(Photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)
The primary election is next Thursday, September 13, and candidates for statewide office filed another round of campaign spending and fundraising reports this week, the final disclosures due before primary day.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, a two-term Democrat, has been, for the most part, publicly nonchalant about his primary challenger, actor and activist Cynthia Nixon. But his campaign finance filings show he is spending far more to beat back her insurgent bid than he did four years ago, when he faced a primary challenge from Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout (who is running for attorney general this year).
Cuomo’s campaign spent $8.5 million and raised $184,000 between August 9 and August 31, the latest filing period. But the governor began the campaign with a massive war chest and still has $16 million left to spend, though only some of it is eligible for spending during the primary due to campaign finance rules. In total, this election cycle, he has raised $35.6 million and spent $25.6 million, far outraising and outspending any other candidate for any race, including Nixon.
The governor’s campaign transferred more than $2.5 million to the New York State Democratic Committee, of which Cuomo is the de facto head. The state committee has been spending large amounts of its funding to run ads in favor of the governor’s reelection, even as Cuomo’s own campaign spent nearly $3 million to buy ads in this latest period through Jersey City-based firm Media Fortitude Partners. The Cuomo campaign also doled out nearly $1.2 million to Bully Pulpit Interactive, a communications firm.
Just Wednesday morning, the state committee released its latest ad featuring Cuomo, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who is running for reelection, and New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general and is the state party’s official designee for the post. “They are our team to take on Trump and win,” the ad states, in line with the governor’s tactic of making the race about the Republican president rather than his upstart opponent.
“The Governor has proudly delivered unprecedented support to elect the entire Democratic ticket – proven leaders Cuomo, Hochul, and James – on Thursday, Sept. 13 because he believes this is the strongest possible team to fight back against Trump’s destructive agenda," said a Cuomo campaign spokesperson in an email. "The governor will continue to lead the way with his aggressive coordinated campaign as we work to take back the U.S. House , State Senate and build the Party’s infrastructure moving forward." The spokesperson also noted that the governor has made a six-figure ad buy targeting Republican gubernatorial nominee Marc Molinaro in order to get a leg up on the general election (Molinaro sought to have the ads pulled, accusing the Cuomo campaign of disinformation.)
Nixon’s numbers are paltry in comparison to Cuomo’s, though her campaign is banking its longshot on a very different type of strategy than the incumbent’s. Over the course of the race, she has raised a total of $2 million and spent about $1.3 million. She has not yet run any television ads, insisting that her campaign’s digital and social media operation is far more effective to reach the voters she is targeting. On Wednesday, her campaign released a new ad dinging Cuomo on his mishandling of the crisis affecting the city’s subway system. The campaign told Gotham Gazette it will be pushed out on social media including a Facebook ad buy.
Nixon also said in an NY1 interview on Monday that she does not plan on infusing her own personal funds into her campaign. She raised about $475,000 in this filing and spent just over $450,000. She had about $467,000 in cash on hand for the final two weeks of the campaign. Having rejected corporate and LLC donations, Nixon’s fundraising came mostly from small donors who gave less than $200, a fact her campaign has repeatedly touted while pointing out Cuomo’s propensity for raising money from wealthy donors and through the LLC loophole (which allows obscured donors to circumvent contribution limits).
“We are seeing an unprecedented level of grassroots momentum from New Yorkers,” said Nixon’s campaign manager, Hayley Prim, in a statement Wednesday. “There is a real hunger in New York to elect a real progressive who is beholden to the people, not corporations and millionaires. And since the debate, we’re seeing that momentum build like never before.”
Nixon’s campaign paid the Working Families Party $58,800 from her campaign coffers. The WFP has endorsed Nixon and has been mobilizing volunteers to canvas on her behalf. In fact, the in-kind contributions from the WFP to Nixon’s campaign -- in the form of phone banking, texting and canvassing efforts -- amounted to nearly $86,000, according to filings.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat running for a second term, also faces a primary challenge, hers from New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams. Hochul’s filings show she raised $356,000 and spent more than $1.5 million in the latest disclosure period, leaving her with about $389,000 in cash on hand. Hochul also availed of the services of Media Fortitude Partners, using $1.4 million of that spending on television ads. So far, Hochul has raised a total of more than $2 million and spent about $1.9 million on her reelection.
