| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro | Presented by Con Edison | Let's be real: The first state that comes to mind as a deciding factor for control of the House probably isn't deep blue New York. But with as many contested seats as any state in the nation, a handful of districts here are drawing lots of eyes and loads of money with just eight weeks (+1 day) until Election Day. POLITICO's Election Forecast puts two as toss-ups; three as leaning Democratic and one leaning Republican. And both parties are charting paths to victory in seats from Staten Island to the Hudson Valley. Democrats are moving with a new hope after Pat Ryan's special election win last month that their fortunes might not be as bad as they'd thought six months ago. They're portraying their opponents as far-right extremists out of touch with the needs of most New Yorkers in fairly purple districts. Republicans meanwhile, say a "red wave" always comes in a midterm election when the opposing party is in control at both state and federal levels — the only question is how large it will be. In a year when most New York voters have ranked public safety at the top of their concerns, the GOP is blaming Democratic leadership in Albany and Washington for crime and inflation. So New York is at the center of all the drama this year, despite not having elected a Republican to statewide office in 20 years, thanks to a bungled redistricting process that put a court — not the state's Democratic leaders — in charge of drawing new lines. As Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf told us: "Put that all in a blender and you have chaos." IT'S MONDAY. 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 Jerusalem Post's annual conference, the National Urban League topping off ceremony and a Coach New York Fashion Week show. WHERE'S ERIC? Meeting with the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, making an education announcement, speaking at the Jerusalem Post's annual conference and at the HBCU New York Football Classic kickoff luncheon, appearing on Good Morning America 3, speaking at the James Earl Jones Theatre dedication ceremony, the United Community Civic Association's Annual 9/11 Candlelight Memorial, and the David Lynch Foundation's Meditate New York announcement.
| | A message from Con Edison: As the 2nd largest solar producer in North America, Con Edison is working to power our home with 100% clean energy, transforming New York into an example of sustainability for the rest of the world. From homes to apartments and everywhere in between, renewables, like solar, are just the beginning of our renewable future. See Our Energy Future | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | "In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush With Public Money,' by The New York Times' Eliza Shapiro and Brian M. Rosenthal: "The Hasidic Jewish community has long operated one of New York's largest private schools on its own terms, resisting any outside scrutiny of how its students are faring. But in 2019, the school, the Central United Talmudical Academy, agreed to give state standardized tests in reading and math to more than 1,000 students. Every one of them failed. Students at nearly a dozen other schools run by the Hasidic community recorded similarly dismal outcomes that year, a pattern that under ordinary circumstances would signal an education system in crisis. But where other schools might be struggling because of underfunding or mismanagement, these schools are different. They are failing by design." — The New York State Board of Regents is set to vote Monday on new substantial equivalency regulations for nonpublic schools. How City Council's Democrat-led redistricting could aid the GOP , by POLITICO's Joe Anuta: The Democrat-controlled City Council redistricting process is shaping up to be a boon for the GOP, upping the odds that a vastly outgunned Republican party can grow its legislative ranks next year. Several swing districts in the 51-member Council would become more Republican under a preliminary proposal, complicating at least one Democrat's path to reelection, according to an analysis of city Board of Elections data, the districting commission and the Department of City Planning. Mayor Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat who has found kinship in Republicans amid his long-simmering war with the left wing of the Democratic party, hasn't put up a fight against the proposed maps — none of his appointees voted against them. "After an Arsenic Scare, City Says a Housing Complex's Water Is Safe," by the New York Times' Lola Fadulu: "Residents at a public housing complex in Manhattan spent a week without tap water following a report that it had elevated levels of arsenic. But on Saturday, New York City officials said that new tests confirmed that the water at the development had never been dangerous. The city also said that a separate report of Legionella bacteria in the water was also probably inaccurate. 'I know the last eight days have been unbearable for the residents of Jacob Riis Houses,' Mayor Eric Adams said on Saturday in a statement announcing that the water was cleared for drinking. 'I would not ask the residents of Riis Houses to do anything I wouldn't do, which is why I have already stopped by Riis Houses and drank the water myself.'" — "Tenants and Critics Demand Answers as City Hall Says Test Showing Arsenic in the Water at the Jacob Riis Houses Was a 'False Reading,'" by The City's Greg B. Smith Top Adams official heading for the door, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Sally Goldenberg: Roberto Perez, head of the city's intergovernmental affairs office, is leaving for a job in the private sector — the first high-profile departure of Mayor Eric Adams' young administration. Perez handled the mayor's relationships with city and state officials as the administration navigated budget negotiations with the City Council and a rocky Legislative session in Albany. He was one of the few holdovers from former Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, where he ran the Community Affairs Unit. " As NYC agencies struggle to fill thousands of jobs, some city workers say they've been instructed to lowball new hires," by Gothamist's Elizabeth Kim: "A mounting staffing crisis facing New York City, the country's largest municipal employer, is raising questions about City Hall's approach to hiring and whether the city is doing enough to compete for workers at a time when many critical agencies are being stretched thin. Most city workers have blamed the city's abnormally high attrition and difficulty in hiring on a lack of a remote working or hybrid option. However, some current and former city agency officials and hiring managers say the challenge in hiring top job applicants also comes from a relatively recent practice of lowballing new hires. According to a source in city government, the policy stems from a union rule that was rarely enforced until the pandemic spurred belt-tightening measures from City Hall."
