Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Eric Ulrich

Eric Ulrich

  • How Mayor Adams is Reorganizing City Government

    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

    Mayor Adams at City Hall (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Mayor Eric Adams came into office promising a more efficient and effective city government that doesn’t operate in silos and he’s taken steps in his first weeks on the job that he says will achieve that goal. Adams has reorganized the structure of city government, merged and consolidated several offices, created new roles while separating previously existing ones at the top of City Hall and established his top

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Eric Ulrich on His City Council Tenure, the Future of New York City and Its Republican Party

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    City Council Member Eric Ulrich (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    October 26, 2021 - Max Politics Podcast: Eric Ulrich on His City Council Tenure, the Future of New York City and Its Republican Party

    City Council Member Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican term-limited out of office at the end of this year, joined the show to discuss his tenure, the competitive race to replace him, his support for Democrat Eric Adams in the mayoral race, his own future, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what

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  • GOP County Chair vs Progressive Educator as Republicans Try to Hold Lone City Council Seat in Queens

    Gotham Gazette: Felicia Singh and Joann Ariola

    l-r: Felicia Singh and Joann Ariola


    This fall, residents of City Council District 32 in Queens will vote to choose their next City Council member in one of the few competitive general election races across the city. District 32 is the only remaining district in Queens currently represented by a Republican, but long-time Council Member Eric Ulrich is term-limited out of office, creating a wide open race to replace him. Ulrich is currently one of only three Republican members in the 51-seat City Council, and the

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  • With Under Six Months to the Primary, 2021 Republican Mayoral Field Slowly Takes Shape

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    City Hall (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayor's Office)


    With just under six months to go until the June 2021 primary election, several Republicans have said they are exploring a run for mayor but just one has officially created a campaign committee. It remains uncertain if there will be a contested primary as the party and all the potential contenders are waiting to see whether billionaire mogul John Catsimatidis will jump into the race.

    Mayor Bill de Blasio, a two-term Democrat, cannot run for reelection because of term limits and a crowded, growing

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  • Electeds, Advocates Rally Behind New Bill to Expand Municipal Voting Rights to Some Non-Citizen Residents

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    Thursday's rally (photo: Samar Khurshid)


    About 1 million foreign-born New York City residents who have permanent residency status or are legally authorized to work in the United States could become eligible to vote in municipal elections under a new bill introduced before the New York City Council on Thursday.

    Sponsored by Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, a Manhattan Democrat, the bill (Intro. 1867) would extend the franchise to green card and work permit holders who can show they have lived in the five boroughs for at least 30 days. The bill is the latest

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  • As Calls for New Board of Elections Head Resume, Council Member Ulrich Pursues Post

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    Council Member Eric Ulrich (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    With 2019 voting in the books and a major election year on the horizon, a behind-the-scenes effort is underway to replace the executive director of the New York City Board of Elections, a quasi-city agency with a reputation for mismanagement and political patronage. City Council Member Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican, is expressing interest in the position and says he may soon have the support necessary to be appointed by the board’s commissioners.  

    The BOE is essentially a

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  • How to Choose a Candidate in the Public Advocate Special Election

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    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    For weeks, intensifying ahead of Tuesday, friends, family, acquaintances, and colleagues have been asking for advice about who to vote for in the special election for Public Advocate. My response usually starts with a question: What do you most want in a Public Advocate?

    Sometimes that’s followed by another: How much time do you have? There are 17 candidates who will be on Tuesday’s ballot, each with certain qualities, qualifications, and visions for the office. The Public Advocate has wide

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  • Last-Minute Guide: How the Public Advocate Candidates Have Tried to Define Themselves

    public advocate new york city

    (photo: William Alatriste/City Council)


    New York City’s special election for Public Advocate will take place this Tuesday, February 26, and there will be 17 candidates on the ballot, although one has suspended her campaign. Ten of these candidates qualified for the first official televised debate, then seven of those ten qualified for the second debate. Those candidates and others in the race have also been appearing at many local forums, making the rounds on television and radio, and taking part in other aspects of campaigning as

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  • 7 Candidates Qualify for Second Public Advocate Special Election Debate

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    The first debate (photo: Holly Pickett for The New York Times (pool))


    Seven candidates running in the special election for New York City Public Advocate have qualified for the second and final official televised debate, which will take place Wednesday night, just six days ahead of the February 26 election.

