Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Jumaane D. Williams

Jumaane D. Williams

  • Mayor Adams, City Council Announce Agreement on $107 Billion City Budget

    Mayor Adams & Speaker Adams shake on the budget deal (photo: @NYCMayor)


    Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced on Thursday a deal on a massive $107 billion budget for the 2024 fiscal year, just days before the July 1 deadline, marking the conclusion of months of contentious negotiations between the two sides of City Hall. The full Council is scheduled to vote the budget through on Friday morning.

    This budget is the largest at adoption in city history, adding $6 billion in spending compared to the budget adopted last June, largely because of spending on

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  • What Advocates and Electeds Say Mayor Adams Should Be Doing Differently About the Asylum-Seeker Crisis

    Mayor Adams and others tour a HERRC (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    As the migrant asylum-seeker crisis continues to escalate, and another surge of arrivals has begun after a federal pandemic-era border policy expired last week, Mayor Eric Adams is taking increasingly desperate steps to ease the impact on New York City.

    While virtually everyone agrees that the federal and state governments should do more to help the city, critics say there are still several concrete measures the mayor has failed to

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  • Facing Depleted Agencies, New York City Government Plans to Add 25,000 More Employees by June 2023

    Mayor Adams at City Hall (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.)


    New York City’s municipal workforce dropped by more than 19,000 full-time employees over the last two years, according to a report released this week by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, and there are currently more than 21,000 vacancies as city agencies struggle to retain workers and maintain city services.

    Questions have repeatedly been raised about whether Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is able to accomplish its policy goals given

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  • Loosely Allied with Hochul, Working Families Party Again Tries to Meet Higher Threshold to Keep Ballot Line

    Democrats rallying (photo: @PatRyanUC)


    UPDATE: On election night, results showed the Working Families Party achieve enough votes on its ballot line for Kathy Hochul to retain its political party status and ballot line in upcoming elections. In response to the New York gubernatorial election results, Director of the New York Working Families Party Sochie Nnaemeka released the following celebratory statement:

    “The Working Families Party is proud to have secured more than enough votes to maintain our ballot line and continue fighting for working New Yorkers. Our grassroots volunteers mobilized voters from

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  • Public Advocate Wins Lawsuit Over Property Tax Warrants, Though City Also Gets Relief

    Jumaane Williams at the Public Advocate's Office (photo: John McCarten/City Council)


    Two years ago, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams used an obscure City Charter provision to withhold his signature on property tax warrants in order to leverage changes to the city budget. The provision required both Williams and the City Clerk to sign those warrants before they were executed by the city. But the city went ahead with property tax collections nonetheless and, eventually, in March 2021, Williams filed suit that the administration had broken the law.

    On Friday, State Supreme Court Judge Verna Saunders

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  • Public Advocate Releases Plan to 'End Systemic Homelessness' in New York City by 2026

    Public Advocate Williams and Committee members on Friday (photo: @nycpa)


    A coalition led by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has released a four-year roadmap to “ending homelessness as we know it,” proposing several strategies to help the roughly 55,000 unhoused people in the city move into stable, affordable housing.

    Williams, a Democrat, released the new report alongside housing experts and individuals impacted by homelessness outside his Manhattan offices on Friday. He said that mayoral administrations have often focused on moving homeless people from the streets and subways into

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  • Hochul Spent $26 Million on Primary Win, Far Outspending Opponents

    Governor Kathy Hochul (photo: governor's office)


    Governor Kathy Hochul has raised more than $38.8 million for her campaign -- the vast majority of it in the 11 months since she became governor -- and spent a whopping $26 million to win the June 28 Democratic primary, according to the latest campaign finance filings with the State Board of Elections.

    Hochul, New York’s first female governor, handily won the primary with 66.5% of the vote against her opponents, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who received 19% of the vote, and Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island, who got 12.8%. Hochul

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  • Better Late Than Never: Time for the Public Advocate to Convene COPIC

    Public Advocate Jumaane Williams (photo: William Alatriste/City Council)


    Now that New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams’ long-shot campaign for New York Governor is over, he presumably has more time to focus on performing the functions that the New York City Charter assigns to his elected office.