Williams continues to struggle to raise funds for his campaign but has shown stiff competition to Hochul in a race that increasingly looks as if it could be close. Williams raised only $62,000 and spent about $38,000 in this latest filing, and filed just under $72,000 in cash on hand. In total, he has raised $270,000 -- he was forced to refund tens of thousands of dollars in over-the-limit contributions -- and spent $177,000. Williams said during a recent debate with Hochul, the only of the campaign, that he is still making payments to return the over-the-limit donations and pledged to be in full compliance by the end of the campaign.
There is no Republican primary in any of the statewide races. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in a primary and on a joint ticket in the general election. The winners of the Democratic primary will face Republican gubernatorial nominee Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess county executive, and his running mate Julie Killian, a recent state Senate candidate.
Besides Letitia James and Zephyr Teachout, two other candidates -- Congressional Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and Leecia Eve, a former Verizon executive who has been an aide to Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Cuomo -- are vying for the Democratic attorney general nomination. The winner will go on to face Republican Keith Wofford and others in the general. The four-way contest was triggered by the resignation of Eric Schneiderman after allegations reported in May by The New Yorker that he had physically abused several romantic partners. The race to replace him has turned into the most competitive on the statewide level, though James is backed by Cuomo and the state Democratic Party.
James raised $428,000 and spent $767,000 in the latest filing period, giving her just over $867,000 for the remainder of the race. She has raised more than $2 million over the course of the campaign and shelled out $1.1 million so far. Most of her latest expenditures went to the Hamilton Campaign Network, a consulting firm working for her campaign that has also been purchasing digital and television ads and sending out mailers to voters.
James’ campaign has been beset with criticism over her perceived lack of independence from the governor, and momentum has been building behind Teachout’s campaign, while Maloney remains a formidable opponent as a sitting member of Congress with significant funds. Teachout was endorsed last month by the New York Times editorial board and, just on Tuesday, by New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray, with the Daily News editorial board in between. Then, on Wednesday, New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer rescinded his earlier endorsement of James and backed Teachout instead, telling the New York Daily News, “I believe that her independence from all of the power brokers, including the governor, is something that we should all want in an attorney general.” This echoed a somewhat similar recent decision made by Council Member Ritchie Torres, who changed his endorsement of James to a co-endorsement with Teachout, while also declaring he prefers Teachout and plans to vote for her.
Teachout raised about $545,000 and spent $617,000 between August 9 and 31, and she had a balance of just under $500,000 left. She has raised $1.46 million for her campaign so far, spending a total of $981,000, and is the only candidate in the race refusing donations from corporations and LLCs.
Maloney has been flush with cash since the start of the race, and has raised a total of $2 million while spending nearly $3 million. He raised almost $1.7 million in the latest filing period -- $1.4 million came in transfers from his congressional campaign account -- and spent $1.9 million at the same time, leaving him about $490,000. A significant amount of money went to media buys through Canal Partners Media, a firm based in Atlanta. Maloney is also up for reelection to his current seat and has said he will drop his name from the November congressional ballot if he wins the attorney general primary.
Eve has trailed the pack in fundraising and name recognition, though she was recently endorsed by the Albany Times Union and was even the New York Times’ second pick in the race behind Teachout. She raised $139,000 and spent $255,000 in the latest filing, and had less than $43,000 left to spend. In total, she has raised $382,000 and spent $351,000 since entering the race. She also loaned herself $100,000 in personal funds in this filing.
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by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
@samarkhurshid @GothamGazette
Note - This article has been updated with comment from the Cuomo campaign.
Alessandra Biaggi, right (photo: @Biaggi4NY)
Though the entire New York State Legislature -- 150 Assembly seats and 63 Senate seats -- is on the ballot this year, there is a small number of competitive races to be decided during next week’s primary election on Thursday, September 13. In several key districts, mostly in New York City, insurgent challengers are attempting to unseat sitting Democrats in a sweeping effort to shake up state government, prompting the incumbents to raise and spend money accordingly. All the candidates filed the last round of pre-primary campaign finance disclosures this week with the state Board of Elections, showing their activity between August 9 and 31.