| | | | A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON LEADING FROM THE GROUND UP: Join POLITICO's Women Rule on Sept. 15 for conversations focused on creating and leading sustainable, healthy and inclusive communities. The program will feature a Member Exchange panel followed by a keynote discussion exploring the most pressing issues facing women in their communities and women in leadership roles who are best positioned to solve these problems. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "New York Governor Declares Polio a State Disaster Emergency," by Wall Street Journal's Brianna Abbott: "Polio is now considered an official disaster in New York state after Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order on Friday, following the discovery of the virus that causes polio in the wastewater of yet another county, according to state health officials. The order increases additional resources to help boost immunization efforts against the paralytic disease, the officials said. 'On polio, we simply cannot roll the dice,' said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York State Health Commissioner. 'If you or your child are unvaccinated or not up-to-date with vaccinations, the risk of paralytic disease is real. I urge New Yorkers to not accept any risk at all.' A sewage sample from Nassau County collected in August tested positive for poliovirus, following the prior detection of the virus in wastewater samples in Rockland County, Orange County, Sullivan County and New York City, further indicating that the virus is spreading in the area to some degree." "Gov. Hochul's COVID emergency powers expire soon. Will she extend them? " by WNYC's Jon Campbell: "New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has until the end of Monday to decide whether to extend some of her last remaining emergency powers as she continues to scale back the state's COVID-19 pandemic response. Hochul has two COVID-related executive orders that are due to expire this month, including a measure that allows her administration to purchase COVID-related goods and services without a competitive bidding process. Over much of the past year, she has extended both orders month after month, arguing that they remained a necessary precaution while the pandemic lingers and transmission rates fluctuate. But the governor has been facing increasing political pressure — including from her GOP opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin, and Republicans in the Legislature — to relinquish the last of her pandemic-spurred powers, particularly as her administration has relaxed masking requirements on public transit." "Disgraced former N.Y. Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin did not file campaign finance data, state records show ," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Brian Benjamin, the former New York lieutenant governor who resigned in disgrace after being arrested on federal corruption charges, is nearly two months late in filing campaign finance disclosures for his scuttled and now-moot reelection bid. The disclosure, which is required under state election rules, was due July 15. State campaign finance records show Benjamin's campaign hasn't submitted it to the state Board of Elections, raising questions about how the campaign is spending contributions and whether it's using them to pay for legal bills he's racked up since being indicted in April." SOME POLLS SAY: A Friday Emerson College-Pix11-The Hill survey showed Gov. Kathy Hochul holds a lead of 15 percentage points over Rep. Lee Zeldin. Last week, a Trafalgar Group poll showed Hochul is maintaining a lead just shy of five points. A right-leaning pollster said Sunday her lead was six points. There are a lot of polls. #UpstateAmerica: A mysterious student frequently dons a Spider-Man costume and roams the campus of Buffalo University.
| | | | A message from Con Edison:   | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | "On 9/11, Schumer vows to seek $3B for troubled Ground Zero health fund," by New York Post's Kyle Schnitzer and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon: "Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday that he will push Congress for a $3 billion infusion of federal cash to rescue the financially troubled 9/11 health-care fund. The New York Democrat and Senate majority leader said he will seek to secure the funds in the federal budget to offset the expected shortfall in the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical care and services for first responders and others affected by the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. 'We have seen the toll a funding crisis takes on our 9/11 heroes and those made sick by the despicable attack on New York 21 years ago,' Schumer said, speaking surrounded by terror-attack survivors and advocates." — 9/11 terror attacks reverberate as U.S. marks 21st anniversary, by The Associated Press: "Americans remembered 9/11 on Sunday with tear-choked tributes and pleas to 'never forget,' 21 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. The loss still feels immediate to Bonita Mentis, who wore a necklace with a photo of her slain sister, Shevonne Mentis. 'It's been 21 years, but it's not 21 years for us. It seems like just yesterday,' she said before reading victims' names at the World Trade Center to a crowd that included Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff." — New York City is refusing requests from members of Congress to release documents related to 9/11 air quality unless it is immunized against lawsuits.
| | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | "Brooklyn man who stormed U.S. Capitol, then uploaded videos to TikTok, sentenced to prison," by Gothamist's Jake Offenhartz: "A Brooklyn man who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th — and then waved in other rioters through a broken window – has been sentenced to 45 days in prison. Dovid Schwartzberg, a 20-year-old resident of Kensington, was sentenced in federal court on Thursday, roughly 20 months after joining the pro-Trump mob. He faced charges of entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Prosecutors relied on Schwartzberg's extensive video documentation of the breach, which he uploaded to a since-deleted TikTok account."