    There will be 17 candidates on the ballot, 10 of whom qualified for the first televised debate. Now, for the “leading contenders” debate, seven candidates met the threshold set by city law, which includes raising

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  • In First Debate, Public Advocate Candidates Take on De Blasio, Amazon & Each Other

    Public Advocate debate Feb 6 2019

    photo: Holly Pickett for The New York Times (pool)

    (l-r) Danny O'Donnell, Jumaane Williams Michael Blake, Rafael Espinal, Erich Ulrich, Ron Kim, Ydanis Rodriguez, Dawn Smalls, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Nomiki Konst


    With 10 candidates on stage and less than three weeks until election day, there were some sharp elbows at the first of two televised debates Wednesday night in the race to be the city’s next Public Advocate. The citywide special election is February 26.

    The candidates, including eight current or former

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  • 8 Things to Watch in the First Public Advocate Debate

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    The biggest moment so far in the short, crowded, and contentious race to become the next New York City Public Advocate will be Wednesday night, as 10 qualifying candidates take the stage for the first of two televised debates.

    The citywide special election has attracted a wide and deep field of candidates -- there will be 17 names on the February 26 ballot -- including several sitting elected officials, each hoping to become the city’s watchdog and ombudsperson, one of just three citywide elected officials and next in line to the mayor. The

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  • 10 Candidates Qualify for First TV Debate in Public Advocate Special Election

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    (l-r) Melissa Mark-viverito, Ydanis Rodriguez, Dawn Smalls, Jumaane Williams Rafael Espinal; Danny O'Donnell, Michael Blake, Erich Ulrich, Nomiki Konst, Ron Kim


    Update: This article and its headline have been updated to clarify that 10, not 11, candidates officially qualified for the first televised debate of the race. The original version of this article included Assemblymember Latrice Walker, who appeared to have crossed the financial threshold but was ruled not to have by the Campaign Finance Board after its review of her filings.

    It’s

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Public Advocate Candidate Eric Ulrich

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    Ben Max, left, of Gotham Gazette, and Jarrett Murphy, right, of City Limits


    January 9, 2019 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Public Advocate Candidate Eric Ulrich

    eric ulrich january 9City Council Member Eric Ulrich, a self-described "moderate" and "Rockefeller" Republican in the mold of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is running for New York City Public Advocate in the special election set for

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  • Everything You Need to Know About the Special Election for Public Advocate

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    Tish James voting (photo via Gotham Gazette)


    Updated as of January 29.

    In February, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for a new public advocate in the first-ever special election for a citywide office. The current vacancy was created when the most recent officeholder, Letitia James, was officially sworn in as the state’s attorney general, a position she won in the November general election.

    The public advocate is the people’s representative, a watchdog and ombudsperson, with a post that has little direct influence over city

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  • Declared and Exploring Candidates for New York City Public Advocate

    10 candidates

    (l-r) Tish James, Ydanis Rodriguez, Melissa Mark-viverito, Jumaane Williams, Latrice Walker
    Rafael Espinal, Danny O'Donnell, Michael Blake, Erich Ulrich, Ron Kim


    There are roughly two dozen candidates who have officially declared or indicated they are exploring a run in the February special election for New York City Public Advocate, which will take place Tuesday, February 26.

    Attorney General-elect Letitia James officially vacates the office of New York City Public Advocate on January 1, setting off the next steps of the process, whereby Mayor Bill de

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  • At First Debate, Candidates for Public Advocate Pitch Visions for the Role

    The candidates, moderator and hosts

    The candidates, moderator and hosts (photo via Gotham Gazette)


    New York City Public Advocate Letitia James’ victory in the race for state attorney general has kicked off what will be roughly three months of jostling by candidates running to replace her. While James won’t be sworn in until January and the nonpartisan special election for her seat won’t be held till February, several candidates have already declared their interest in the seat and, on Wednesday evening, seven of them shared a stage at New York Law School, staking out their

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  • LISTEN: Public Advocate Candidate Forum - Nov. 14, 2018

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    The candidates, moderator and hosts (photo via Gotham Gazette)


    With Public Advocate Letitia James' victory to become the next New York State Attorney General, she will vacate her current position on January 1 and there will be a special election to fill it sometime in February, once the Mayor decides on the exact date within a limited window he has to call it. In the days before and after Election Day 2018, candidates for Public Advocate have announced their intentions to run, or at least explore it, in some cases. Seven of those candidates participated in a

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  • Field for Public Advocate Special Election Comes Into Focus

    Rafael Espinal

    Council Member Rafael Espinal (photo: William Alatriste)


    Letitia James’ win in the race to become the next New York Attorney General means there will be a special election early in 2019 to name New York City’s next Public Advocate. The candidates for what will be a roughly three-month race were just beginning to become clear when news broke of planned City Council legislation calling for the position of public advocate to be abolished, as ...