In eight Senate districts, six covering parts of the five boroughs, Democrats who once represented the now-defunct Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a rogue faction that shared power with Republicans for seven years, are fending off spirited challenges. The former IDC Senators are Tony Avella of District 11 in Queens, Jose Peralta of District 13 in Queens, Jesse Hamilton of District 20 in Brooklyn, Diane Savino of District 23 in Staten Island and Brooklyn, Marisol Alcantara of District 31 in Manhattan, Jeff Klein of District 34 in the Bronx and Westchester, and David Carlucci of District 38 and David Valesky of District 53, both of which are outside New York City.
A few of the senators received new contributions from the Senate Independence Campaign Committee (SICC), which was set up by the Independence Party and the IDC but was recently ruled to have violated state law. Based on a judge’s ruling, the leadership of the SICC altered its registration, getting into compliance. But, the Board of Elections enforcement counsel, Risa Sugarman, insisted that earlier donations that were over the legal limit should be refunded, but the former IDC members have refused. A deadline set by Sugarman came and went and it remains unclear if the committee or the senators themselves could face any legal action. Their opponents did vow to sue if the BOE did nothing, but have not made any moves either.
The SICC raised $50,000 in the latest filing from the Real Estate Board PAC, aligned with the Real Estate Board of New York. It transferred $345,000 in total to five former IDC members. The committee still has about $328,000 in the bank. See details of the fundraising and spending in the eight IDC races below.
There are a few other races as well where incumbent Democratic Senators Simcha Felder of District 17 and Martin Dilan of District 20, who weren’t members of the IDC, face similar primary challenges. And in Brooklyn’s District 22, two Democrats are competing in the primary to eventually challenge Senator Marty Golden, a Republican, in the general.
Senate District 11
Senator Avella raised $94,000, including $42,000 from the SICC, and spent $111,000 in the latest filing, leaving him just over $104,000 for the rest of the election. Avella has, in total, raised more than $209,000 and spent nearly $281,000 on his race.
Avella’s opponent, John Liu, the former New York City Comptroller who is challenging him for the second time, raised more than $53,000 and spent nearly $95,000 in the same time. He has $148,000 in cash on hand. His total fundraising for the race amounts to $255,000 and total spending is about $118,000.
Senate District 13
Senator Peralta raised just over $102,000 and spent about $112,000, and has $101,000 in his campaign account. He received a $39,000 bump from the SICC. He has raised nearly $490,000 for his reelection and spent more than $612,000.
Jessica Ramos, a former aide to Mayor Bill de Blasio, is Peralta’s challenger. Ramos only raised about $37,000 and spent just under $32,000 in this filing, but has about $108,000 in cash on hand for the rest of the race, slightly higher than Peralta. She has raised a total of $273,000 and spent about $160,000 on her insurgent bid for office.
Senate District 20
Senator Hamilton raised about $64,000 and spent $156,000 in this period, and has a balance of about $43,000. The SICC gave him $39,000 as well. Over the course of the race, he has raised more than $400,000 and spent $544,000.
Hamilton’s challenger, Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn-based attorney, has been close to keeping up with the incumbent in recent filings. The latest disclosures show he raised $47,000 and spent $106,000, and has a balance of about $86,000. He has raised a total of $355,000 and spent $254,000 so far.
Senate District 23
Senator Savino continues to far outpace her opponent, Jasmine Robinson, a community activist. Savino raised $27,000 and spent about $94,000, leaving her with about $142,000 in the bank. Over the election cycle, she has raised $331,000 and spent $247,000.
Robinson, on the other hand, has raised little, raising questions about her ability to run an effective challenge. She has raised barely $5,400 and spent just under $1,600 since entering the race. She has also failed to file the last two required campaign finance disclosures.
Senate District 31
Senator Alcantara is facing former City Council Member Robert Jackson, who was among the candidates that she beat in the primary for her seat two years ago in a very tight finish. Alcantara raised $172,000 and spent $148,000 in the latest filing period, and has about $61,000 in cash on hand. She too received a massive SICC donation of $125,000. So far, she has raised a total of nearly $342,000 and spent about $623,000 on her reelection.
