After Superstorm Sandy devastated New York City last fall, among the volunteers in Rockaway was a former congressman who left Washington in ignominy. … [More]

There weren’t tears until the end. Not until the organist’s dirge slowly, and then unmistakably became recognizable as “New York, New York”, as the colossal coffin floated out of Temple Emanu-El on the shoulders of six of the city’s Finest, did it seem to dawn upon the crowd that the man we had somehow assumed, against reason, would live forever was gone. Up until that moment the funeral of Edward I. Koch had been a riotous, unsentimental affair—just the type… [More]

I’m a Republican and I’m tired.… [More]

From the State of the State in January to the announcement of the GOP-IDC Senate coalition in December, 2012 was a year to remember in New York politics.… [More]

A Q&A with Rep. Bob Turner and Mike Long on Hurricane Sandy… [More]

  We’re all winners and losers this week. Winners, because our state demonstrated again how compassionate and resilient we are in the face of adversity. Losers, for the suffering we have all had to endure, and will continue to grapple with in the days, months and years to come. Of course, not all winners and losers are equal, and this week there were plenty of politicos who made headlines for their triumphs and plenty more who got attention for their… [More]

  How many election days does a state need to get everyone elected? This year in New York – exceptional as always – there are three, including yesterday’s state Senate and Assembly primaries, which shared the ballot with various other races for district leader, judge and district attorney. Voters didn’t exactly flock to the polls, but they ousted incumbents mired in legal trouble, cast votes for or against Republicans who voted for same-sex marriage in races still too close to… [More]

Our Mike Bocamazo reports:  Rep. Bob Turner today endorsed Wendy Long, his former Republican primary opponent, in her U.S. Senate race against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, saying that he and Long “are ideologically compatible” and citing a need to “put the adults back in charge.” At the press conference for Turner’s endorsement today in midtown Manhattan, Long blasted Gillibrand as inauthentic, saying that “the initiatives that she takes are cosmetic, are done for show.” Long also said that Gillibrand is “a great… [More]

Even as the size of New York’s Congressional delegation shrinks from 29 to 27, there is an opportunity for the number of Republican representatives to grow. Currently there are eight Republican members of the House from New York, though owing to redistricting, Rep. Bob Turner’s seat has been eliminated. Of the remaining seven Peter King, Michael Grimm, Chris Gibson, Richard Hanna and Tom Reed are all in strong positions to win reelection. This leaves only Reps. Nan Hayworth and Ann… [More]

Pundits do a good job of assessing winners and losers after electoral events like the recent congressional primaries. Few are better, for example, than City & State’s First Read on Fridays. Yet while this last primary’s victors have already been determined, I would like to parse the significant factors underlying who won, who lost and why. First, let’s look at the GOP Senate race. In statewide primaries generally the most potent combination a candidate can achieve is being dubbed the… [More]