval ratings in the state have buoyed other New York Democrats, who hope to leverage that enthusiasm into down ballot races.

Golden, an avowed supporter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, brushed aside any concern that the Democrats could indeed succeed. “The Senate Democrats are definitely not taking over the majority,” he said. “Between the Independent Democratic Conference and elected Republicans, we’ll have a good number and a majority to carry forward our agenda.”

Local Democrats disagree and believe that the party should have offered up a challenge to the incumbent. “I definitely think it’s a missed opportunity,” said Jamie Kemmerer, a member of the Bay Ridge Democrats political club who unsuccessfully ran against Golden in 2014. “You could reasonably expect Republican turnout to go down based on the last couple of weeks of the cycle,” Kemmerer added, in apparent reference to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s fall in the polls.

When Kemmerer initially ran two years ago, he expected he would run again this year, having built some name and face recognition. But, after his wife gave birth to their second son shortly after the 2014 election, he decided it would be “too much to put the family through.” Personal reasons aside, he also admitted that running against Golden is an uphill battle given the way the district lines are drawn. “The reality is it’s a very gerrymandered district,” he said. “It will be very difficult for anyone to win until the lines are redrawn.”

A South Brooklyn political operative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, presented the same reasoning. “For the past several election cycles Golden has won re-election thanks to a wretchedly gerrymandered district,” the operative said, insisting that Golden’s numbers have actually been dwindling in southern parts of the district but he has won because of support in Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach and Midwood. “So while his power is becoming more and more of an eroding mirage, the fear of real estate developers coming in and dropping a few million to bury any challenger has made some candidates think twice. But electorally, Marty is definitely vulnerable, no doubt about it. His days are numbered and I think he knows it. South Brooklyn is a markedly different place than it was in 1998 when Marty was first elected to the Council.”

Past election results do, however, indicate that the district will continue to vote Republican. “Regardless of what enrollment numbers show, the vote pattern shows that voters in the area have supported Republicans,” said Steven Romalewski, director of CUNY Graduate Center’s mapping service, which tracks and charts voting patterns (see district map below). “I wouldn’t be surprised that the redistricting effort had something to do with it.”

senate district 22

In the April presidential primary, the district largely favored Trump over other Republican contenders, and mostly voted for Senator Bernie Sanders over Clinton. Both were closed party primaries, though, which excluded the district’s sizable unaffiliated pool of voters.

A key element of Democratic reticence seems to be the lack of support from the Democratic political machinery. There hasn’t been a concerted effort by Kings County Democrats to challenge Golden and even in years past, local contenders have received little in the way of institutional support. This year would likely have been no different, particularly since Mayor Bill de Blasio, who attempted to sway Senate elections for Democrats in 2014, has taken a step back from state legislative races following controversy over his previous involvement. But even in 2014, de Blasio and others gave almost no help to Kemmerer in his bid to unseat Golden.

With a Democratic Governor and a large Democratic majority in the state Assembly, Democrats would have full control of state government if they were to win the Senate. Whichever mainline conference has more seats is still expected to have to make a coalition deal with the Independent Democratic Conference between November's elections and the start of the new legislative session in January.

The last competitive challenge Golden faced was in 2012 when Andrew Gounardes, another member of the Bay Ridge Democrats, did better than Kemmerer would subsequently do. But Gounardes, who now works in the Brooklyn Borough President’s office, was outspent and outmatched. Gounardes received 42.3 percent of votes in 2012 against 57.7 percent for Golden; in 2014, Kemmerer garnered 29.3 percent while Golden won with 64.9 percent.

“For many years, the worst kept secret was the sweetheart deal made to protect Marty Golden from any serious Democratic challengers,” said the political operative from Brooklyn. “This deal was strictly enforced by [former Brooklyn Democratic party chair] Vito Lopez. Andrew Gounardes in 2012 was the first year the Democrats were given the green light to run a real candidate against Marty. The fact that Gounardes defeated Marty in Bay Ridge and gave him the race of his life shows why that sweetheart deal was so important to keeping Marty in power for so long. It is much different now and County is not protecting Marty anymore but they aren't exactly drafting or recruiting challengers either.”

Another political operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity echoed that view. “It’d be great if we had a Democratic Party committed to electing Democrats, if we had local officials who supported those efforts,” the second operative said. “It’s a really winnable seat if you look at the numbers and enrollment, it’s winnable if you have the right support and resources.”

***
by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

Limited Down Ballot Choices for New Yorkers Come November 8


Sample BK ballot for Nov 2016 short

sample ballot


When New Yorkers go to the polls November 8, they’ll be facing a big choice at the top of the ballot, with four presidential candidates to choose from. Further down the ballot, however, there will be much more limited choice for many given the number of uncontested general election races for state legislative seats.

New York City residents are represented by 91 seats in the New York State Legislature. Of those, 26 are in the 63-seat Senate and 65 in the 150-seat Assembly. Every two years, the entire state legislature is up for election. As has become tradition, the state legislative primaries that took place September 13 were riddled with uncontested races in both the Senate and Assembly, wherein many incumbents were not challenged from within their own parties.

While you might think the general elections would provide a healthier show of democracy, that is not the case. There are another slate of uncontested races: in total, 32 candidates from across the city -- or 35% of city representation in the Legislature -- will run uncontested in the general election. Twenty-one candidates will have run unopposed in both the primary and general elections. Those 21 constitute 23% of the city’s seats in the Legislature. Data on uncontested candidates was first compiled by Citizens Union, a democracy reform group.

In many cases, an incumbent’s opposing party has not even filed a challenger for the general, much less running a robust campaign. In some cases, there is nominal opposition on the ballot, but incumbents will cruise to re-election. Many of New York City’s election districts are so overwhelmingly Democratic that the winner of the party primary is a lock to win the general -- which, combined with the power of incumbency, makes becoming an incumbent Democrat a virtual lifetime appointment to the Legislature, which has no term limits.