Jackson raised $43,000 and spent $84,000 in the latest filing. He has about $111,000 left to spend. In total, he has raised more than $367,000 and spent about $246,000 to defeat Alcantara.
Senate District 34
Senator Klein, who headed the IDC until its dissolution and is now the deputy leader of the Senate Democratic conference, faces a tough primary challenge from Alessandra Biaggi. Klein once controlled the SICC, which sent him $100,000 in the latest filing period.
Klein raised $138,000 and spent a whopping $836,000, and still has $958,000 in cash on hand. In total, the senator has raised $1.66 million and has spent nearly $2.4 million to get reelected, apparently attempting to leave little to chance.
Though Biaggi is not nearly as well funded, she has the backing of several progressive activist groups, elected officials, and 32BJ, the prominent labor union, all of whom have been actively hitting the ground in the district to build groundswell support.
Biaggi raised about $76,000 and spent about $88,000 in this latest filing. She has about $263,000 left to spend. Over the course of her campaign, she has raised more than $504,000 and spent about $184,000.
Senate District 38
Senator Carlucci raised about $34,000, spent $96,000 and has $305,000 in cash on hand. In total, he has raised $374,000 and spent $494,000 on reelection.
Carlucci’s opponent, Julie Goldberg, has less than $13,000 in her campaign account after raising about $17,000 and spending $21,000 in this filing period. She has raised a total of just under $50,000 and spent under $19,000.
Senate District 53
Senator Valesky raised $47,000 and spent $286,000, giving him a balance of about $397,000 as he heads into the primary. In total, Valesky has raised $274,000 for his reelection and spent about $448,000.
Rachel May, Valesky’s primary opponent, only raised $9,600 and spent about $36,000. She has just over $40,000 left to spend. In total, she has raised $154,000 and spent about $113,000.
Other Races To Watch
Senate District 17
Senator Felder is a conservative Democrat who votes with Republicans and has refused to join the mainline Democratic conference. Elected from a district with a large Orthodox Jewish population, Felder is widely expected to coast to reelection. He only raised $6,600 and spent a little less than $13,000 in this filing, and has $606,000 in cash on hand. In total, he has raised $511,000 and spent $189,000 for his reelection.
Felder’s opponent, Blake Morris, raised about $29,000, spent about $19,000 and has roughly $28,000 left. So far, he has raised a total of $91,000 and spent $64,000 to challenge Felder.
Senate District 18
Senator Dilan, an eight-term incumbent, raised about $73,000 and spent $63,000 in the latest filing period, leaving him with $110,000 in his account. In total, he has raised $211,000 and spent about $124,000.
Dilan’s challenger is Julia Salazar, a young card-carrying democratic socialist who has recently courted controversy over her conflicting statements about her personal history. Salazar raised nearly $43,000 and spent $64,000 in this filing, and has $72,000 in cash on hand. In total, she has raised about $226,000 and spent $142,000.
Senate District 22
Two Democrats -- Andrew Gounardes, general counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and Ross Barkan, a journalist -- are competing in next week’s primary in southern Brooklyn.
Gounardes raised about $14,000, spent about $32,000, and has $153,000 in cash on hand as of the new filing. In total, he has raised $277,000 for the race and spent $101,000.
In the latest filing period, Barkan raised about $33,000 and spent about $46,000. He has about $10,000 left to spend. Barkan has raised more than $163,000 since entering the race and has spent about $155,000.
Golden, who is not required to file a primary disclosure since he does not have an opponent, had $485,000 in cash on hand according to his most recent disclosure in July. He has raised a total of $782,000 and spent $707,000 already this election cycle.
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by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
@samarkhurshid @GothamGazette
New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
Thursday will mark one week until primary election day, which is Thursday September 13. After “debate week” last week -- featuring the second televised debate in the Democratic attorney general primary, and the lone televised debates in the Democratic primaries for governor and lieutenant governor -- those three statewide races and a variety of other local legislative races are in their home stretches.
The four Democrats vying for the party’s attorney general nomination will participate in a series of public forums this week -- see below for details, while challengers Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams continue to push for Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul to agree to at least one more televised debate. No one should expect the incumbents to agree, despite the fact that Hochul had previously said she would debate Williams on NY1, but hasn’t [Watch the Hochul-Williams debate here].
