In a crowded race to take over the seat of term-limited incumbent Manhattan City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, real estate attorney Marc Landis picked up a key endorsement that helps bolster his standing as the “progressive” candidate in the race. Landis was among the Council candidates to be endorsed by the labor-backed Working Families Party last week, who highlighted Landis’ work around affordable housing and fighting for tenants’ rights as part of the reason for their support. “We’re proud to endorse… [More]

Bronx City Council candidate Ritchie Torres announced today that he has received the support of the Progressive Power Coalition, a group of advocacy groups that consists of Make The Road Action Fund, Citizens Action NY, VOCAL NY Action Fund, Community Voices Heard Power, and New York Communities for Change. “We want a City Council that reflects progressive values and is fired up about moving forward racial and economic justice in our city,” said Jim Lister, board member of VOCAL-NY Action… [More]

In advance of the May 15 filing deadline, Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign announced that they have raised more than $600,000 in the two-month filing period, almost double what his campaign had reported in the previous filing. Thompson’s chief campaign strategist and manager, Jonathan Prince, said that the uptick in fundraising lends credence to the notion that Thompson is building momentum in comparison to his Democratic rivals. “The campaign is starting to kick into high gear, and we have moved aggressively… [More]

If endorsements are any indication, Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James can make a solid case that she is gaining traction in the race for New York City Public Advocate, despite her opponents state Sen. Daniel Squadron and former Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani having better fundraising numbers. James is expected to add another endorsement to her growing docket of support, which includes labor unions SEIU 32BJ, CWA 1180, and United Auto Workers 9A, with the expected announcement from New York Communities for Change, a… [More]

In the crowded race to replace embattled Queens Councilman Dan Halloran one candidate continues to accrue widespread labor support, which could help him gain traction in the coming months. Austin Shafran, a former vice president of public relations for Empire State Development, was one of the Council candidates endorsed by the Working Families Party last week, and both the Hotel Trades Council and 1199 SEIU, two of the city’s more powerful unions, voted to support Shafran during the WFP voting process.… [More]

At a panel hosted by City & State on New York’s healthcare delivery system on Thursday, Continuum Health Partners CEO Stanley Brezenoff defended his company’s past management of Brooklyn’s Long Island College Hospital, which ended with the hospital incurring debt that was reportedly as high as $300 million. Brezenoff acknowledged the difficulty of running a state hospital, and said that Continuum put forth a number of ideas to try and stem the bleeding, including merging with other hospitals, eliminating costly services and… [More]

In advance of a Senate Elections Committee hearing today on public financing of elections, both in New York City and the proposed legislation to create a similar system for the state, Working Families Party Executive Director Dan Cantor penned a letter to state Sen. Thomas O’Mara, the committee chairman, offering to testify at the hearing. Cantor also disputed the claim of Senate Republican spokesman Scott Reif that the party wanted to get their “dirty hands” on public campaign money. In… [More]

Brooklyn City Council candidate Carlos Menchaca, who is challenging incumbent Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez, added another labor endorsement today when the Communications Workers of America District 1 announced that they would be lending their support to his campaign. “Carlos Menchaca is the voice New York’s workers need on the City Council,” said Chris Shelton, vice president of CWA, in a statement. “Carlos has spent his entire career serving his neighbors, working to expand affordable housing, and fighting on behalf of small… [More]

A group of construction unions, community groups, and elected officials, including two Brooklyn politicians, City Councilwoman Letitia James and Assemblyman Walter Mosley, filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the Bloomberg administration and developer Acadia Realty Trust calling for the City Point real estate project to be shut down and to commission a new environmental impact statement for the construction site. The suit alleges that the wage rate allowed in the City Point lease would force construction workers to earn substandard… [More]

For nearly two and a half years, a Yeshiva World News blogger who goes by the name of Dov Gordon appears to have been one of New York City Councilman David Greenfield’s biggest fans in the local Jewish media. Gordon wrote in 2010 that the city’s potential restoration of funding for after-school vouchers was a “major victory for the newly elected Greenfield.” This past fall, Gordon wrote in a “Backroom Deals” column that the councilman’s “strong endorsement” of an individual… [More]