“It’s very difficult for newcomers to unseat incumbents,” Dr. Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University told Gotham Gazette last month. “Once you’re in office it’s much easier to stay in and protect that office, so a lot of people see it as a David versus Goliath situation and choose not to engage in trying to break into the political system.”

In the State Senate, seven of the city’s 26 seats -- 27% -- will remain in the hands of incumbents facing no opponent and therefore little pressure to further tailor their agendas to the wants and needs of their constituents. Of the city’s 64 Assembly seats, 25 -- or 39% -- will be won by candidates that faced no opponent in the general election.

Also of note are the seven “open” state legislative seats in New York City. Two of the seven, Senate District 36 in the Bronx and Assembly District 33 in Queens, were vacated prior to the primaries. In the other five, incumbents are choosing not to run for re-election.   

Two of the uncontested races -- in Assembly Districts 56 and 72 -- are for seats currently held by Annette Robinson, who is retiring, and Guillermo Linares, respectively. These seats will be won by first-time candidates Tremaine S. Wright (AD56) and Carmen De La Rosa (AD72). De La Rosa was one of just three candidates to unseat a New York City-based incumbent in the primaries when she defeated Linares.

Notwithstanding the wins by De La Rosa, Brian Barnwell, and Yuh-Line Niou, who each defeated a sitting legislator, being an incumbent is almost always a safe space.

“I think the voting public increasingly believes that they will not see competitive elections by and large, and it’s a reflection of a system that is designed to be an incumbency protection machine,” said Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Group, in a September interview. It is a self-perpetuating problem Horner calls the “democracy death spiral.”

Though all five boroughs are suffering from a lack of competition, Staten Island provides the starkest example of this troubling trend. All six of the borough’s seats, counting both Senate and Assembly, will go uncontested. Only one candidate, Ronald Castorina Jr., a Republican from Assembly District 62, faced competition in the primaries.

Brooklyn and Queens, the city’s two largest boroughs, lead the count of uncontested races with 12 and 11, respectively. There are a number of Republican challengers to Democratic incumbents, in Manhattan especially -- the candidates have campaigns with varied levels of legitimacy, though. There are not any New York City-based races expected to be close. Meanwhile, control of the state Senate is likely to be determined by November's elections, turning on districts outside of New York City, but with a great deal at stake for residents of the city and the rest of the state.

Between the Presidential races and state legislative races, on the November ballot will be one U.S. Senate race in New York - Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Wendy Long - and local races for the House of Representatives.

[Find your poll site and see your sample ballot here]

Below is a list of the 32 uncontested state legislative districts by borough. An asterisk indicates a candidate who did not face opposition in the primary election either.

Uncontested New York City-based Senate and Assembly Seats, 2016 General Election, courtesy of Citizens Union:

The Bronx:
Assembly District 83: Carl Heastie (D)*

Brooklyn:
Senate District 17: Simcha Felder (D)*
Senate District 18: Martin Malave Dilan (D)
Senate District 19: Roxanne Persaud (D)
Senate District 22: Martin Golden (R)*
Senate District 26: Daniel Squadron (D)*
Assembly District 43: Diana Richardson (D)
Assembly District 48: Dov Hikind (D)*
Assembly District 50: Joseph R. Lentol (D)*
Assembly District 53: Maritza Davila (D)
Assembly District 56: Tremaine Wright (D)
Assembly District 57: Walter Mosley III (D)*
Assembly District 58: N. Nick Perry (D)*

Manhattan:
Assembly District 66: Deborah J. Glick (D)
Assembly District 72: Carmen N. De La Rosa (D)

Queens:
Assembly District 26: Edward C. Braunstein (D)*
Assembly District 27: Michael Simanowitz (D)*
Assembly District 28: Andrew Hevesi (D)*
Assembly District 29: Alicia Hyndman (D)
Assembly District 31: Michele Titus (D)
Assembly District 32: Vivian Cook (D)
Assembly District 34: Michael DenDekker (D)*
Assembly District 35: Jeffrion Aubry (D)*
Assembly District 36: Aravella Simotas (D)*
Assembly District 37: Catherine Nolan (D)*
Assembly District 39: Francisco Moya (D)*

Staten Island:
Senate District 23: Diane Savino (D)*
Senate District 24: Andrew Lanza (R)*
Assembly District 61: Matthew Titone (D) *
Assembly District 62: Ronald Castorina Jr. (R)
Assembly District 63: Michael Cusick (D)*
Assembly District 64: Nicole Malliotakis (D)*

***
by Luke Foley and Ben Max for Gotham Gazette
@GothamGazette

Note: Gotham Gazette is an independent publication of Citizens Union Foundation, sister organization of Citizens Union.

Top Cuomo Aide Moves to Avoid Conflicts of Interest Before Leaving for Private Sector


malatras cuomo site

Jim Malatras, right, with Gov. Cuomo, center (Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


Jim Malatras, director of state operations for the Cuomo administration, has walled himself off from healthcare issues as he prepares to leave his post early next year to join the Healthcare Association of New York State as its new chief operating officer. Precautions, including guidance from a state ethics panel, are being taken so that Malatras will avoid conflicts of interest as he continues working for Cuomo for the next several months before moving into a top role with one of the state’s most powerful lobbying entities.

Politico New York first reported that Malatras will be resigning soon after the Governor’s next State of the State address, in January. Known as a policy wonk, Malatras started his public career in 2001 working for Assembly Member Richard Brodsky. In 2007, he joined the office of Andrew Cuomo, then-Attorney General of New York State. He has been by Cuomo’s side since, save for a one-year stint as vice chancellor for policy and chief of staff at the State University of New York from 2013 to 2014. For the last two years, he has held his current position as state operations director.

In August, Malatras was approached by the Healthcare Association for its top managerial position, as current COO Richard Cook is resigning, according to HANYS. The association is one of the state’s largest trade groups and represents about 550 hospitals, nursing homes, and health care facilities. It is a $30-million operation, part for-profit and part nonprofit, which employs more than 200 people. The group also has a large lobbying presence in Albany. “The COO is the chief management role at the organization,” said Darren Dopp, senior vice president of corporate communications at HANYS. “It’s not a lobbying role, it’s not a political role. It’s a purely management position.”

