News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Garcia and Wiley concede — Ticker tape parade honors essential workers

Thursday, July 8, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Garcia and Wiley concede — Ticker tape parade honors essential workers — Jumaane Williams heads upstate

Jul 08, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze

Presented by Association of American Universities

Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley conceded the race for mayor Wednesday, clearing the way for Eric Adams to be the undisputed Democratic nominee.

A day after the race was called for Adams, the two runners-up both acknowledged defeat. Garcia, whose improbable surge left her just one point short of Adams in ranked-choice results, spoke at the Women's Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park.

"For 400 years, no woman has held the top seat at City Hall. This campaign has come closer than any other moment in history to breaking that glass ceiling and selecting New York City's first female mayor," she said. "We cracked the hell out of it, and it's ready to be broken."

Wiley, who finished second to Adams on election night but dropped to third once ranked-choice kicked in, said she spoke to Adams to offer her congratulations, and noted his win has historical significance as well, as he is likely to become the city's second Black mayor. "That has tremendous meaning for so many New Yorkers, particularly Black people," she said. Still, she hinted her progressive supporters could become a thorn in his side. "If I was standing here to be celebrating being the Democratic primary candidate, what I'd be calling for is all of the people who supported me and everyone else to hold me accountable," she said. "And it's what we're all going to continue to do with Eric Adams, because that's what democracy is."

Adams, for his part, is laying claim to a rather broad national mandate as he takes a victory lap. "New York is going to show America how to run cities," he said on CBS News, doubling down on his public safety message. "I know how we can turn around not only New York, but America." Oh, and he also has an earring now.

IT'S THURSDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S ANDREW? In Albany with no public events scheduled.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "My first question is, what took so long? And why has it taken us so long, watching these babies die, year after year after year?" — Eric Adams on CBS when asked about Cuomo declaring a gun violence state of emergency

AND ANOTHER ONE: "For me, snitching is a badge of honor." — Attorney General Tish James, on collaboration with law enforcement during an event in Syracuse where she announced two drug ring busts

A message from Association of American Universities:

University of Rochester and America's leading research universities are at the forefront of the COVID-19 battle and are working to protect us from future pandemics. We power the solutions that solve problems and create jobs. We are the hospitals and labs that provide the best care and discover the latest treatments, tests, and vaccines to get our communities back on track. America's universities are stepping up to protect the health and security of our nation. Learn More.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"NYC honors essential workers at parade up Canyon of Heroes," by The Associated Press' Deepti Hajela: "Essential workers who helped New York City through the COVID-19 pandemic were honored Wednesday with a parade up Broadway — nurses, doctors, first responders, teachers, bus drivers and more riding on floats through a canyon of tall buildings and falling confetti. The parade stretched from Battery Park to City Hall, led up Broadway in lower Manhattan by grand marshal Sandra Lindsay, a health care worker who was the first person in the country to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot. 'What a difference a year makes,' said Lindsay. 'Fifteen months ago, we were in a much different place but thanks to the heroic efforts of so many — health care workers, first responders, frontline workers, the people who fed us, the people who put their lives on the line, we can't thank them enough.'

"As much as it was a celebration, the parade was also a somber reminder of the pandemic's lingering toll. Some marchers had signs paying tribute to essential workers who died of COVID-19. The crowds along the route were sparse, due in part to many businesses still operating remotely. And, noting the rise of disease variants, Lindsay was using her role as the parade's grand marshal to encourage people to get vaccinated."

— Firefighters joined EMTs in boycotting the parade.

"As Delta Risk Looms, New York City Scales Back Covid Monitoring," by The New York Times' Sharon Otterman: "Coronavirus testing numbers are dwindling. Contact tracers are being invited to apply for other jobs. And the percentage of coronavirus cases the city is analyzing to track variants has fallen. New York City has been scaling back its efforts to monitor the spread of the coronavirus, reflecting not only a steadily low caseload but also a growing sense that the city, along with the entire country, is starting to leave the pandemic behind. But some public health experts and elected officials are worried that the de Blasio administration may be pulling back on its surveillance measures too soon, potentially leaving the city ill prepared should more contagious forms of the virus cause new outbreaks."

— The Javits Center and two other mass vaccination sites will close.

With primaries over, the race for Council speaker takes center stage , by POLITICO's Joe Anuta: The race for City Council speaker has been quietly underway for months, but with the primary results decided, the jockeying now begins in earnest. Eric Adams emerged as the Democratic nominee for mayor and voters ushered in a new Council that will be ideologically diverse, with members ranging from Democratic socialists to Republicans. The next Council speaker will need to wrangle those 51 members amid dwindling federal stimulus money and an uncertain economy as it navigates its principal functions — negotiating the city budget, conducting oversight, voting on land-use applications and passing laws.

