News: POLITICO New York Playbook: Tish James expected to announce run for governor

Thursday, October 28, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Tish James expected to announce run for governor

Oct 28, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Deanna Garcia

It's unofficially official once again in the 2022 governor's race: Attorney General Tish James is likely to announce a campaign for governor very soon. She has reached a decision and will make it public in the "coming days," her campaign said last night.

Big, if true, but not a surprise — the AG has been viewed as a strong potential contender for months, as James has been weighing the substantial risks, her confidants have said. She would have to give up a reelection campaign for AG — a job she says she loves — and would face a formidable opponent in Gov. Kathy Hochul.

This week, rumors about her choice have been flying faster than usual as the time to build support and funding for the primary next June dwindles, and the Nov. 2 general election fast approaches (indicating a 2021 closure of sorts). James is expected to make an announcement before then, one that all of the state's Democrats can gossip about at the SOMOS conference in Puerto Rico next week. James is already filming a campaign ad, The City reports, while Hochul has been fundraising up a storm to defend against potential primary challengers.

News of James' plans emerged as Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, another Brooklyn Democrat, filed official paperwork with the state Board of Elections to run for governor, according to the Times Union. This hypothetical matchup was gamed out in a Marist poll , which found Hochul leading with 44 percent of the vote, followed by 28 percent for James, and 15 percent for Williams. Mayor Bill de Blasio, yet another Brooklynite, has also been making noises about jumping in.

All of this could create a difficult decision for Brooklyn Democrats... oh, nevermind.

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 KATHY? Speaking at the annual luncheon of the General Contractors Association of New York in Manhattan, making an announcement about gun safety in Westbury, then back to Manhattan to address the UJA Federation of New York's annual campaign launch.

WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability.

WHERE'S ERIC? Appearing on Good Day New York and greeting voters with Marjorie Velazquez, a candidate for a City Council seat in the Bronx.

WHERE'S CURTIS? No public schedule by press time.

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WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"Unvaccinated NYPD cops must get jab to get paid, judge rules," by New York Post's Craig McCarthy: "A Staten Island judge on Wednesday shot down a last-minute attempt by the NYPD's largest police union to fight the city's mandate ordering cops to get jabbed this week. Richmond County Supreme Court Judge Lizette Colon ruled that Mayor Bill de Blasio can enforce his COVID-19 vaccine mandate that requires all city workers, including members of the NYPD, to get their first dose by Friday 5 p.m. — or else be placed on unpaid leave. The head of the Police Benevolent Association said though union lawyers will be in court on Thursday to appeal the ruling to New York's Appellate Division as the hours tick down to the deadline."

— "FDNY: 1 In 5 Ambulances, Fire Companies Could Be Offline Monday As NYC Workers Fight Vaccine Mandate," by WNYC's Gwynne Hogan: "The head of the New York City Fire Department says staffing shortages could shutter up to 20% of firehouses next Monday, once the city's COVID-19 vaccine mandate goes into effect. FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said he would also predict 20% fewer ambulances on the road. Nigro said FDNY is bracing for the potential shortages by canceling all vacation days starting November 1st, requiring people to work overtime and reassigning uniformed employees who typically work desk jobs back into the field at firehouses across the city."

— " Trash is piling up in NYC and sanitation workers blame de Blasio's vaccine mandate," by New York Post's Larry Celona, Julia Marsh, Kevin Sheehan and Bruce Golding: "Sanitation workers outraged over the order to get inoculated against COVID-19 are letting trash pile up across Staten Island and in parts of Brooklyn — and the head of their union said Wednesday that he's on their side. The protesting workers are engaging in a rule-book slowdown that includes returning to their garages for things like gloves or gas so collections don't get finished, sources said.

"NYC Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez slams Curtis Sliwa over false citizenship claim: 'An offense to my whole family,'" by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt: "When Curtis Sliwa falsely claimed during Tuesday night's mayoral debate that Ydanis Rodriguez isn't an American citizen, the uptown Manhattan councilman felt sad and angry — but not surprised. 'For me, it's not something new to live with that type of discrimination,' Rodriguez, a Dominican national who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, told the Daily News on Wednesday. 'I live with that experience every day of my life. The only difference is that it's this character — who has no chance of becoming mayor — who is making the comment. It's an offense not only to myself, but to my whole family and to all immigrant New Yorkers.'"