Considering the scope of healthcare issues in New York State and Malatras’ position as essentially the overseer of all state agencies, the move provokes a number of questions about conflicts or the appearance of conflicts of interest. These are questions that the Cuomo administration says are being accounted for as Malatras continues to work for the governor.

“If you include federal aid, healthcare is the biggest part of the state budget,” said Bill Hammond, director of health policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy. “Even without federal aid, it’s the second biggest behind school aid.” Hammond pointed out that healthcare has “receded as a political fight” in Albany in the last few years after having been one of the major sticking points that led to budget delays in the past.

Still, there are key healthcare and hospitals-related issues facing the state. Medicaid funding levels for the city through the state budget became a sticking point this past budget season. Hammond pointed out that the Healthcare Reform Act is due to expire on December 31, 2017 and he expects that the governor will address it either in his State of the State or the next budget. Surcharges under the act bring in millions of dollars for the state and large amounts of that funding are funneled to hospitals. The act will likely be extended, as it has been in the past.

Another issue is permanent guarantee funds, which insulate healthcare providers if insurance companies go bankrupt. These funds were the subject of much debate this year following the closure of Health Republic Insurance of New York State. Hammond also said a perennial issue in Albany is whether the legislature should establish nurse staffing ratios. A “sleeper issue,” he said, for the state could be New York City Health + Hospitals, the city’s municipal health care system which is currently being overhauled to compensate for massive deficits. “At some point, there might be a push for the state Legislature to do something,” Hammond said.

Malatras has put measures in place to avoid any possible conflicts. Before even receiving an official offer from HANYS, he filed two written notifications recusing himself from all healthcare matters on August 11 and August 18. He then sought guidance from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics on the prospective job. In an informal advisory on August 26 and a supplemental informal opinion on September 12, copies of which were provided to Gotham Gazette by the Cuomo administration, JCOPE approved of the precautions that Malatras has taken and informed him of the restrictions he will face with his new employer.

“Jim has been an invaluable member of this administration and spearheaded many of the Governor’s key initiatives – such as the tax cap, Clean Energy Standard and college loan forgiveness – which have improved the lives of New Yorkers and will ensure a better a brighter future for this state,” said Abbey Fashouer, deputy press secretary for the governor, in a statement to Gotham Gazette.

“Per state ethics laws, Jim informed Counsel’s Office upon being approached for his new position as well as sought, received, and followed guidance from JCOPE regarding his ongoing duties to avoid conflicts in post-state employment,” Fashouer continued. “He intends to abide by those ongoing ethical obligations to avoid even the appearance of a conflict both as he concludes his work with the Executive Chamber and in the private sector.”

Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, praised Malatras’ foresight. “That’s why JCOPE exists,” he said, “and it sounds like the correct steps for the administration to have taken.”

As per the Public Officers Law, Malatras will face a two-year bar against appearing before a state agency or receiving any compensation for services related to cases before his former agency. Since he was employed by the executive branch, the two-year bar applies more broadly to all state agencies. He also faces a lifetime ban against providing services that would involve any matter that he directly oversaw or was personally involved in while in state government.

Hammond, describing Malatras as “a sharp guy” and “very capable and intelligent,” also said he was glad that Malatras has tried to preempt any conflicts in his work going forward. “Taking those precautions in and of itself doesn’t necessarily solve the problem,” he said, “but it’s a sign of good faith that he’s acknowledged the issue and taken steps to address it.”

The governor’s office did not make Malatras available for an interview for this article.

Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, a government watchdog organization, said Malatras will no doubt be constrained by the state’s laws. “However, having a top administration official within a large organization like [HANYS] does provide the association with the unique perspective on the governor’s thinking and the decisions that will be made over the next couple of years,” Dadey said.

Dadey lauded Malatras as a principled public servant but warned of the tough scrutiny he will face in his transition into the private sector. “[Malatras’] last couple of months in government will be examined closely,” he said, “to ensure that he acts with his usual integrity in handling of matters that affect the healthcare industry. He’s a good guy with a strong compass and I’m sure that will guide him in how he exits state government service successfully and with integrity.”

***
by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

Note: Gotham Gazette is an independent publication of Citizens Union Foundation, sister organization of Citizens Union.

The Week Ahead in New York Politics, October 17


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

Tuesday marks three weeks until Election Day and Wednesday night the third and final Presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is scheduled to occur. Don't forget, a variety of key New York congressional and state legislative races are also in the home stretch -- November 8 is Election Day.

Mayor Bill de Blasio did more campaigning for Clinton this weekend, in Dayton, Ohio. The mayor traveled there after giving remarks at the funeral for Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson -- many other New York elected officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also paid their respects to Thompson and his loved ones on Saturday. 

On Sunday, activists, advocates, and a variety of New York elected officials gathered at City Hall as Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood of New York City began to "celebrate turning 100 Years Strong with a press conference to commemorate the opening of the first clinic by Margaret Sanger in 1916 in Brooklyn." Participating public officials included First Lady Chirlane McCray; Comptroller Scott Stringer; City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito; Public Advocate Tish James; Attorney General Eric Schneiderman; and others.

For this week, there's a great deal happening all over the city, with many events to be aware of -- 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
The New York State Board of Regents will hold its monthly meeting on Monday and Tuesday.

Mayor de Blasio is participating in three events Monday, all of which are closed to the press: according to his public schedule, he "will deliver remarks at the 2016 NYSNA Biennial Conference," then "deliver remarks at a reception celebrating the life of Elizabeth Rohatyn," and, "In the evening, the Mayor and First Lady will host a dinner to benefit the Gracie Mansion Conservancy."