    One function he has yet to perform, but something all previous Public Advocates have done, is to convene a meeting of the Commission on Public Information and Communication (COPIC). There’s never been a better time for him

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  • New York Left Hits Wall in Primaries, Points to Reasons for Optimism

    Jumaane Williams (photo: John McCarten/City Coucnil)


    Last month’s primary election was a disappointing one for progressive Democrats in New York, as statewide and Assembly candidates lost to incumbents across the board with few consolation victories. It was a markedly different election than four years ago, when a progressive wave shifted the political landscape, contributed to a Democratic takeover of the State Senate, and helped deliver a long list of liberal policy priorities at the state level.

    But even as progressives had an especially disappointing set of primaries, including in

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  • Voter Turnout in New York Gubernatorial Primary Drops Sharply from 2018 Surge

    Voter turnout back down (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Voter turnout in New York City and State declined dramatically – by nearly half – from the 2018 Democratic primary for governor to the one that closed on Tuesday. 

    In the race for the party's nomination, Governor Kathy Hochul won – by a wide margin – with close to the same number of votes Cynthia Nixon received in 2018 when she lost the Democratic nomination to incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo by a wide margin. The turnout this month was closer to

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  • Kathy Hochul Wins Democratic Nomination for New York Governor

    Gov. Kathy Hochul (photo: Don Pollard/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    Governor Kathy Hochul emerged victorious in the Democratic primary Tuesday, handily defeating her challengers, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. The race was called by the Associated Press shortly after polls closed at 9 p.m. as Hochul's wide margin quickly emerged.

    New York’s first female governor, Hochul ascended to the position from Lieutenant Governor upon then-Governor Andrew Cuomo’s August 2021 resignation and she is attempting to win her first term as the

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  • What is Jumaane Williams' Gubernatorial Campaign Platform?

    Jumaane Williams (photo: @JumaaneWilliams)


    Jumaane Williams is running alone in the left lane of the Democratic primary for governor, with voting set to conclude on Tuesday, June 28.

    Williams, the New York City public advocate, is facing Governor Kathy Hochul, who is seeking her first elected term as the state’s chief executive, and Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island.

    A former City Council member from Brooklyn, Williams has long called himself an “activist elected official’ and has had a

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  • Supreme Court Rulings Put Gun Control and Abortion at Center of New York Elections

    A rally in support of abortion rights (photo: Mike Groll/Governor's Office)


    The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority issued two major rulings this past week, overturning Roe v. Wade federal abortion rights and striking down a New York State law that limited the concealed carrying of firearms. Both judgements have sprawling national implications, including as this year’s elections will decide control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, with several swing races here in New York.

    The decisions have also brought abortion rights and gun control to the forefront in the middle of a

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  • Democratic and Republican Candidates for Governor Offer Varied Housing Plans

    New York City (photo: Governor's Office)


    New Yorkers are voting this month in the Democratic and Republican primaries for Governor as the state grapples with an affordable housing crisis that has hit downstate regions home to some two-thirds of its population the hardest. The issue has been far more elevated among the three Democratic candidates to lead the state for the next four years, with the four Republican candidates largely ignoring the topic. That trend changed somewhat when Gotham Gazette asked the Republican campaigns about the issue.

    Candidates on both sides of the aisle do

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Jumaane Williams' Closing Argument in Democratic Primary for Governor

     

    Jumaane Williams (photo: WIlliam Alatriste/City Council)


    June 22, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Jumaane Williams' Closing Argument in Democratic Primary for Governor

    Jumaane Williams, the New York City Public Advocate and a Democratic candidate for Governor in this year's election, joined the show to discuss the state of the race and his campaign with just a few days before primary day, some of his major proposals, make his closing argument to primary voters, and more.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter ...

  • Democratic Candidates for Governor Make Closing Arguments at Final Debate Before Primary

    Jumaane Williams, Kathy Hochul, & Tom Suozzi


    The three Democratic candidates for governor met at the final debate of the race on Thursday night, among their last opportunities to make an impression with voters before early voting begins on Saturday for the June 28 primary. Governor Kathy Hochul, who is running for her first full term, continues to have significant fundraising and polling advantages over her opponents, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

    At Thursday’s debate, hosted by NBC New York, Telemundo, and the Albany Times Union, the candidates covered some of

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  • Democratic Candidates for Lieutenant Governor Debate Experience, Policy, and Vision

    (l-r:) Ana Maria Archila, Antonio Delgado, and Diana Reyna


    The three Democratic candidates for New York lieutenant governor met on the debate stage Wednesday night for the first and only time before voters go to the polls this month.