"Lawmakers Press City For Numbers On Public School Enrollment," by WNYC's Jessica Gould : "Amid concerns that enrollment at the city's public schools has plunged since the pandemic, officials with New York City's Department of Education said it is poised to release new numbers in the coming days. The city will finalize its rosters by October 31st, and announce the tally shortly thereafter. At a New York City Council hearing on class size Wednesday, Council Member Mark Treyger grilled officials on the current total. 'We can give you that number very soon,' said the education department's Deputy Chief Academic Officer Lawrence Pendergast. 'We committed to sharing that data at the end of October and we are going to honor that commitment.' 'The DOE knows how many students are in each class every day,' said Treyger, who chairs the council's education committee. 'They're choosing not to share.'"

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

New York denies gas plant permits in first-ever decision citing climate law, POLITICO's Marie J. French: Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration has made a landmark move to deny permits for two natural gas plants seeking to repower, citing the state's climate law. The Department of Environmental Conservation denied permits for NRG's Astoria plant and the Danskammer plant in Orange County. Both plants were seeking to repower with more efficient natural gas units than their previous operations. The decisions were embraced by environmentalists who have been pushing for years to block the fossil fuel projects.

Developers of both projects argued they'd be more efficient than many older plants, reducing overall emissions from the power sector in the near term. They proposed potentially running on hydrogen in the future or renewable natural gas. But the DEC said those plans were speculative. "Both [plants] would be inconsistent with New York's nation-leading climate law, and are not justified or needed for grid reliability. We must shift to a renewable future," wrote DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos on Twitter announcing the decision and tagging the ongoing global climate summit.

" Buffalo debate: Byron Brown slams socialist candidate India Walton, calls her criminal 'apologist,'" by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan: "Fighting to remain Buffalo mayor — incumbent, write-in candidate Byron Brown slammed his opponent, India Walton, as a Democratic socialist and 'apologist' for criminals, whose ideas are 'bad at best' during a final debate Wednesday morning ahead of next week's election. Brown, a moderate Democrat vying for his fifth term, faced off against left-leaning Walton, who bested him in the June primary in a shocking upset similar to progressive darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's own win against Joe Crowley in 2018. 'I don't see Ms. Walton as a Democrat… she's described as a socialist and I think her ideas for the city of Buffalo are bad at best, and unworkable,' he declared during the 90-minute debate at Buffalo's St. Joe's Collegiate Institute between himself, Walton and another write-in candidate Ben Carlisle."

"NFL owners briefed on Bills stadium talks; Hochul expects project in state budget," by Buffalo News' Tim O'Shei and Jason Wolf: "No votes were cast. No decisions were made. When the National Football League's owners and top executives gathered this week in midtown Manhattan for the league's annual fall meeting, there was only a brief discussion about the Buffalo Bills and their quest to build a new stadium. But their effort is beginning to pick up momentum, both in the eyes of NFL leaders and political officials — including the New York governor's office. Owners and executives from the NFL's 32 teams were briefed on the status of the Bills' negotiations with government officials for public funding to construct a stadium in Orchard Park for a projected $1.4 billion. The details of that roughly 10-minute presentation were not shared publicly, but it illustrated a sense of 'collaboration and effort' between the Bills, New York State and Erie County, said Ron Raccuia, the executive vice president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the company that oversees the holdings of team owners Terry and Kim Pegula."

"Cuomo Sandy-Recovery Program Strands Volunteers and Their Neighborhood Flood Protection Projects," by New York Focus' Atman Mehta: "A decade ago, floods and fires devastated the area. In a span of 15 months, New York State suffered three devastating storms: Irene in August 2011, Lee in September 2011 and Sandy in October 2012. Together, these caused dozens of fatalities and over $6 billion in damage. In response, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched the New York Rising Community Reconstruction program (NYRCR) in July 2013. This federally funded $750 million initiative aimed to finance repair projects and install infrastructure to improve resiliency against future disasters. The commitment elicited much applause at the time. 'You're not just leading New York, you're leading the country,' then-Vice President Joe Biden praised Cuomo. But as New York marks the ninth anniversary of Sandy's destructive landfall on Friday, the program has virtually disappeared from public view."

#UpstateAmerica: Don't cry because it's (almost) over. Smile because it's happened, and will again next year. The last leaves of the state are peaking according to this week's foliage report — we're looking at you, Finger Lakes and NYC.