At noon on Monday at City Hall, "Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, the Co-Founders of the gun violence prevention organization Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC, will join Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, and other city and state leaders for a press conference as part of Congresswoman Giffords’ and Captain Kelly’s 2016 Vocal Majority Tour, a 14-state, 42-day national bus tour that stretches until Election Day." The event "will focus on urging the vocal majority of New Yorkers who support responsible change to help keep guns out of the wrong to vote to stop gun violence in this election." Also set to participate are Comptroller Scott Stringer; First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray; Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance; State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; and other local elected officials and leaders.

The NYC Planning Commission will hold a Special Meeting and Review Session at 1 p.m. Monday.

On Monday, Governor Cuomo will headline a fundraiser for State Senator Todd Kaminsky, who is running for re-election, according to Politico New York.

At 6 p.m. Monday, State Senator Liz Krueger will hold a free screening of “Connie Cook: A Documentary.” This documentary focuses on a Republican Assemblymember who helped legalize abortion in New York. After the screening, there will be “a discussion with the film’s director, Sue Perlgut, and guests from prominent women’s rights groups about what Connie’s message means for us today.”

At 6:30 p.m. Monday, New America, ProPublica, and Discovery will sponsor “a discussion on the commodification of water and what’s at stake for a secure water supply, secure economy, and secure environment.”

Tuesday
Tuesday marks three weeks until Election Day.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Center for an Urban Future will hold a “policy symposium on the future of middle income jobs in New York City.” This event will be held at Civic Hall and feature Maria Torres-Springer (President and CEO, New York City Economic Development Corporation), John Alschuler (Chairman, HR&A Advisors), Colvin Grannum (President, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.), Andrew Kimball (CEO, Industry City), and Julie Samuels (Executive Director, Tech:NYC).

On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. "Mayor de Blasio will deliver remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new office building, One Vanderbilt Avenue, which will include $220 million in local transit upgrades." At 4 p.m., "the Mayor will hold public hearings for, and sign, seven pieces of legislation into law – Intros. 899-A, 1014-A, 1064-A, 1144-A, 1183-A, in relation to increasing reporting and transparency around programs and services for inmates; and Intros. 1277-A and 642-A, in relation to aligning the City of New York’s energy code with recent amendments to the 2016 New York state energy code and ratio of biodiesel in heating oil, respectively."

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Compensation will hold a public hearing and meeting at NYU Law School.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Brennan Center for Justice will host a book talk with former New York City Public Advocate Mark Green. Green wrote Bright, Infinite Future: A Generational Memoir on the Progressive Rise, which discusses “how tidal trends from the ’60s to ’16 — both political and demographic — will affect the outcome of this election.” The event is co-sponsored by the Brennan Center, Citizens Union, Common Cause New York, and New York Public Interest Research Group.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Brennan Center for Justice will hold a book talk with MSNBC’s Zachary Roth on the quieting of voices of people of color, students, and other disadvantaged groups through means such as gerrymandering and Supreme Court Decisions.

On Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., City & State NY will host its annual “40 Under 40” awards, given to “exceptional individuals working in NYC government, advocacy, media, and more” (list of honorees). New York City Council Member Dan Garodnick will give opening remarks.

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday:

  • The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
  • The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 10 a.m.
  • The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Siting, and Maritime Uses will meet at 11 a.m.
  • The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. for oversight on bullying, harassment, and discrimination in the public schools; there will be a particular focus on LGBT students and other vulnerable students.
  • The Committee on Environmental Protection will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss “a Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the sale of nonwoven disposable products.”
  • The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will meet at 1 p.m.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, Crain’s New York Business will hold an entertainment summit which discusses a recent tax break and its potential impacts for the film and television industries. Former United States Senator Chris Dodd will deliver the opening keynote address. Julie Menin, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, will be among those participating in the panel discussion.

The NYC Planning Commission will hold a Public Meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Cornell Tech will hold a press briefing to discuss the progress on the institution’s new campus on Roosevelt Island. This event will be held at Cornell Tech at the Google Building. Founding Dean Dan Huttenlocher and several others will participate.

At noon Wednesday, the Manhattan Institute will host Barry Latzer, Professor Emeritus at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center, to talk about the rise and fall of violent crime in the United States, and how America can prevent a continuation in the 2015 rise in violent crimes.

At noon Wednesday, the New York City Bar will have a Public Affairs Luncheon on “Money, Politics, and Public Policy.” Former New York State Assemblymember G. Oliver Koppell will discuss “the dominance of fundraising in politics and how that affects the political arena.”

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, the Center for Community and Ethnic Media at CUNY Journalism School will hold a Q&A session with Steven Banks, the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Social Services. NY1’s and CUNY J-School’s Errol Louis will moderate.

On Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., "thousands of teachers will rally in Foley Square to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to support growing the charter sector to 200,000 students by 2020," per Families for Excellent Schools.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute will hold “Beyond the Kale: Urban Agriculture and Social Justice Activism in New York City.”

On Wednesday at 6 p.m., NAACP President and CEO Cornell Brooks will speak at NYU. This event will be a “conversation on issues including voting rights, Black Lives Matter, youth and education, and how leaders can work across public and private sectors to solve society’s problems.”

A public meeting of the NYC Panel for Educational Policy will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Michael J. Petrides School on Staten Island.

The third and final Presidential Debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is scheduled for 9 p.m. Wednesday. This debate will be hosted by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and it will be moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News.

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday:

  • The Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss oversight of Percent for Art, and to discuss three amendments to the New York City Charter.
  • The Committee on Health will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss “a Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement.”
  • The Committee on Recovery and Resiliency will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss oversight on the finances of the Build it Back Program.
  • The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.
  • The Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections will meet at 1 p.m. to get advice and consent for the appointment of someone to the New York City Art Commission.
  • The Committee on Parks and Recreation will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss three proposed laws related to tree maintenance and tree removal.
  • The Committee on Economic Development will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss oversight on “the economic impact of the Hunts Point Cooperative Market.” The committee will also discuss “a Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of small business services to report violations concerning public wholesale markets.”

On Thursday at 8 a.m., former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn will speak at the Association for a Better New York. She will speak about some of the recent work she has done at Women in Need (WIN), where she is President and CEO.