    In the debate, broadcast by Spectrum News NY1, newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado faced off against activist and nonprofit leader Ana María Archila and Diana Reyna, a former City Council Member and Deputy Brooklyn Borough President. The candidates tried to distinguish themselves on their track records, views of the role of lieutenant governor, and stances on

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  • Where They Stand: Compare Democratic and Republican Candidates for Governor on the Issues

    (l-r) Top: Jumaane Williams, Kathy Hochul, Tom Suozzi; Bottom: Rob Astorino, Harry Wilson, Lee Zeldin, Andrew Giuliani 


    The Democratic and Republican primaries in the race to become the next Governor of New York are fast-approaching, with early voting June 18-26 and primary day June 28. With three Democrats and four Republicans making their cases to voters and so much at stake for the future of the state, it's all the more important to compare where the candidates stand on the issues and what they are promising to do if elected.

    Use the interactive tool below to compare the Democratic or Republican

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  • Hochul, Suozzi, and Williams Face Off in Democratic Primary Debate

    Jumaane Williams, Kathy Hochul, & Tom Suozzi


    Governor Kathy Hochul squared off against her Democratic primary opponents, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, for the first time in a debate on Tuesday night. The debate, televised on CBS TV and radio, took place three weeks from primary day, June 28, and a few days after Hochul declined a debate last week where Williams and Suozzi faced each other on Spectrum News.

    Hochul, who is

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  • Three Democratic Candidates for Governor Set to Debate as Primary Heads Into Final Weeks

    Jumaane Williams, Kathy Hochul, & Tom Suozzi


    With just three weeks till the June 28 primary, and only eleven days till early voting begins June 18, Governor Kathy Hochul is set to face off Tuesday for the first time on the debate stage against her two Democratic primary opponents, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

    The debate, set to air Tuesday at 7 p.m. on CBS television and Newsradio 880, comes a few days after Suozzi and Williams appeared for a debate on Spectrum

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  • Suozzi, Williams Attack Absent Hochul Throughout Democratic Primary Debate

    Jumaane Williams and Tom Suozzi


    At the first debate of this year’s Democratic primary for governor, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi presented a cordial front to one another on Thursday night even as they sought to distinguish their individual political ideologies. The candidates reserved their barbs for Governor Kathy Hochul, who declined to participate in Thursday’s but has agreed to two upcoming debates.

    Over the course of an hour, Williams and Suozzi expressed their similar and differing positions on various issues confronting New York including gun violence, the

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  • ‘Running on the Issues People Care About’: Tom Suozzi Makes His Case for Governor Ahead of June Democratic Primary

    Rep. Tom Suozzi (photo: Suozzi's office)


    As he runs for Governor of New York this year, U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi is offering his experience and approach as a “common sense Democrat” to voters in the fast-approaching primary. Suozzi, of Long Island, argues his more than two decades in elected office, including executive and legislative roles, record of accomplishment, and vision for the future of the state differentiate him from his opponents and demonstrate his ability to follow through on his campaign promises.

    “Every politician says ‘I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do that’,” said Suozzi, who

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  • Max Politics Podcast: Tom Suozzi on His Run for Governor

    Tom Suozzi is running for Governor; with Lieutenant Governor running-mate Diana Reyna (photo: @Tom_Suozzi)


    May 12, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Tom Suozzi on His Run for Governor

    Congressman Tom Suozzi joined the show to discuss his run for Governor, in which he's first attempting to win the Democratic primary against Gov. Kathy Hochul and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Suozzi discussed his qualifications for the top job, the pillars of his campaign, why he believes Hochul does not deserve to be elected to the position for a full term, housing, transit, and

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  • New York City Electeds, Advocates Outline Priorities for State Climate Action Council

    Mayor Adams and others discuss wind energy plans (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York’s sweeping Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 set the state on a path to reaching net-zero emissions over the next three decades. The law established a Climate Action Council that drafted a framework for achieving that goal, and is now more than halfway through the process of seeking public input on its proposed plan. 

    The Council held its seventh public hearing on Tuesday in Brooklyn, out of

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  • Williams and Lander Start Presenting United Progressive Counterweight to Adams

    Jumaane Williams & Brad Lander as members of the City Council (photo: William Alatriste/City Council)


    All three of New York City’s citywide elected officials – Mayor Eric Adams, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Comptroller Brad Lander – are Democrats from Brooklyn. But their respective victories in last year’s elections signified different things to their supporters and political analysts. Those who backed Adams saw his win as a rejection of left progressive politics that they believed had gone too far in the city, while Williams and Lander supporters

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