  • Former and Current Elected Officials Discuss Potential Changes to City Campaign Finance System

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    Schaffer, Ulrich, Torres, Quinn, Gotbaum, Cho (l-r) (photo: @NYCCFB)


    Former and current New York City elected officials broadly praised the city’s campaign finance system at a panel at New York Law School on Wednesday, while acknowledging that it could be improved to incentivize more reliance on small donors and streamlined to encourage first-time candidates to run for office.

    The panel was hosted by the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) and moderated by Daniel Cho, assistant executive director for candidate guidance and policy at the CFB. The panellists

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  • Attacks on Yeshivas Present a Dangerous Slippery Slope

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    Eric Ulrich, the author, right, and Cardinal Dolan (photo: @eric_ulrich)


    In the coming months, the city and state education departments are expected to rule on an issue that may have huge repercussions for parental school choice and religious freedom. A small group of former yeshiva graduates have alleged that religious schools in Orthodox Jewish communities are failing to provide adequate education to students. As an avid supporter of parental choice, I worry education leaders will side with these critics, posing a threat to private schools well beyond the

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  • City Landmarks Brooklyn Home Against Owner’s Wishes

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    1019 Bushwick Avenue (via Google Maps)


    In October, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Peter P. and Rosa M. Huberty House, at 1019 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, as a city landmark.

    “The designation of the Huberty House honors both the historic character of Bushwick Avenue as it developed in the early 20th century, as well as the contributions of architect Ulrich Huberty to the borough of Brooklyn," LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said at the time. “Today's landmark designation will preserve

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  • Election Post-Mortem with Nicole Malliotakis’ Campaign Manager

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    Nicole Malliotakis and company (photo: @NMalliotakis)


    “I targeted 750,000 votes,” said Leticia Remauro, campaign manager for Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis’ mayoral bid, “and broke them up into about 26 Assembly Districts we needed to target.”

    “To win as a Republican in New York City, you have to win Queens, Staten Island, and the Upper East Side,” Remauro told Gotham Gazette in an election post-mortem interview, with the intensity of the campaign still evident.

    While some absentee and other ballots

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  • An End-of-Term Agenda for the City Council Veterans Committee

    City Council Ulrich hearing

    Council Member Ulrich (photo: John McCarten)


    In early 2014, City Council Member Eric Ulrich was appointed chair the veterans committee by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. At that time I wrote that no one within the veterans community knew what to expect, and as one of a few Republicans in a largely Democratic City Council, there were some who opposed Ulrich’s selection.

    Fast forward nearly four years and the majority of the veterans community agrees that without his leadership and guidance, there would not have been a renewed conversation

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  • 4 Interesting Participatory Budgeting Project Winners

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    (photo: Council Member Lander's office)


    After an 11-day window in which over 100,000 residents of pertinent districts cast ballots, the City Council recently announced the winners of the 2016-17 participatory budgeting cycle. Thirty-one of 51 Council districts participated this year, leading to $34 million in capital funds going towards hyper-local projects chosen directly by the districts’ voters.

    A total of 138 projects received funding in this cycle, with most districts backing three to five projects. Some districts awarded funding for many more

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  • In GOP Mayoral Primary, Lopsided Fundraising Numbers & One Big Question

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    Paul Massey (photo: Samar Khurshid/Gotham Gazette)


    With just six months until the primaries in this year’s city elections, declared candidates for the Republican mayoral nomination have begun to step up fundraising and campaigning. Meanwhile, two potential GOP mayoral candidates are still exploring a run, and the entrance of one or both could shake up a race that is off to a seemingly lopsided start.

    Midnight on Wednesday was the deadline for the latest round of campaign finance disclosures, covering a two-month

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