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Lower Manhattan HQ will host a breakfast panel discussion on “Women’s Rights in Policy and Politics.” The event will be moderated by Jessica Lappin (Alliance for Downtown NY President), and the panelists are Congressional Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Brette McSweeney (Executive Director of Eleanor’s Legacy), and Vivien Labaton (Co-founder of the Make it Work Campaign).

The NYC Campaign Finance Board will have a board meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

On Thursday, the 71st Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will both be at this dinner. The Mayor, Governor, and other current and former elected officials usually attend.

Friday and the Weekend
At the City Council on Friday:

  • The Committee on Public Safety will meet at 10 a.m. to examine the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board.
  • The Committee on Immigration will meet at 10 a.m. for oversight of “coordinating multi-agency support for immigrant families.”

Starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, City & State NY and NYU’s Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service will co-host “Government Ethics: A New Study.” The goal of this conference is to “explore how public officials, corporations, attorneys, lobbyists, nonprofits, and the public can work to create incentives, policies and programs that help with navigating through the ethical dilemmas and the conflicts of interest that cause problems in our interactions with state and city government.” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. and former New York Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch will be among the speakers at this conference.

"Councilman Eric Ulrich is organizing a public demonstration on the steps of City Hall to protest Mayor de Blasio's failed homeless policies. The protest will take place Friday, October 21, at 10:00 am. Community leaders and other elected officials are invited to attend."

At noon Friday, the Manhattan Institute will have Edward Coward, the Co-founder of Bain Capital, discuss “The Upside Of Inequality: How Good Intentions Undermine The Middle Class.”

***
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).

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by Brendan Birth and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

DiNapoli, Seeking Restored Power, Points Finger at Only the System


DiNapoli speech charts

Comptroller DiNapoli (photo: @NYSComptroller)


Comptroller Tom Dinapoli is not interested in pointing fingers at any of his fellow elected officials when it comes to the massive scheme alleged to have corrupted major state economic development programs under the noses of Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislators.

In the wake of corruption charges brought against nine individuals by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, DiNapoli was given multiple opportunities Friday during a radio interview, but he declined to criticize either Cuomo or the Legislature. Speaking with host Susan Arbetter on The Capitol Pressroom, DiNapoli instead called for greater oversight through his office of the large state contracts that had been awarded by SUNY Polytechnic and two affiliated nonprofits as part of Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion program and other state efforts to boost the economies of central and western New York.

Calling the bribery and bid-rigging allegations “very troubling,” DiNapoli said that the situation “seems to speak to a systemic failure, as to not having adequate checks and balances.” But asked by Arbetter if Cuomo helped create the system that was so ripe for abuse, DiNapoli demurred. After pausing and searching for his words, DiNapoli said, ”I don’t know that it’s productive to, you know, finger-point at the governor.”

The comptroller repeatedly said that the system lacked oversight and accountability, but excused the mindset behind its creation, saying that communities needed help and that he understood the desire for efficiency in moving money to projects meant to stimulate local economies that had not recovered from the Great Recession. His office, he said, is designed to approve contracts and is incorrectly known for slowing down the process -- when his office does slow something down, DiNapoli said, it is for good reason.

In September, Bharara brought charges against former Cuomo aides, prominent developers who were generous Cuomo campaign donors, and the now former head of SUNY Poly, Alain Kaloyeros, on whom Cuomo heaped praise and responsibility over years.

When Arbetter pressed DiNapoli on Cuomo and the Legislature enabling SUNY Poly and the system that appears to have been abused by what the comptroller called “a web” of stakeholders, DiNapoli again struggled to find his answer, then said, “From my perspective there was not adequate oversight in the way the process was set up, both with SUNY Poly and with the use of Fuller Road or Fort Schuyler, these nonprofits that were set up.” He pointed to the fact that the Comptroller’s oversight of construction contracts was diminished in 2011 and called for it to be restored.

Later in the interview, Arbetter asked DiNapoli why the Legislature, which he was once part of as an Assembly member, had been so quiet about the questionable system at play. DiNapoli began answering by saying officials were trying to help downtrodden communities, that there was consensus “we need to do more.”

“There is a hopeful expectation that it’s all going to be handled in the right way,” DiNapoli said of the mindset when a key priority is established by state government. Arbetter asked, “So lawmakers don’t want to get in the way?” To which DiNapoli said, “Well, unless there’s a reason to. In fairness, you did have the hearing that the economic development committee had in the Assembly and some fireworks came out of that.”

DiNapoli was referring to a recent hearing that came well after media reports of the federal investigation into the Buffalo Billion and years after flags were raised by watchdogs about the system at hand.

After Arbetter pushed back further, DiNapoli conceded, “Well, I think clearly that there’s more that could have been done, more questions asked...Clearly the lesson of this is that you can’t just trust that it’s all going to be handled in the right way.”

“I think the Legislature does have to play a more effective role in oversight,” DiNapoli said. DiNapoli's office did not provide further comment when asked on Sunday to clarify why the comptroller was hesitant to more directly hold anyone accountable.

When Cuomo and the Legislature stripped power from the Comptroller in 2011, they left the independent auditor’s office on the sidelines as hundreds of millions of tax dollars flowed to developers and other corporations through SUNY Poly. It was this cash flow, the opaque contracting process, and the state’s loose campaign finance laws that helped allow former Cuomo aides Joseph Percoco and Todd Howe to manipulate the system for their means, according to Bharara’s allegations.

While DiNapoli has called for restoration of all contract vetting powers before, he, like legislative leaders, has largely been quiet as Cuomo and others have revved up economic development programming through a system some watchdogs have long warned can too easily be taken advantage of by nefarious actors.

A careful, serious elected official who is well-regarded by many across the state, DiNapoli, a Democrat like Cuomo, is not one to throw verbal bombs or pursue headlines. Not necessarily media shy, DiNapoli is, however, inclined to let his audit and contract oversight work do the talking.

