20 DAYS UNTIL THE 2023 PRIMARY ELECTION
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| By Jeff Coltin, Annie McDonough and Eric Holmberg | |
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When New York City voters head to the polls for local primary elections this month, there will be new districts, ranked choice voting is back after its debut two years ago and several incumbents could face difficult reelection campaigns. Early voting starts on June 17 ahead of Election Day on June 27 for 24 New York City Council primaries in 21 districts, a couple interesting district attorney races and some races for judge, and lower-level positions like county committee. However, that means many incumbents will skate through primary season without a major challenge – so City & State is placing a spotlight on the open seats and competitive primaries likely to be the most interesting to watch on election night.
District 43 Southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Bensonhurst and Gravesend
New York City’s redistricting process created a new majority-Asian American district – the first in Brooklyn – making it the rare seat with no incumbent this year. A boost to the city’s Asian American population reflected in the 2020 census prompted a groundswell of advocacy for this new district, which stretches through southern Brooklyn in a narrow staircase shape – up from Gravesend and Bensonhurst and ending in Sunset Park. And while the seat is likely to see a competitive general election in November, there are two contested primaries to get through first.
Read more about how the open seat’s shaping up, and six other races to keep an eye on. |
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That’s how much the Westchester Democratic County Committee transferred to Yadira Ramos-Herbert’s New Rochelle mayoral campaign – but nobody knows where the county party got that money, since they haven’t filed a financial disclosure since last July. City & State highlighted that missing filing back in March, as one of many delinquent committees, but now it’s the source of local scandal, thanks to seriously in-depth reporting by New Roc citizen Robert Cox. That $60K more than doubled the $48,000 that Ramos-Herbert, a New Rochelle City Council member, raised directly, and it only grew the financial gap between her and Democratic primary opponent Damon Maher, a county legislator, who had brought in less than $9,000 and reported that he’s nearly $3,000 in debt.
But $60K is big money in a city with a population of 82,000 (so, less than half a New York City Council district, which hover around 175,000 people). The county Democrats should report, but their last filing may give a hint. Big donors included the Empire Dental PAC and real estate developer Louis Cappelli, who each gave $10,000. Westchester County Democratic Party Chair Suzanne Berger said no comment on who’s funding, but that the January filing should be posted as soon as Wednesday, and that she’s seeking guidance on whether she needs to file a pre-primary report too. Why are they so late? “No malintent.”
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JOBS FOR NEW YORK ... CONSULTANTS |
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The Real Estate Board of New York’s Jobs for New York super PAC has spent $19,000 and counting on palm cards backing City Council Member Francisco Moya – even though he doesn’t even have a primary. Former Council Member Hiram Monserrate is trying yet another comeback after serving time in prison on corruption charges, but his name is off the ballot, after an Appellate Division court stayed enforcement of the lower court ruling that could have put him in the primary. Since the case technically isn’t an election law case, but rather an effort to challenge the constitutionality of the law barring people convicted of certain crimes from office, the court is taking its sweet time ruling. Even if Monserrate’s side does win, it may be too late to hold a primary in Council District 21. Early voting starts next week, and mail-in ballots are already out. “It’s an operational nightmare, if not an impossibility,” said city Board of Elections Deputy Executive Director Vincent Ignizio.
So why spend? “Hiram is a bad guy. This is a no-brainer,” said one REBNY insider. And even if the possibility that Monserrate makes the ballot is incredibly slim? Well, real estate is pretty thankful for Moya’s work on the soccer stadium deal, and this is one way to show it, with strategic support from The Parkside Group. |
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Manhattan Democratic Party leader Keith Wright may need a Yusef Salaam win in City Council District 9 to prove he’s still got juice. Wright helped recruit the criminal justice activist back home to Harlem from Georgia to run, and Wright’s son is managing Salaam’s campaign. Insiders – including those privy to internal polls – said he’s got a real shot at winning, though so does Assembly Member Inez Dickens.
Wright has faced a number of political losses in recent years. He backed Athena Moore when Cordell Cleare became a state senator, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal for Manhattan borough president and Brian Benjamin for city comptroller. And most notably, Wright lost to Rep. Adriano Espaillat for an open House seat in 2016, one battle in a long war between the two that has extended to this council race, where Espaillat and members of the Squadriano have backed Dickens.
Wright is up for reelection as county leader this summer, and there’s talk he could get challenged, likely from Espaillat’s camp. So insiders said a Salaam win could go far to solidify Wright’s power, even in the notoriously fractured Manhattan party. Wright brushed off the talk – “This must be a slow, slow news week for you!” he told City & State. “You’re really overthinking this” – and may be fine either way. Insiders said the votes probably aren’t there to take him out, and even when there was a movement against him in 2019 for serving as chair and as a strategist at lobbying firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron at the same time, he was reelected anyway.
