Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

State Democratic Party

State Democratic Party

  • The Path Forward for New York Democrats

    Gov. Hochul & Mayor Adams (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Over the past month, New York Democrats have been grappling with the outcome of a midterm election with devastating implications—both on a local and national level. 

    Despite Republicans falling short of expectations across the country, New York Democrats saw four Congressional seats and seven state legislative seats flipped by the GOP. Not to mention closer than expected races for statewide offices. 

    None of this was inevitable. In fact, Democrats in far more competitive and divided states fared much

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  • Max Politics Podcast: After a Disappointing Election, What's Next for New York Democrats

    A pre-election Democratic rally (photo: @nydems)


    November 17, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: After a Disappointing Election, What's Next for New York Democrats

    L. Joy Williams, a Democratic strategist, president of the Brooklyn NAACP, and host of Sunday Civics, joined the show to break down the 2022 election results and discuss what's next for the New York State Democratic Party and Brooklyn Democratic Party, Gov. Kathy Hochul, bridging divides among Democrats' progressive and establishment wings, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you

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  • Zeldin Rejected from Independence Party Ballot Line After Submitting Faulty Signatures

    U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (photo: Lee Zeldin flickr)


    U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, was denied the additional general election ballot line for the Independence Party on Thursday after election administrators found his campaign had submitted over 12,000 invalid ballot petition signatures. The petition was reviewed after Libertarian Party officials filed an objection, claiming they found over 11,000 signatures that had been duplicated by photocopy on the document submitted to the state Board of Elections.

    Republicans had filed an independent nominating petition for the

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  • To Build a More Inclusive New York, We Need to Reform County Parties

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    New Yorkers (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    As Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to face a barrage of scandals, from sexual harassment accusations to his catastrophic mishandling of the state’s nursing homes during the darkest days of the pandemic, many New Yorkers rightly wonder how the governor and his confidantes have managed to amass so much power in the first place. It’s long been a “best-kept secret” in New York politics that the Democratic establishment, including Governor Cuomo, controls our city’s and state’s politics with an iron

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs

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    New York Democrats in 2016 (photo: New York Democratic Party)


    October 28, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs

    Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Party, joined the show to discuss key races for the House of Representatives and State Senate, as well as other issues related to the 2020 elections in New York.

    Listen to the conversation and let

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  • Toward a Binary Free NYC

    toward a binary

    Emilia Decaudin, the author


    For nearly 100 years, Democrats in the State of New York have elected one man and one woman per Assembly District to serve in the Democratic Party’s governing body, the State Committee. A rule change passed last month means that after 2020, this will no longer be the case.

    Eleanor Roosevelt and the League of Women Voters pushed for gendered seats for party offices, which include State Committee,

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  • Making the Democratic State Committee More Democratic and New York's DNC Delegation More Representative

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    (photo: New York Democratic Party)


    With 2020 approaching and a contentious Democratic presidential primary underway, all eyes are the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and its shepherding of the Demcoratic Party apparatus. Far fewer eyes are the Democratic State Committees, constituted in each state, which select the rarefied membership of the National Committee every four years.

    In many states, State Committees are a big deal. They are the primary strategic planner for their party’s political efforts, and a key conduit for funding to

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  • Democratic Establishment Embraces Cuomo as Pragmatic Progressive

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    James, Cuomo, Hochul, DiNapoli (photo: @andrewcuomo)


    Governor Andrew Cuomo emerged triumphant and emboldened from the State Democratic Party’s nominating convention on Long Island, with the party’s designation in hand and embraced by top national Democrats and elected party representatives from across the state. The governor basked in the support of centrist establishment figures like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden, while they and much of the rest of the convention sought to frame Cuomo as a

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  • Three Themes to Watch at State Democratic Convention

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    New York Democrats at the 2016 DNC (photo: New York Democratic Party)


    This year’s statewide election campaigns are in full swing, with the Democrats and Republicans hosting their nominating conventions this week. While Republicans are set to back a unified slate of candidates to avoid contested primaries, the Democratic Party finds itself in a degree of turmoil with multiple incumbents facing primary challenges from the left and a progressive base increasingly disillusioned with the state party machinery.

    As the September primary and

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  • Cuomo, State Democrats Issue Misleading Pleas About Flipping Senate

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    Gov. Cuomo endorsing Shelley Mayer for Senate (@Shelley4Senate)


    Governor Andrew Cuomo appears to be contradicting himself about Democrats’ chances to take majority control of the state Senate, currently Republicans’ only stronghold in state government.

    In announcing a unification deal between two Democratic factions in the state Senate on Wednesday, Cuomo said the Democrats would be able to regain a majority in the chamber if they win two state seats in special elections set for April 24 and if a renegade Democratic senator who caucuses with Republicans rejoins

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  • Nixon-Cuomo Primary Spotlights Role of State Democratic Party

    geoff berman on ny1

    Geoff Berman on NY1


    In challenging Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary this year, actor and activist Cynthia Nixon faces tough roadblocks ahead, not the least of which is that the New York State Democratic Party is seemingly throwing its weight and resources behind the incumbent. That has led many left-leaning activists and Nixon allies to cry foul and question why the state party, short of an outright endorsement, would choose sides so far ahead of the party primary.

    In ...