Recently, DiNapoli was on the receiving end of Cuomo vitriol when the comptroller released audits of other Cuomo economic stimulus programs, calling into question their efficacy. In turn, Cuomo called audits “opinion” and said that DiNapoli needed to “educate himself,” referring to him as “the Assemblymember” in an apparent effort to undermine him further.

DiNapoli responded in typical fashion -- by downplaying conflict and pointing to the content rather than escalating the back-and-forth. An astute headline from Politico New York read, “Cuomo thunders, and DiNapoli shrugs.” It is unsurprising that DiNapoli took the path he did on Arbetter’s show, pointing toward the future and needed changes, rather than laying direct blame with the governor or legislative leaders for past mistakes.

In May, DiNapoli did announce a series of proposed “reforms to state fiscal practices” that he led with a call for restrictions on “‘backdoor spending’ by public authorities” and requirements for “more comprehensive public authority disclosure.” In a press release, DiNapoli’s office said that “public authorities are not subject to the same checks and balances that apply to state agencies, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being spent annually with limited oversight.”

The proposals also came after news reports of the federal investigation into Cuomo’s economic development programming.

Earlier in May, DiNapoli had released his analysis of the recently-passed state budget for Fiscal Year 2017. His office wrote, “the budget expands on actions in recent years that have blurred both fiscal and operational distinctions among state agencies and public authorities.”

Cuomo paid DiNapoli's May suggestions and analysis little public mind, but did announce plans for procurement reform in the wake of the September charges brought by Bharara. The day after the U.S. attorney outlined the criminal complaint, Cuomo said in Buffalo that the revitalization of the city would not miss a beat, but that he was immediately moving power from SUNY Poly to the Empire State Development Corp. Cuomo also said that he had received recommendations from a private investigator he had hired and that he was accepting all of them -- but he declined to make them public.

On Thursday budget and government watchdog groups called on state legislative leaders to “hold emergency oversight hearings on the allegations by the U.S. Attorney of the largest bid-rigging scandals in state history.” A coalition including Reinvent Albany, Citizens Union, NYPIRG, Citizens Budget Commission, and others said that the public deserves more information about how “more than a billion dollars in state contracts were rigged and what reforms will be implemented to address this huge and systemic failure.”

Asked by Arbetter about the call for such hearings, DiNapoli said no one should rush to do anything, that it is important for all the best minds to get together and figure out the path ahead. Noting that state legislators are focused on their impending elections next month, he said that if they want to hold hearings toward the end of the year, that would be “their prerogative.”

The watchdog groups on Thursday also laid out “five clean contracting reforms” including that all state funds be awarded through “competitive and transparent contracting” and empowering “the comptroller to review and approve all state contracts over $250k.” Additionally, they called on the state to enact “pay to play” laws as are found in 19 states and New York City that would limit what entities with state business can donate to political campaigns.

DiNapoli appears to be largely on the same page. The comptroller has not been aggressive about publicly pushing his reforms, though -- while he gave a speech in May to outline his proposals, he has not, for example, called a press conference to put more public pressure on lawmakers to act.

When asked by Arbetter what he could have done differently to protect against the type of corruption alleged by Bharara, DiNapoli said he could have been more aggressive, but focused more on his “limited authority.”

“I would hope the Legislature would look at our role, restore what’s been taken away...perhaps some areas where our role can be strengthened,” he said. When Arbetter asked if he’s going to be more aggressive, DiNapoli paused and said, “We will certainly be more vigilant.”

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by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

Note: Gotham Gazette is an independent publication of Citizens Union Foundation, sister organization of Citizens Union.

Lobbying Cuomo: How to Get the Governor on Your Side


Cuomo speech better NY

Gov. Cuomo (photo: Don Pollard/Governor's Office)


Have an issue you want addressed in Albany? Perhaps you’d like the state to legalize your new multi-million dollar venture into the “sharing economy” -- one that terrifies existing business interests and labor unions; maybe you want to change the protections offered by New York’s civil rights laws; or maybe you want in on the hundreds of millions of dollars the state allocates to economic development programs. No matter the issue, you’re going to want Governor Andrew Cuomo, the most powerful person in New York, on your side.

Cuomo, a Democrat known to get his way in Albany, is revered by many for being able to dictate terms to the state Legislature on controversial issues and accomplishing what could not be accomplished by others, once he sets his mind to it.

But while the governor sometimes has his own pet issues that he pushes with intensity, he often doesn’t come along easily on a cause. And if campaign finance filings are any indication, Cuomo doesn’t often move without significant campaign donations either before or after the fact. A lot of the time the notoriously prickly governor, whose administration has been known for its “get along or kill” approach, won’t get behind an issue without a fight. But taking Cuomo on in any public way comes with serious risk and can have major consequences.

Those, whether deep-pocketed or not, interested in seeing the governor support an issue he is not immediately draw to must wrestle with the best approach to lobbying Cuomo.

As government is a continuous stream of policy and program decisions, there are no shortage of interested parties pushing their causes, and the governor often has the final word, legislators, labor groups, lobbyists, and others often must decide what combination of tactics is best to convince Cuomo to back a proposal.

Gotham Gazette spoke to a number of lobbyists and heads of issue-focused campaigns about what a successful lobbying effort needs in order to get the right kind of attention from Cuomo.

As this article is published, public education advocates are finishing a walk from New York City to Albany to push for school funding and the governor continues to weigh whether to sign a bill that could crush Airbnb in the state. These are just two examples of current issues where people are trying put pressure on the governor to act. For the former, teachers-union-backed advocates have jousted with Cuomo to the point of hostility. On the latter, those who want to see Cuomo sign the bill regulated Airbnb have mostly left him alone publicly, while Airbnb has more outwardly sought to make its case for a veto.

Looking ahead to 2017, there will be no shortage of issues where interested parties will be trying to convince the governor and the Legislature to act one way or another, from upstate Uber legalization to the cap on charter schools and much more.

To court just about any elected official, you need at least one of: a ground game, as in grassroots supporters willing to demonstrate publicly and able to grab media attention, or at least the appearance of one; a money game, as in the ability to show that your cause has the attention of large campaign donors; and a behind-the-scenes game, as in the ability to influence insiders, which many include consistent, even constant, lobbying and contact with key administration officials. The ground game and the money game usually indicate, to varying degrees, that you have some semblance of solid rationale to your proposal.

