Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
Ivanka Trump ultimately evading a fraud lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Tish James feels quintessentially “Barbenheimer,” don’t you think? If you are not online (lucky you), Barbenheimer describes the intersection between the vibe of the Barbie movie and that of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” (about Robert Oppenheimer, who invented nuclear war), both of which will be released on July 21. Barbie is all pink and femininity, while Oppenheimer is dark and brooding and historical and grave. There isn’t much in the middle of that ven diagram, but Ivanka, formerly at the center of so much political power and fresh off a dropped lawsuit, kind of is.
Yusef Salaam -
Who else has gone from prison to the New York City Council? Yusef Salaam was famously exonerated, and now he’s famously elevated, defeating two sitting lawmakers in a competitive Harlem primary in his first time ever running for office. He’ll go from one of the Central Park 5 to one of the City Council 51 (and he’ll have six months to memorize that number, before taking office in January). Oh and to Donald Trump, who called for his death? Karma.
Linda Johnson, Dennis Walcott, Anthony Marx -
No party is totally happy in a good compromise, and both Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams acknowledged that their deal on a final city budget was less than perfect. But the presidents of the city’s three library systems emerged indisputably victorious, avoiding all proposed new budget cuts after a spirited campaign. Patience the Lion can give up rallying at City Hall and cuddle up with a good book.
Zeneta Everhart -
A little over a year after her young adult son survived a racially motivated mass shooting while working at a grocery store near their Buffalo home, Zeneta Everhart has won the Democratic primary for a seat on the city’s Common Council. Everhart, a staffer for state Sen. Tim Kennedy, became a voice against racism and violence following the shooting and has now defeated Democratic socialist India Walton for the Masten District. There’s no Republican running for the district, which means Everhart has won the seat.
Charles Barron -
If Game of Thrones taught us anything it’s that all reigns eventually come to an end. Council Member Charles Barron, a fixture of East New York politics for over two decades, is no exception. He was bested by community organizer Chris Banks by about 7 points in one of the biggest upsets of the June 27 primary. While a personal loss for Barron, it would also likely be one for the City Council’s political diversity as well, given that between him and fellow socialist Kristin Richardson Jordan, the body will likely be losing two of its most left-leaning members.
George Maziarz -
At the height of his power, former state Sen. George Maziarz was referred to by some in Niagara County as “King George.” Now Meghan Markle has more royal power. Maziarz, who pleaded guilty in a corruption case after leaving Albany, saw his political comeback implode this week when he finished a poor third in the Republican primary for a town board seat in rural Newfane. Even the Duke of Windsor managed to retain some trappings.
Phil Murphy -
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced this week that congestion pricing for cars driving into lower Manhattan is a go - and could be implemented as soon as May 2024. Her Garden State counterpart Phil Murphy has long-been opposed congestion pricing as it’ll charge Jersey drivers coming into the city for work and play. In fact, he opposes it so strongly that he’s hired lawyers to challenge the fee on the basis of not enough environmental review.