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

"Trump Organization says de Blasio's comments bolster golf course suit," by New York Post's Priscilla DeGregory: The Trump Organization says public comments from Mayor Bill de Blasio this week prove its claims that the city nixed a lucrative contract for a Bronx golf course because of a long-running political agenda. When pressed by media about whether he used taxpayer money to settle a political score in canceling Trump Organization city contracts, de Blasio said Monday, 'I am absolutely certain each of those sites will be well run by the new concessionaires. We had to move forward, and it was within our rights to move forward.' 'I mean, that's why I made the decision and I'm comfortable with it,' the mayor added."

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

AROUND NEW YORK

— The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn fired a gay music teacher because he married his boyfriend.

— The highest-paid superintendent in the state is Harrison's Lou Wool, whose double-dipping will earn him more than $700,000 this school year.

— A state trooper was indicted on a murder charge for using his police vehicle to ram a car, killing an 11-year-old girl in Ulster County.

— The state has not delivered a promised assessment of its handling of Hurricane Ida.

— An NYPD cop has been fired after allegedly lying for years about the shooting of a Bronx teen.

— More Erie County residents have died of Covid-19 in recent months than died during the same period last year.

— New York may close more prison facilities amid a decline in the number of people who are incarcerated.

— A wrongfully convicted Rochester man who spent six years in prison is suing the state.

— A man was slashed on a Manhattan train during a fight Wednesday night.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN's Peter Morris and Margaret Given … ABC's Quinn Scanlan … Cyré Velez of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office … Doug Band … Griffin Anderson of BCW Global … CBS' Meghan Zusi … Commerce's Jason Rodriguez

MEDIAWATCH — "Sign of the Times: When the media's credibility collapsed, the New York Times led the way," by Batya Ungar-Sargon in Spectator World

NYT METRO SECTION HIRES — PerTalking Biz News: "Ana Ley has been appointed transit reporter. She joins from The Virginian-Pilot, where she was a city government reporter. … Karen Zraick has joined as a general assignment reporter. Previously, she worked as an editor on the international desk, on the briefings team and in news curation. … Lola Fadulu also joins as a general assignment reporter. She comes from The Washington Post, where she was a metro reporter."

— Per Talking Biz News: " The Daily Beast has hired Zachary Petrizzo as a reporter. He joins from Salon Media Group in New York, where he has worked as a staff writer and recently as an investigative reporter." … Talmon Smith has joined the NYT's Business desk as an economics reporter. He most recently was an editor in the Times' Opinion section. … Quinn Scanlan has been promoted from production assistant to segment producer at ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

REAL ESTATE

"Governors Island Climate Research Hub Hopefuls Include Ex-Bloomberg Deputy Mayor," by The City's Rachel Holliday Smith: "Governors Island is awash in ideas for a new climate research hub on the New York Harbor haven — including from influential former deputy mayor Dan Doctoroff and several major universities. Doctoroff, who served as development czar under Mike Bloomberg, is among 37 individuals and groups who delivered 12 separate proposals to the Trust for Governors Island. The Trust, which issued a call this summer for ideas to anchor a climate center on the 172-acre strip of land, announced the list on Wednesday. The proposed science center is among several sweeping changes in the works for Governors Island, as THE CITY reported last November. The City Council approved major land use changes for the isle in May."

"De Blasio puts up $111M for NYCHA façade fixes to clear sidewalks," by New York Post's Sam Raskin: "Mayor Bill de Blasio committed Wednesday to spending more than $100 million on fixing façades of public housing buildings in order to bring down unsightly sidewalk sheds that have long blighted complexes. The $111 million in city funds will be used to renovate the frontages of 45 buildings in 15 NYCHA developments, the mayor announced. Of the tranche, $16 million will be allocated toward public housing facilities in Manhattan."

" NY Attorney General Calls on NYC to Halt and Reform Tax Lien Sales," by City Limits' David Brand: "New York Attorney General Letitia James has once again called on New York City to postpone its annual tax lien sale and enact structural reforms to the practice—a debt collection scheme that threatens to disproportionately displace Black and Latino homeowners. The city's yearly tax lien sale, scheduled for Dec. 17, allows private corporations to purchase homeowners' municipal debts — including unpaid property taxes and water bills—for about 75 cents on the dollar from the Department of Finance. The companies can then set fees and high interest rates as they aggressively seek the full total from homeowners, who could lose their homes if they don't pay up."

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