Debates in contentious legislative primaries -- especially those for state Senate seats, particularly in races involving former members of the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference -- will continue this week. (NY1 has hosted several debates so far and will host others this week. The Max & Murphy podcast/WBAI radio show has hosted a series of appearances by competing candidates in some of the Senate races, as well as all four Democrats running for attorney general.)
In the final frenzy before primary day, we’re watching for additional endorsements, such as whether Mayor Bill de Blasio will endorse Cynthia Nixon in the gubernatorial primary or stay out of it, and what he might do in the other statewide primaries and local races. Thus far, he’s endorsed in two state Senate races, backing Jessica Ramos over Senator Jose Peralta and Zellnor Myrie over Senator Jesse Hamilton. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand jumped into several races over the weekend, backing challengers to former members of the IDC. She endorsed Ramos and Myrie, as well as Robert Jackson over Senator Marisol Alcantara and Alessandra Biaggi over Senator Jeff Klein.
Along with debates and endorsements, we’re watching the final pre-primary campaign finance filings, which are due by midnight Tuesday, and the pre-primary ads, statements, and other campaign activity that will be coming fast and furious through primary day: Thursday, September 13.
Beyond the elections, there are some other things happening, including City Council hearings, panel events, and the start of the New York City school year -- 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?
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday
Monday is Labor Day.
Tuesday
On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall, "Mayor de Blasio will hold a public hearing on and sign Intro. 1089 that authorizes and expands a speed camera program in school zones. This event is open press. There will be no Q-and-A." City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will deliver remarks at the bill-signing. At 3 p.m., "the Mayor and Police Commissioner O’Neill will hold a media availability on crime statistics. This event is open press. There will be Q-and-A."
On Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., Comptroller Scott Stringer will appear live on Fox 5 “Good Day New York." At 3:30 p.m., Stinger will tour "Delayed Middle Village Sewer Upgrade Project with State Senator Addabbo, Assemblymember Barnwell, Council Member Holden and Local Residents" in Queens.
On Tuesday at 9 a.m. at City Hall, the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform empaneled by Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will convene in order to discuss reforming the city’s property tax system while also ensuring that there are no reductions in revenues that fund city services.
On Tuesday at noon, “Councilman Chaim Deutsch, Councilman Rafael Espinal, Councilman Justin Brannan, Assemblyman David Weprin, and advocates will be holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall to announce a $1 million pilot program to launch kosher and halal lunches in New York City public and nonpublic schools.” City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Comptroller Scott Stringer will deliver remarks.
On Tuesday at noon, "Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, State Senator Kevin S. Parker, and community advocates will hold a press conference to call on the MTA and Department of Transportation to address community opposition to the B82 SBS line in development and to highlight the need for the agencies to collaborate with communities on transportation solutions." The press conference will take place at "4154 Kings Highway, at the intersection with Avenue K."
At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will make an announcement at Farmingdale State College.
The New York City Planning Commission will hold a review session and special meeting at 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, "following Labor Day, Council Member Francisco Moya, Assemblywoman Ari Espinal, organized labor groups and worker's rights organizations will call on the New York State Department of Labor to eliminate the tipped credit and raise all tipped workers up to the full state minimum wage." Members of the Retail Workers union will also participate.
At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Governor Cuomo will tour the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and make an announcement.
On Tuesday afternoon in Albany, "Reinvent Albany and Citizens Budget Commission to Testify in Support of Authorities Budget Office’s (ABO) Rule Increasing Transparency of IDA Projects and Describing How Subsidies Clawed Back or Revoked."
At 6 p.m., the New York City Charter Revision Commission empaneled by Mayor de Blasio will hold a public meeting at the New York Historical Society. The commission plans to discuss ballot questions that may potentially appear during the November general election, if the commission chooses to adopt the proposals.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the New York City Bar Association will host a forum with Democratic attorney general candidates Letitia James, Zephyr Teachout, Sean Patrick Maloney, and Leecia Eve.
There will be a rally at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall park to celebrate the new city speed camera law. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson is among those who will speak.
