Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
You’ll see some familiar names among this week’s winners and losers that might make you think that you’ve traveled back in time to 2019. You know, the glory days when a now-former governor and a now-former mayor were at each other’s throats more often than not, with the pair regularly gracing this feature in alternating positions. But things are different now. That former governor is trying to become mayor. And that former mayor is… well, he’s out there living his best life after getting back into the dating pool. Just maybe not this week.
Andrew Cuomo -
Normal people apparently do not care that Andrew Cuomo’s campaign botched their fundraising disclosures. Nor do they care about the housing plan riddled with typos and nonsense, nor the fact that he’s not making himself available to press the way his opponents have. A whopping 44% of voters who aren’t undecided are planning to vote for him as their first choice in the Democratic primary, according to a Marist poll that dropped this week. On Mother’s Day, Cuomo notched a key endorsement from Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who has massive influence in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx, where polls show Cuomo is quite popular.
Twyla Carter -
After over a decade of battles in the court and beyond, a federal judge stripped New York City of its control over Rikers Island and ordered a federal receiver to take over city jails. The order is a massive victory for the Legal Aid Society, bringing the Nunez v. City of New York case to a long-awaited culmination. Many lawyers from the Legal Aid Society and beyond have been involved in the battle, but as the organization’s attorney-in-chief and CEO, Twyla Carter undoubtedly deserves at least partial credit for this victory.
Byron Brown -
Hailing from Hochul’s neck of the woods never hurts, even if you aren’t in office anymore. Former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. that he now heads will save between $4 million and $5 million thanks to a provision in the state budget that reduces the state’s share of revenue. Some of those savings will go to local government and employees, but Brown will still be able to say that the house won.
Bill de Blasio -
“Well, well, well, not so easy to find a mayor who’s ethical, huh?” Mayor Eric Adams must have thought to himself when he heard the news that former Mayor Bill de Blasio has to pay the city $330,000 for using his government security detail during his 2019 presidential run. De Blasio has undergone something of an accidental image rehab in the Adams era. (Adams’ corruption charges helped brush over de Blasio’s own struggles in that arena.) But while he may be getting more love lately, de Blasio’s distinction this week – first mayor successfully fined by the Conflicts of Interest Board – is not so honorable.
Anthony Saccavino -
Former FDNY chief Anthony Saccavino was sentenced on May 14 to three years in prison for his role in a $250,000 bribery scheme that accepted payments in exchange for fast-tracking inspections. The only thing he’ll be inspecting now is the inside of a prison cell. At least he’ll have some company; his partner in crime, Brian Cordasco, pleaded guilty in March and will serve 20 months.
Nicole Malliotakis -
From the people who brought you “Who’s the Speaker?” and “Rep. Elise Stefanik: College President Slayer” comes the new summer blockbuster “Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: Super Spy.” The Staten Island Republican was kicked out of a SALT cap meeting by New York Republicans who believed she was sent there by Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, a SALT opponent. While it’s not clear if Malliotakis is 007, Dionne Warwick won’t be singing “that’s what friends are for” anytime soon.