Along with these basics, lobbyists have to consider the nuances of Gov. Cuomo’s personality and long history in politics. Known as a master strategist, Cuomo is also seen as flexible on many of his political stances because he, like many governors, tries to combine being socially liberal and fiscally conservative. The key with Cuomo is often showing him how the proposal fits his image and gives him a chance to be big and bold. Cuomo is not shy about wanting to be first on issues.

“People have to be very sensitive when they deal with the administration,” said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group, which often pushes the administration on reform. “They have to be very careful not to come off as a threat to the administration because the administration is a unitary organization. The governor deals with politics and policy directly, in a way that is unseen in other states. When a group works with him he likes it and when groups work against him, he hates it.”

Cuomo likes, of course, to move on things when he’s ready to, and when they make sense for him politically and for the state generally. He is keenly aware of his political standing among key constituencies and of what it takes to remain in power.

There’s a long line of lobbyists willing to lament off the record about being “put in the penalty box” by the administration for one public statement or another: a quote that was too sharp, a press release that was too pointed. For some the penalty is being denied access to the administration for a period of time; for others penalties mount and they end up with an outright ban. “It's as though you no longer exist to them,” one lobbyist told Gotham Gazette. “They forget your name and encourage everyone else to do the same.”*

With six years as New York’s chief executive, it's become clear to a number of lobbyists that the best way to get Cuomo onboard with a policy proposal is to present a campaign that has everything: grassroots supporters who can promote an issue and also make life miserable for the opposition; big-money donors who can support major campaign efforts; and a lobbying apparatus that works behind the scenes to sway legislators.

“If you are going to confront this Governor and any Governor, really, you have to show public opinion is with you,” said Horner. “And if the donor class is upset it can also move the administration. Put both together and you’ve got something.”

Cuomo has made his name as Governor by joining with these type of efforts, from marriage equality to the minimum wage. Including several recent examples, the governor does appear susceptible to loud outcry by a group of advocates, whether it is on police killings of unarmed civilians, allocating affordable housing funds, or a moratorium on fracking.

“The most successful lobbying efforts in New York combine grassroots supporters with major donors,” said John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, also a government reform group.

When Cuomo ran for Governor in 2010, he was far from an outspoken supporter of marriage equality, but early in his term it became clear that several major donors were interested in advancing the policy behind the scenes, while activist groups were more than willing to press the issue publicly. Essentially, it would also give Cuomo a chance to make big, national news.

A vote on marriage equality had failed by inches under Gov. David Paterson and advocates weren’t ready to give up. Cuomo initially feared the same kind of embarrassing result that befell Paterson -- left standing on the state Senate floor with dissapointed legislators.

According to two sources involved in the campaign, Cuomo saw the opportunity to lead on a national issue while endearing himself to his liberal base at the same time he was angering other parts of that base by advancing fiscally conservative measures.

When Cuomo decides he wants to accomplish something - no matter how much cajoling it takes to get him there - he goes after his goal aggressively.

The Cuomo administration and a number of wealthy donors, including hedge fund managers Dan Loeb and Cliff Asness, quickly began the work of wooing Senate Republicans to their side, and by June 24, 2011 Cuomo had the votes he needed to pass marriage equality in New York. The administration monitored the floor vote in the Senate obsessively, interjecting at times to ensure Senate Republicans would not renege on their promise to bring the bill to a vote and to show sensitivity to the Republican members who had made what would be a career-ending decision to vote for it.

The proceedings were so tightly choreographed that most Senate Democrats who supported the bill were not allowed to speak about it. When the final votes were cast Cuomo took to the airwaves to claim credit for a successful campaign that a year before he seemed uninterested in.

Donations from grateful supporters of marriage equality swept into Cuomo’s campaign coffers before and after the vote. The Empire State Pride Agenda gave Cuomo $60,000 in May 2011; Loeb gave Cuomo $19,367 in 2012; and a number of marriage equality supporters organized high-dollar fundraisers for the governor.

The governor has repeated these kind of issue campaign takeovers in years since, showcasing the power of his elected position with the virtually unmatched will and desire for big accomplishments possessed by the officeholder.

“I got the sense that within the right national political moment anything is possible with the governor,” one veteran social justice advocate told Gotham Gazette of Cuomo. “It is on the table as long as he is the first to do something.”*

That feeling was reinforced in 2015 when Cuomo suddenly paired with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) “Fight for $15” to champion a minimum wage increase he had once dismissed as fantasy. Cuomo was working alongside some of his biggest critics from the left, like Michael Kink and Citizen Action and other Working Families Party members, while touring the state in a recreational vehicle paid for by unions. The governor, who at times in the past was the target of angry Fight for $15 rallies, was now attending them and hosting streaming video of them on his website.

Labor groups poured nearly $2 million into the Mario Cuomo Campaign For Economic Justice - most of the cash from SEIU and its various committees and affiliates.

SEIU is also a consistent donor to Cuomo’s reelection campaign and the campaigns of his allies.

The Fight for $15 had gotten the governor on board after showing a groundswell on the issue, with the power of active and deep-pocketed labor unions, and in the wake of an embarrassing challenge from the governor’s left in his 2014 re-election. Big name Democrats were also taking up the issue and becoming heroes to significant blocs of Democratic voters.

While large public campaigns that involve the governor have clearly been effective, perhaps the most impactful lobbying of Cuomo is done almost completely out of public eye.

Multiple lobbyists point to Cuomo’s relationships with 1199-SEIU, the powerful hospital workers union, and Jennifer Cunningham of the firm SKD Knickerbocker as ideal arrangements for an issue-focused organization and a lobbyist looking to move their agendas in New York.

Cunningham has been labeled “The Most Powerful Woman in Albany” and was an adviser to Cuomo during his early years as Governor. Cunningham and 1199 annihilated Paterson’s ambitions to run for election in 2010, unleashing a brutal $1 million a week advertising campaign in response to his proposed $3.5 billion cut to the state’s Medicaid program.

Cunningham declined to comment or be interviewed for this article.

Cuomo has handled the union much differently than many others, giving it a seat at the table when cuts are proposed and rarely, if ever, having any public conflict with it.

“They are the most powerful lobbying force in the state,” marveled one lobbyist. “They combine labor and management and are extremely sophisticated. They are so powerful you don’t have to hear about them until they have to crush someone. There is no fight with them because it's like, ‘Godzilla is in my closet. Do I need to let him out to stomp on you?’”

Most lobbyists and issue groups don’t have an operation anywhere near the scope of 1199-SEIU, and over the last two years smaller advocacy groups have been confronted with how to lobby the administration on limited resources.

For groups pushing for criminal justice reform and for state government to fund supportive and affordable housing, for example, lobbying the administration in a friendly manner failed initially and they took the risk of confronting the governor publicly.

Shelly Nortz of Coalition for the Homeless said that 2014 efforts to get the Cuomo administration to deliver on supportive housing funding. The group continued to pressure Cuomo, working with and praising Mayor Bill de Blasio, Cuomo’s rival, for his supportive housing initiative in 2015, and then getting more and more vocal calling for Cuomo to do what they said was his part.

The Coalition and its allies were encouraged when Cuomo prioritized funding to fight homelessness in his 2016 State of the State address, but when the governor and the Legislature failed to agree on how to distribute it, Nortz’s group kicked the public pressure campaign into high gear.

“We’ve been having a presence outside the governor’s office,” Nortz said of regular rallies to call for release of the funds set aside in the state budget. As the group and other members of the NY/NY Housing coalition have issued press releases and done interviews on the subject, sometimes harshly criticizing Cuomo, the governor’s office has reacted in various ways. At one point, an administration spokesperson said that the governor hadn’t intended to sign the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would distribute the housing funds this year and instead expected to do it next year.

After being rebuffed, the administration tried a different path: releasing an MOU approved by the administration, essentially to move the ball into state legislative leaders’ court. The MOU wasn’t signed by either legislative leader, but it was an indication that the administration was squirming under the pressure brought by housing groups.

Nortz acknowledged that most small advocacy groups can’t manage to turn out the kind of presence housing groups have to pressure the governor. She said she is unsure how effective their efforts have been given that the MOU remains unsigned. “It’s reminiscent of 2014 in a lot of ways,” said Nortz. “There is talk but there is no agreement.”

Criminal justice reform advocates describe having to pull Cuomo forward kicking and screaming to ensure oversight by a special prosecutor in instances of police killings of civilians. In 2015 the governor felt pressure from the mothers and family members of civilians killed by police, black and Latino legislators, and major advocacy groups. Unable to move the Legislature to action during session, activists didn’t let go, instead amplifying their calls for the governor to do something.

On July 8, 2015 Cuomo announced an executive order giving the Attorney General jurisdiction to investigate police killings of civilians. The move angered many conservatives and law enforcement officials across the state, but pleased many activists and elected officials, especially legislators of color, many of whom joined Cuomo at the signing of the order.

Advocates involved in the push say they believe they were successful in moving Cuomo because the governor is particularly sensitive about his most concentrated voting base, which consists of African-Americans from New York City. Furthermore, Cuomo was able to claim that he was “the first” governor to take action on what was coming into focus as a major national issue.

While the executive order was a victory for advocates, their momentum has stalled since. Cuomo has acknowledged that he would like to see legislation to make a special prosecutor permanent in such cases, but he has not pushed the issue with the Republican Senate Majority, where opposition lies.

A number of lobbyists say this is a typical result for a lobbying effort that confronts and calls out Gov. Cuomo. “They got something but they didn’t get all of it,” said one long-time lobbyist. “You can rattle him and force him to move to stop the bleeding but it isn’t the best move in the long run.”

Advocates, legislators, businesspeople, and lobbyists who don’t have a direct line to Cuomo or a long-standing alliance are often faced with that risky question of when to go at the governor with an aggressive public relations campaign. They can pay off wildly or they can put you on the governor’s bad side -- sometimes both.

Business lobbyists say confrontational campaigns are their absolute last resort with any administration, but note that smaller issue-based groups don’t have a wealth of options at their disposal.

Efforts to expand newer, technology-based businesses like Airbnb and Uber have set the stage for what some lobbyists say will be “heavyweight showdowns” with the well-established hotel trades and taxi lobbies, respectively. As Cuomo weighs whether to sign a bill that would be damaging to Airbnb, both supporters and opponents of the bill have struggled some with how to cajole him in their direction, especially around how much public pressure to mount.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation into the Governor’s economic development programs has put considerably more scrutiny on how lobbyists and those with business before the state use donations to get the attention of the governor and his closest allies. Fear over corruption was triggered because major developers, including two charged by Bharara, made major donations to Cuomo’s reelection campaign within months of winning major economic development contracts with the state. Bharara has also charged three of Cuomo’s allies with working to fix bids for the contractors they prefer. Cuomo has denied knowledge of the alleged arrangement and he has not been accused of wrongdoing, but it is his campaign that benefited.

New York lacks the conflict of interest laws that limit campaign contributions from groups with business before the state. A July report by Politico New York showed that most of the donors to Cuomo’s campaign have business before the state, or interest in pending legislation. Cuomo has always claimed that he makes decisions on the merits.

***
by David King, Albany editor, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

*Note: due to a mistake on the part of Gotham Gazette, attempts to reach the Cuomo administration for comment for this article did not reach the intended party. Cuomo's office should have been afforded to opportunity to respond to the questins at hand in this article, including certain allegations, and we apologize for the error. A prior note that indicated Cuomo's office did not respond to a request for comment was removed after it became clear that requests for comment did not reach representatives for Cuomo. After making this realization in communication with Cuomo's office, Gotham Gazette offered the Cuomo administration an opportunity to comment.



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