"The Next City Council Set To Be Most Diverse, Progressive, And Hold First-Ever Female Majority," by WNYC's Gwynne Hogan and Gothamist's David Cruz: "With the first Muslim woman, the first South Asian members, the first openly gay Black woman, seven foreign-born New Yorkers, and more women and people of color poised to be elected than ever before, the next New York City Council is on track to be the most diverse and the most left-leaning in the city's history. Among the record-breaking statistics of this incoming class, women members are expected to outnumber men on the Council, likely holding at least 28 of the 51 seats. In contrast, there currently are 14 women council members. Given that all of the current women candidates are Democrats who as a whole vastly outnumber Republicans, they're all but guaranteed to win the November general election."

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

MY! HOW TIME FLIES: Cuomo is scheduled to pass the National Governor Association chairman's gavel to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson during a virtual meeting of the bipartisan group today. Cuomo's roughly 20-minute farewell speech is set for 12:30 p.m. and is expected to focus on federal-state-private sector collaboration for vaccine development and distribution during his 11 months at the helm, according to the NGA. The annual summer meeting remains remote — Cuomo's not historically been enthusiastic about the social aspect of these shindigs, anyway — so tune in at the association's Facebook or YouTube channels or homepage.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Republican politicos and commentators Susan Del Percio, Mike Madrid, Stephen Imholte, and William F. B. O'Reilly, along with businessmen Brian Mistrot and Mike Pitcher, are launching a nonprofit with the goal of restoring faith in the electoral system and educating the public about climate change and federal debt. The group is calling itself One Nation Movement and will focus on correcting "gross inaccuracies on these topics promulgated by some media outlets and elected leaders." The plan in the coming months, O'Reilly told us, is to use op-eds, news releases, digital media, and radio and television spots "to push back on false and damaging information put out there by dubious agents on the political right (and left). Conspiracies and conservatism cannot co-exist."

Jumaane Williams tours upstate to discuss gun violence strategy , by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a onetime candidate for lieutenant governor, has been touring upstate to discuss gun violence prevention with Democratic candidates in some of the region's biggest cities. "I've always thought that it was important for cities that are dealing with similar issues to not try to deal with them themselves," he said. The tour comes as potential candidates for statewide office in 2022 need to start making some decisions. The general parameters of next year's elections will likely not be known until the various investigations into Gov. Andrew Cuomo start to conclude. But Williams, who narrowly lost the 2018 Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, would almost certainly be taken seriously should he launch another bid for that office or, perhaps, set his sights higher.

— He's also inviting a lot of people to his wedding. Make of that what you will.

" Inspector General declines call to reopen Cuomo leak case," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Despite recent statements appearing to confirm that information was illegally leaked to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the state inspector general's office is declining a request by commissioners on a state ethics panel to reopen an investigation into the matter. During an initial nine-month investigation in 2019, the inspector general's office failed to interview key witnesses, including Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heasite, before declaring that allegations of an illegal leak could not be substantiated. On Tuesday, three Republican-appointed commissioners to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics called for the inspector general's office to reopen its investigation. Their demand came after Heastie acknowledged to the Times Union that following a confidential JCOPE vote in January 2019 the governor had called him and complained about how Heastie's appointees to the panel had just voted in a closed door meeting. … But Lee Park, a spokesman for the inspector general's office, said on Wednesday that the office 'will not be bullied or badgered by partisans regarding how it performs its statutorily mandated duties. The office stands by this investigation.'"

" State drops mask case against Orchard Park gym owner," by Buffalo News' Patrick Lakamp: "The state has given up seeking civil penalties against an Orchard Park gym owner it said allowed clients to work out without masks this spring while Covid-19 remained a raging public health threat. The State Attorney General's Office had accused Athletes Unleashed owner Robert Dinero of repeatedly violating the state's mask mandate and sought a $1,000 fine for each violation, with each day a separate violation for each customer. The state's assertion came as a counterclaim in the lawsuit Dinero brought against the state over the pandemic restrictions. Now lawyers for the state and Dinero have agreed to dismiss the case, according to a filing Wednesday in State Supreme Court in Buffalo."

— Summer school students in New York state will no longer be required to wear masks under new guidance released by the Department of Health on Wednesday. Schools and districts may now adopt masking policies that align with state guidance for child care, day camp and overnight camp programs. Those guidelines say unvaccinated children 'are strongly encouraged but not required to wear face coverings indoors as feasible.' The changes do not extend beyond the summer session, and schools are free to come up with stricter policies on masking should they choose to. — POLITICO's Michelle Bocanegra

"Why outdoor dining in New York just got a big boost with a new state law," by USA Today Network's Joseph Spector: "Let them eat — on the sidewalks. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday codified an executive order during the COVID-19 pandemic into state law that allows restaurants to continue to use municipal spaces like sidewalks and streets for outdoor dining. The measure, which passed the state Legislature last month, allows restaurants to use the public spaces for another year as they recover from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic as outdoor dining has become an increasingly popular option."