On Tuesday evening’s Inside City Hall on NY1, there will be a debate between state Senator Jose Peralta and challenger Jessica Ramos, who are competing for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 13 in Queens.
Wednesday
Wednesday is the first day of school for most New York City public schools.
On Wednesday, various City Council subcommittees will be holding meetings inside the Committee Room at City Hall. 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 noon and the Subcommittee on Planning Dispositions and Concessions will meet at 2 p.m.
At 10 a.m., the City Planning Commission will also hold a public meeting in the New York City Planning Commission Hearing Room.
From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., catch the latest episode of Max & Murphy, hosted by Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max and City Limits’ Jarrett Murphy, on WBAI radio at 99.5FM or wbai.org.
On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., the four Democratic candidates for attorney general will appear at a criminal-justice-reform-focused forum at National Action Network, Reverend Al Sharpton’s organization, which is being co-sponsored by several reform organizations, including JustLeadershipUSA, Communities United for Police Reform, and the NAACP.
In Albany, the Cuomo administration will hold its first listening session for input about marijuana legalization and regulation from community members and stakeholders. This event, which will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Albany Capital Center, is devised as part of a series of statewide listening sessions. The input amassed at these sessions are to aid the Regulated Marijuana Workshop in the development of comprehensive adult-use marijuana legislation, which would then be reviewed by the Legislature in the next session.
During Wednesday evening’s Inside City Hall on NY1, there will be a debate between state Senator Tony Avella and former city Comptroller John Liu, who are competing for Democratic nomination in Senate District 11 in Queens.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, there will be a debate between the two candidates running for the Democratic nomination in Assembly District 46 in Brooklyn, Mathylde Frontus and Ethan Lustig-Elgrably. The debate is being hosted by Bklyner and moderated by Kadia Goba, and held at Trump Village Community Room, 2928 West 5th Street, Brooklyn.
Thursday
Thursday is one week until primary day, and the last day to postmark an application for an absentee ballot for the primary election. More information on absentee voting is available on the New York City Board of Elections website. You can also check your eligibility to vote and your polling place.
At the City Council on Thursday:
--The Committee on Women, Committee on Criminal Justice and Committee on Justice System will hold a joint meeting at 10 a.m.
--The Committee on Land Use will hold a meeting at 11 a.m.
--The Committee on Immigration will hold a meeting at 1 p.m.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business and the Senate Standing Committee on Labor will jointly meet to discuss New York’s Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises program at the Village of Mineola Community Room. They will also deliberate over potential legislative solutions to enhance the program.
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, the next round of regulated marijuana listening sessions, led by the Cuomo administration, will take place in Glens Falls at SUNY Adirondack. In an effort to develop comprehensive adult-use marijuana legislation, community members and stakeholders will discuss the implementation of a regulated marijuana program in New York.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will host a discussion featuring President and CEO of Planned Parenthood NYC Laura McQuade, State Senator Liz Krueger, journalist Irin Carmon, and CUNY School of Public Health assistant professor Lynn Roberts on what the midterm elections might mean for the state of reproductive rights in New York and across the country.
On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Queens, "The Douglaston Civic Association will hold a Candidates Forum...with the four candidates for the District 11 Senate seat from Northeast Queens: Democrats Tony Avella and John Liu and Republicans Vickie Paladino and Simon Minching. Each candidate will make 5-minute opening statements followed by 40 minutes of audience questions and then 2-minute closing statements."
From 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the four Democratic candidates for attorney general will debate at Cooper Union’s Great Hall. This public debate, which will be broadcast live on WNYC radio, 93.9 FM and AM820, and livestreamed by Cafe.com, will be co-hosted by WNYC and the Cooper Union. Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and WNYC’s Brian Lehrer will moderate.
During Thursday night’s Inside City Hall on NY1, Democratic state Senate candidates Ross Barkan and Andrew Gounardes will debate. The two are competing to see who will face Republican Senator Marty Golden in the general election of Senate District 22, in Brooklyn.
Friday and the weekend
Friday morning, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will participate in a CityLaw Breakfast to discuss the city’s transit system and congestion pricing. The event will take place at New York Law School from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Mayor de Blasio may make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show Friday at 10 a.m.
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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 Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette