On Friday evening past the close of the business day, Bronx Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj sent out to his contact list a rather standard email asking his supporters to join him in celebrating the campaign kick-off of Richie Torres, a candidate running for New York City Council. The only problem is that the email originated from Gjonaj’s official Assembly email account, a breach of the rules covering governmental communication. Reached for comment, Will Madonna, a spokesman for Gjonaj, acknowledged the mistake,… [More]

Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s abrupt resignation from office leaves a vacuum of power in North Brooklyn with no obvious successor. Lopez’s departure could be an opportunity for Jason Otaño, a former state Senate candidate and former counsel for Borough President Marty Markowitz. Otaño lost to state Sen. Martin Dilan last year, but is expected to announce his intentions to run for Lopez’s seat in coming weeks. Democratic District Leader Maritza Davila, who narrowly lost to Councilwoman Diana Reyna four years ago, may… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s sexual harassment scandal a “sad and disturbing episode” and urged lawmakers to expel him from the chamber. “They should make the statement that we should not tolerate this in our house,” Cuomo said at a press conference. “The state Legislature does not tolerate this behavior and we want him expelled from our house.” But Cuomo would not call on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to step down despite rumblings for his removal based on his handling of the case. “The… [More]

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall on Wednesday, but he had a few things to say about Gov. Andrew Cuomo too. “I think he’s doing a great job,” Malloy said. “He’s working very hard, he’s assembled a good team on the gun control stuff. He shot out pretty quickly and did a lot of good work. I support him.” Malloy, a Democrat, also got a gun control bill through the state legislature this year but has dealt with far less corruption… [More]

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]

Brooklyn Democratic leaders are uneasy at the possibility that the Brooklyn borough president frontrunner, state Sen. Eric Adams, may become entangled in a federal dragnet that has already ensnared former state Sen. Shirley Huntley, who secretly recorded Adams, and they are making calls urging more candidates to step into the race, according to sources. Power brokers are urging Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carlo Scissura, Markowitz’s former chief of staff, to challenge Adams, but Scissura said he’s staying put for now. “I love… [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]

’Tis the season for club endorsements and Julie Menin is racking up a flurry of them. Last week the former Community Board 1 chair turned candidate for Manhattan Borough President scored endorsements from five clubs, which collectively span the borough from end to end. They came from Northern Manhattan Democrats for Change (Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill), Village Independent Democrats (Greenwich Village), United Democratic Organization (Chinatown), the Lower East Side Democrats, and the McManus Democratic Association (Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West). Earlier in… [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]