It was a huge week for Anthony Weiner, who thrust himself back into the public eye with a flattering cover story in The New York Times Magazine just two years after his infamous crotch tweet and cover-up stalled a once promising career. Now Weiner is mulling a comeback in a crowded Democratic primary field for mayor of New York City. And this week, that makes him one of our Weiners and Losers. Can’t get enough of our winners and losers?… [More]

Each day we typically tackle three to four topics on The Capitol Pressroom, and in recent weeks the budget negotiations we have heard from some provocative guests.… [More]

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

  The unusually early June congressional primary came and went this week, as voters selected the candidates who can start hunting for real estate in Washington, D.C., others who will have big-time showdowns in the general election this fall, and still others sent back to languish in Albany, the City Council or places even less politically significant. As always, each race came to a close with plenty who benefitted and plenty who came up short, including this week’s winners and… [More]

Is Mike Long on a collision course  with the Republican Party? There is a gun hanging over Mike Long’s head. It’s old and dusty and says “Duke” on the handle—a John Wayne replica mounted on the wall of Long’s Bay Ridge office, amid a clutter of political posters, certificates and 9/11 memorabilia. In many ways, Long himself is a replica of the Duke: plainspoken, squinty-eyed, conservative to the core. Wayne played a Marine in several movies; Long played one in… [More]

Some local Conservative leaders buck the party’s platform, especially on same-sex marriage Mike Long, the chairman of the New York’s Conservative Party, isn’t the only party official known for his independent streak. Some local party leaders are supporting a few Republican state senators this fall, even though they strayed from the Conservative platform by voting to legalize same-sex marriage. Party officials in Erie County, Westchester County and Staten Island have also endorsed unorthodox candidates in recent years, owing to pragmatism,… [More]

This week’s biggest election ended without a clear winner and loser at the ballot box, though that hasn’t stopped us from making some snap judgments about the week. For everyone else, it was a week of jockeying for position, and though we make our calls below, we know the race is far from over. Wendy Long – How did the Manhattan attorney and political newcomer go from zero to practically capturing the GOP nomination for Senate over a sitting congressman?… [More]

The best items from The Notebook, City & State’s political blog City & State’s political blog The Notebook blog is your key source for political and campaign developments in New York. Stay on top of the news with items like these at www.cityandstateny.com/thenotebook.… [More]

* Now that Wendy Long has nabbed the Conservative Party line for her run for Senate, her advisors say she will now turn her attention to fundraising, an area where her opponent, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, has a clear advantage. Her team hopes to attract large, Super PAC-style donations to be able to reach the $15-$20 million baseline she would need to be competitive, and expect Gillibrand’s campaign to do the same. As for her strategy for setting herself apart from… [More]

A source just told me that Congressman Bob Turner’s request to speak at this afternoon’s New York State Conservative Party convention was denied, but party chairman Mike Long explained that Turner isn’t being singled out. “None of the candidates address the convention before the vote,” Long said when reached at his south Brooklyn office. “It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” Last week, all three candidates running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — Turner, Wendy Long and George Maragos — earned enough… [More]