#UpstateAmerica: Thruway rest stops are getting Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Shake Shack and so much more. Perhaps t'will no longer be necessary to buy a plane ticket for some crispy chicken.

Biden and the Boroughs

"City's Immigration Courts Reopen After More Than A Year Of Being Shut Down To All But Most Urgent Cases," by Gothamist's Joseph Gedeon: "Immigration courts in New York City are open once again for the first time since the start of the pandemic. During the past year, some remote hearings took place, but only for people who were in detention. Now, non-detained people can have their day in immigration court at Broadway, Varick or Federal Plaza. 'My wife is inside and we're waiting for the good news,' said Ismail Hossein, a Bangladeshi American who was standing outside Federal Plaza immigration court with his young daughter. 'We applied for that last June, now it's July so it's been more than a year.'"

AROUND NEW YORK

— Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly threatened to remove the public from public comment sessions as critiques of the city's policing ramps up.

— Former Niskayuna police chief Frances Wall allegedly claimed she would kill an employee if a firm the Town Board hired to conduct a racial equity audit "comes after my police officers."

— 'Something's not right': The best part of Woodstock reunions is that they always devolve into chaos, a new documentary reminds us.

— Remington says it might need to roll back its New York presence over the new firearms liability law.

— Method Man made a video celebrating a Wu-Tang-themed reading program at Depew Middle School.

— A subway rider was slashed in the face by a man he asked to turn down his music.

— Staten Island borough president candidate Vito Fosella got a boost from a paid ad by Newsmax before winning the Republican primary.

— De Blasio congratulated Eric Adams on his win, but still won't reveal whether he voted for him.

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SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Steve Holland of Reuters …WSJ's Doug Belkin ... Anna Quindlen … Jim Miklaszewski … Arlie Ziskend … CNN's Bill Hinkle … Nick Simpson of Klarna … NYT's Lara Jakes ... former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) ... Ron Kampeas … Stephanie Berhane ... Christian Sherrill

MAKING MOVES — WHERE THEY ARE NOW — Per CNBC's Brian Schwartz: "TJ Ducklo, President Joe Biden's former deputy White House press secretary, is starting to work for an influential public relations and crisis communications firm, months after he quit the White House for reportedly threatening to destroy a reporter's career. Ducklo is now working for Risa Heller Communications."

— Brian Nick has been named EVP and chief communications officer at Fox. He most recently was VP of communications at Coca-Cola Consolidated and is also a Walmart, NRSC and Elizabeth Dole alum. … Sheerin Salimi is now global corporate narrative communications director at Nike. She most recently was director of global brand, sponsorship, and product communications at Visa. … Mikeisha Anderson Jones Esq. is now chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Milbank. She most recently was VP for global inclusion and diversity at American Express.

MEDIAWATCH — "New York Times publishes editor's note confessing reporter's massive conflict of interest," by WaPo's Erik Wemple: Reporter Katie Rogers quoted Matt Latimer in a story without disclosing she is a client of his literary firm Javelin.

— @maxwelltani: "New York Post managing editor of news @EricLenkowitz told staff [Tuesday] that he is leaving. NBC News' Zach Haberman will replace him, per an internal memo."

A message from Association of American Universities:

University of Rochester and America's leading research universities are at the forefront of battling against COVID-19 and working to protect us from future pandemics. We power the solutions that solve problems and create jobs. We are the nurses, engineers, and physicians fighting this crisis on the front line. We are the hospitals and labs across the country that provide the best care and discover the latest treatments, tests, and vaccines to get our communities back on track. This is all made possible by a robust government-university partnership that has fueled the greatest medical, technological and economic breakthroughs of the last 70-plus years. Then, as now, America's universities are stepping up to fight this virus, and protect the health and security of our nation. Learn More.

REAL ESTATE

"Real estate's winners and losers in the City Council primaries," by Real Deal's Kathryn Brenzel: "New tallies show that most of the City Council candidates most feared by the real estate industry likely won't be taking office. The release Tuesday night of ranked-choice voting selections, including absentee ballots, in the 35 Council primaries reveals key victories for the industry and only a handful by socialists. Results won't be certified until later this month... The New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed six candidates for City Council, but only two won: Tiffany Cabán in Queens District 22 and Alexa Avilés in Brooklyn's District 38. Two out of 51 seats will not give the DSA much sway over who succeeds Corey Johnson as City Council speaker or any direct means to stop rezonings in 49 districts."

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