| | | | Join POLITICO Live on Tuesday, Sept. 20 to dive into how federal regulators, members of Congress, and the White House are seeking to write the rules on digital currencies, including stablecoins. The panel will also cover the tax implications of crypto, which could be an impediment to broader adoption and the geopolitical factors that the U.S. is considering as it begins to draw regulatory frameworks for crypto. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — "Bill de Blasio Knows New York Is Tired of Him. He's at Peace With It." — Path to Power: NY1's Kevin Frey's three part guide to understanding North Country GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, now the third-ranking Republican in the House. — A retired Manhattan shopkeeper infected with Covid-19 in March 2020 died after 850 days on a ventilator. — A federal court threw out a lawsuit claiming that the city's specialized high schools discriminate against Asian students. — The NYC Ferry fare will go up to $4 starting today. — More than 3,500 correction officers have resigned or retired since 2019. — A federal infrastructure package will allocate $110 million for the Hunts Point Produce Market. — Downtown Brooklyn is undergoing changes to make it more pedestrian friendly. — The Feast of San Gennaro banned the sale of merchandise related to "The Godfather" and the mafia in general. — Brooklyn Bridge Park will expand its environmental education center. — Drownings have surged this year ; State Police have investigated 25 fatal drownings statewide between Memorial Day and Labor Day. — Some New Yorkers are seeing a wave of charges for prior Covid-19 tests at CityMDs.
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: The Daily Beast's Matt Lewis … Fox News' Andrea DeVito … The Points Guy's Ethan Klapper … AP's Ashraf Khalil … Ed Moy, former director of the U.S. Mint … Parafin's Khan Shoieb … Amazon's Natalie Raps Farren … (was Sunday): POLITICO's Joe Schatz ... former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson … Fox News' Maria Bartiromo … CNN's Barbara Starr ... NBC's Pete Breen … Markos Moulitsas … Jon Meyersohn … Seth Pinsky ... Yehiel Mark Kalish (h/ts Jewish Insider) … … (was Saturday): POLITICO's Nahal "Halley" Toosi … Richard Wolf … Hunter Walker … Fox News' Trey Yingst … NYT's Mara Gay … Bill Hamilton … MSNBC's Chuck Rosenberg … Amanda Cowie … FleishmanHillard's Michael Moroney … Lawrence I. Garbuz ... Jonathan Soros ... Josh Nass SPOTTED: Huma Abedin, Anna Wintour, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Bon Jovi all took in the U.S. Open final just a few seats apart. MAKING MOVES — Marissa Shorenstein will be the new chair of the Citizens Budget Commission. She is a principal at SKDK. … Annabel Lassally is now deputy press secretary for Gov. Kathy Hochul. She most recently was a regional field director for New York state Sen. Brian Kavanagh's reelection campaign. … Sydney Harvey is now special assistant to the Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. She most recently was executive assistant/legislative aide for Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.).
| | A message from Con Edison: From building a 22nd century grid to installing 400,000 EV charging ports by 2035, Con Edison is committed to shaping the new energy future—for our fellow New Yorkers and the generations to come.
And we can all do our part too. Small changes like switching to clean heating and cooling technology make a big difference for your home and our world. See Our Energy Future | | | | | Real Estate | | "Penn Station Megaproject Suit Seeks Documents State Withheld as 'Trade Secrets,'" by The City's Gabriel Poblete: "The New York State agency pushing a controversial redevelopment of the Penn Station area is refusing to release records that could reveal financial details behind the massive project — claiming that its communications with property owners are trade secrets. A lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan state Supreme Court by an attorney active in city development battles demands that Empire State Development (ESD) release records related to the state's negotiations with the developer Vornado, the largest property owner affected." " City's Supportive Housing Remains Out of Reach for Most Applicants, Data Shows," by City Limits' David Brand: "Landing a supportive unit in New York City is tough, even for tenants who qualify. During the most recent fiscal year from June 2021 to the end of July, just 16 percent of New Yorkers approved by the city for supportive housing were actually placed in an apartment. More than half of the 7,426 eligible applicants during that time were never even referred for an interview, according to data recently published by the city's Department of Social Services (DSS). The odds can be even stiffer for tenants with the greatest needs, advocates have long charged." "Harlem's One45 Site To Host Big-Rig Truck Depot, Developer Says," by Patch's Nick Garber: "A portion of the Harlem block once slated to hold a pair of glassy towers and hundreds of apartments will soon be repurposed for a very different use: a truck stop. Developer Bruce Teitelbaum told Patch on Friday that he plans to open "a rental depot for big-rigs and trucks" near the mid-block of West 145th Street between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard — the site of the ill-fated One45 rezoning, which Teitelbaum withdrew in May as it faced opposition in the City Council." | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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