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FIGHTIN' IN BRIGHTON (BEACH) |
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New York City Council Member Inna Vernikov’s Twitter snipes at fellow Republican Council Member Ari Kagan on Friday were just the most public showing of the ongoing grudge between two of the six members of the minority conference. In fact, Vernikov helped recruit Anna Belfiore-Delfaus all the way from Staten Island to run against Kagan in the District 47 primary, while Kagan is with Igor Kazatsker over Vernikov in District 48. Kazatsker, like Kagan, is a close ally of southern Brooklyn macher Gregory Davidzon – who Kazatsker finally started reporting payments to, after Vernikov filed a complaint. So it didn’t come out of nowhere when Vernikov questioned Kagan’s GOP credentials, when he was just trying to answer a question about whether recent migrants can vote. (No.) “You’re not a plaintiff on that lawsuit with the rest of us Republicans,” Vernikov said. “Oh oops I forgot you were not a Republican on that day yet,” adding he “never even stepped foot into the Republican suite (in City Hall) before you became a Republican overnight.” Kagan, of course, switched parties in December, conveniently soon after another round of election results made it clear his constituents were favoring the GOP. Kagan played it cool on Twitter, saying Vernikov shouldn’t be “trolling on a fellow Jewish legislator,” and declining to point out that she herself was a registered Democrat, friendly with Kagan and Davidzon, before she launched her 2021 campaign. A campaign where Kagan, despite that, backed her Democratic opponent Steve Saperstein.
So the two Russian-speaking council members, both immigrants from the former Soviet Union, are not united. But Republican leader Joe Borelli claimed it’ll all work out. “I am confident we will be returning two incumbent members of our conference come November. – even if they won’t be riding a tandem bicycle on the boardwalk anytime soon.” |
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Former Democratic state Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, who lost reelection to Republican state Sen. Bill Weber in a Rockland County district last year, just filed a new campaign with the state Board of Elections on May 30. Gov. Kathy Hochul has worked hard to keep suburban Democrats happy after folks like Reichlin-Melnick blamed her for dragging them down, and this likely District 38 rematch could be a key test in 2024. Then again, Donald Trump topping the ballot may be a better boost for suburban Democrats than even Hochul killing her housing plans. Now, all eyes are on the overlapping 17th Congressional District and former Rep. Mondaire Jones’ likely comeback campaign.
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Queens District Attorney candidate George Grasso and New York City Council District 19 candidate Paul Graziano cross-endorsed each other … Citizens Union doesn’t use the word endorse, but it prefers Susan Lee in District 1 and Susan Zhuang in District 43 … The New York City Coalition of the International Union of Operating Engineers released an endorsement slate including Lee in District 1 as well as Justin Brannan and not Ari Kagan in District 47 … Rep. Nicole Malliotakis endorsed Kagan, though … Tenants PAC endorsed 20 incumbents, including Christopher Marte in District 1, Marjorie Velázquez in District 13 and Lynn Schulman in District 29 … NYC Kids PAC endorsed a slate of Democratic council candidates, including Isis McIntosh Green in District 41 … New York City Council Members Shaun Abreu, Diana Ayala and Carmen De La Rosa – members of the Squadriano – endorsed Inez Dickens in District 9 … Churches United for Fair Housing Action endorsed a slate of Democratic incumbents, including Pierina Sanchez in District 14 … Rep. Jamaal Bowman endorsed Yadira Ramos-Herbert for mayor of New Rochelle.
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Got tips? Who are you working for? Who are other people working for? Email or send a DM to Jeff. |
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City Council District 44 in southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of Borough Park, Midwood and Gravesend Incumbent: Kalman Yeger (Democratic, Republican, Conservative) 2020 census demographics: 71.2% white, 12.3% Asian, 9% Hispanic, 1.7% Black 2021 Republican primary election results: Yeger, uncontested 2021 general election results: Yeger (R): 54.4%, Yeger (D): 35.7%, Yeger (C): 7.7% Who’s running: Kalman Yeger (D, R, C), Heshy Tischler, (R, Boro Park Flatbush)
Politics are different in Borough Park, USA, where Kalman Yeger already has the Democratic and Conservative Party lines in November, but he has to fight perennial shit-stirrer Heshy Tischler for the Republican nomination. Tischler pleaded guilty in 2021 for inciting a riot over COVID-19 regulations and previously served prison time for immigration fraud. Fellow Republicans privately said they “wouldn’t go near that guy with a plague mask on” calling him “outright crazy” and “a laughingstock.” Tischler, a building permit expediter and radio host, claims he’s taking this race seriously, after raising a ton of money. “Laughingstock? When people are in trouble, standing there with the parks closed, who do they call?” he said. “Who feeds 151 families for 10 years? … Laughingstock? I don’t give a crap.” Yeger is an elections professional, while Tischler has run before and never done well, but insiders are keeping an eye on this unpredictable, low-turnout GOP primary, because whoever gets the Republican line, even if it’s Tischler, is poised to do well in November in this heavily Orthodox Jewish district.
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Thanks for reading City & State New York’s Campaign Confidential newsletter, where City Hall Bureau Chief Jeff Coltin is covering the biggest races in New York, from the City Council to district attorneys, and looking ahead to the 2024 elections.
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