This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

Rep. Nydia Velázquez may have not endorsed her, but Diana Moreno came out on top in a Queens special election on Feb. 3. Of course, in a lefty district like Assembly District 36, it helps to have the backing of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who happens to be the seat’s former occupant. Though Erik Bottcher, Jeremy Zellner and Keith Powers didn’t have particularly tough specials, ultimately, they are also newly minted state lawmakers.

Who doesn’t want to be Kathy Hochul right now? The governor is riding high with her best approval rating ever, a popular anti-ICE proposal, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill agreed to Kathryn Garcia as the undisputed Port Authority chief and widespread praise for Adrienne Adams as her new running mate. Hochul also picked up Zohran Mamdani and Letitia James’ endorsements. Maybe it’s not the best time to be on Hochul’s bad side.

Stanley Richards will make history as the first commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction who knows what it’s like to be incarcerated. Though getting the job is a win, it’s a position in which victories can come far and few between. Richards, who has had previous stints as first deputy commissioner at the department and at the Board of Correction, will have his work cut out for him in implementing reforms alongside a new remediation manager at Rikers Island.

Former Queens Defenders founder Lori Zeno dropped a bombshell in court: The hundreds of thousands of dollars of the nonprofit’s money she spent on a luxury penthouse, a Bali vacation and teeth-whitening appointments were not in fact “business expenses.” Zeno made the admission when pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, for which the government will likely seek four to five years in prison.

Brooklyn Democratic Party messiness isn’t anything new. But county boss Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is still full of surprises. After Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Adrienne Adams as her running mate, Bichotte Hermelyn got a bunch of district leaders together and voted to rescind their endorsement of the governor. They were angry that Hochul didn’t consult Brooklyn Democratic leaders or give them the heads-up. Of course, the decision went over like a lead balloon, renewing negative chatter about Bichotte Hermelyn’s leadership.

Being New York City mayor means that sometimes you have to take the blame for acts of God. And sometimes you and God aren’t aligned on what’s best for the city. New Yorkers’ patience is wearing thin as they navigate residual ice piles covered in frozen pee and poo, and watch trash and recycling pile up on the curb. The frigid temperatures have also drawn attention to the precarity of homelessness in the city, as the death toll since Code Blue went into effect hits 17.