Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
As SNL found out the hard way, you can’t parody Curtis Sliwa. He’s so exquisitely himself that any imitation just falls flat. So I’m just going to hand the mic over to the former mayoral candidate, who recently wrote a blog about his favorite EDM songs: “One of the most unforgettable nights happened when my wife and younger campaign team convinced me to attend a Chainsmokers concert under the K Bridge in Brooklyn. Thousands of young people gathered beneath the steel structure, lights flashing against the night sky, bass echoing through the crowd. I expected to feel out of place. Instead, I felt at home.” Keep reading to learn who else felt at home – and who was cast out!
Ana María Archila -
Forced to choose which half of her progressive political base to alienate by endorsing either Antonio Reynoso or Claire Valdez for Congress, the Working Families Party co-executive director simply got up and left. Next stop, the embassy cocktail party circuit. Mayor Zohran Mamdani rewarded Archila’s support in the primary with a role leading the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs. Sure, she might have to navigate Mamdani’s Middle East politics at the U.N., but it’s easier than endorsement meetings.
Sean Ryan -
Hallmark showed that Buffalo is the City of Good Neighbors in a Christmas movie last year, but now it’s time to sing “Santa Kathy is coming to town.” The governor is being the ultimate good neighbor by pledging to send $40 million in additional state aid, enough to close Buffalo’s current $24 million budget gap. Great news for rookie Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, who sought the funds as he works on a long term fix for the city’s fiscal woes.
Letitia James -
The attorney general sued and won (at least for now) over $200 million in federal funding that the Trump administration had frozen for the Gateway tunnel program, and now the long-delayed project to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River will resume next week. The victory shows James remains an aggressive protector of New York’s major capital projects and a counterweight to Trump’s agenda.
Zohran Mamdani -
Before you throw down a gauntlet, you better be pretty sure someone will pick it up. This week, Mayor Zohrani Mamdani found himself awkwardly standing next to his big budget gauntlet with few takers. His threat to Gov. Kathy Hochul to tax the rich or watch New York City raise its own property taxes has landed with a thud, especially after the City Council made clear it was an empty threat. Jeers have been coming from inside Mamdani’s own house this week, too, as he confirmed he will resume sweeps of homeless encampments, albeit with a different protocol than the last administration, whose sweeps he denounced.
Laura Gillen -
When you’re one of the most vulnerable Democrats in New York, getting a primary challenge from a former party faithful is the last thing you need. Gillen is already in the unenviable position of defending her swing district against Republican attacks, and now has to deal with former Assembly Member Taylor Darling taking swings from the left over her vote to fund ICE. It remains to be seen how strong a candidate Darling will be, but any resources drawn away from November will only hurt Gillen.
Tekedra Mawakana & Dmitri Dolgov -
Looks like Waymo is a no-go in Hochul’s home. The governor hit reverse on a plan to expand autonomous vehicles’ ability to operate in the state, which she had included in her budget proposal just a month ago. But if Waymo’s impressive footprint outside New York is any indication, the company and its co-CEOs will view this setback as a bump in the road (or a police stop) and keep on trucking with their lobbying efforts.