| | | | |  | | By Emily Ngo, Nick Reisman and Jeff Coltin | | | With help from Shawn Ness
| 
Donald Trump is expected to sweep in the Super Tuesday votes. New York's Republicans are facing mounting pressure to endorse him. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | The inevitability of Donald Trump’s nomination for president will be hammered home today — Super Tuesday — when he is expected to clean up in 15 Republican contests. As Trump’s delegate count mounts, so does the pressure on battleground House Republican candidates in New York — five incumbents and a challenger — to endorse the former president. But doing so could cost them crucial swing votes in November. It’s a gamble some, but not all, have been willing to take. Who has boarded the Trump train so far?
- Long Island Rep. Nick LaLota, rated the safest of the targeted Republicans in the state, posted his endorsement of Trump on Jan. 20. “As a Navy Veteran and member of both the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, I understand America needs a Commander-in-Chief who will keep us safe,” he wrote.
- Syracuse-area Rep. Brandon Williams posted on Jan. 23 that he believes Trump will be the nominee and said he’ll support the nominee. He refrained from explicitly, literally, actually endorsing Trump. And since then, the redistricting process has made Williams perhaps the most vulnerable of the New York Republicans seeking a second term.
- Long Island Rep. Anthony D’Esposito’s race is rated “Republican toss-up” by Cook’s Political Report, but he endorsed Trump nonetheless on Feb. 26 at the Nassau County GOP convention. “We had a safer America, a more affordable America” under Trump, D’Esposito said.
- House candidate Alison Esposito, the former lieutenant governor nominee running against Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan in the Hudson Valley, posted her backing of “New York’s own” with side-by-side photos on Feb. 24.
And who hasn’t endorsed Trump — yet?
- Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler has sought to show he’s independent from Trump and has both condemned and commended him. He said in 2022 that the GOP needs to move on from Trump. Then, he said last December after the Colorado Supreme Court removed Trump from the state’s ballot that the former president is entitled to due process. Lawler did not respond Monday to Playbook’s requests for comment.
- Hudson Valley Rep. Marc Molinaro kept his distance from Trump in his 2018 campaign and has avoided bringing up the leader of his party in recent interviews. He didn’t rule out endorsing Trump. “Marc is focused on fighting to solve the issues Upstate New Yorkers are struggling with. Once the voters speak, he’ll support the Republican nominee,” his spokesperson told Playbook.
President Joe Biden was leading Trump statewide by 12 points, according to a Siena College poll last month. One New York GOP leader unabashedly in Trump’s corner is House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of North Country. Her stake is a chance at being his running mate. “President Trump is polling ahead of Joe Biden in every single one of our battleground congressional seats in New York,” Stefanik told Playbook in a statement. “Trump is a net plus on the ballot for Republicans in New York and nationwide.” — Emily Ngo HAPPY TUESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany and New York City and going on CNN. WHERE’S ERIC? Holding an in-person media availability, meeting with consuls general and consuls from African consulates, delivering remarks at the PALS Pakistani Heritage Month celebration, and speaking at McKinsey’s Future of New York Summit. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court used a legal technicality to allow an anti-democratic insurrectionist to remain on the presidential ballot.” – State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who sought to remove Donald Trump from the New York ballot, after SCOTUS ruled states can’t kick Trump off.
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Assemblymember Helene Weinstein is retiring, and she has asked City Council Member Kalman Yeger to take her place. Yeger said he is petitioning to get on the ballot. | John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit | SUCCESSION — BROOKLYN: State Assemblymember Helene Weinstein confirmed Monday that this term will be her last, sharing with Playbook that she had reached out to City Council Member Kalman Yeger as she planned her retirement to ask him to run for her Brooklyn seat. “I can think of no better successor than Kalman, someone I have known for years, a dedicated public servant,” said Weinstein, who chairs the influential Ways and Means Committee and goes down in state Legislature history as the longest-serving woman, POLITICO reports. Yeger — a conservative Democrat — was glad to oblige, saying that he is indeed petitioning to get on the state ballot, as Playbook first reported. “Helene Weinstein is a giant in public service,” Yeger told Playbook, adding that looks forward to talking with the community about what’s next. Political newcomer Adam Dweck is also a Democrat running for Weinstein’s seat. But who would succeed Yeger in the City Council? The term-limited lawmaker would have to vacate it by 2025 anyway. Several names have been floated. One is state Sen. Simcha Felder, who previously served in the City Council. Felder told Hamodia on Monday, “A special election wouldn’t be held until February 2025. I intend to continue serving this community, and look forward to Moshiach coming way before then.” And who could succeed Felder? Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein’s name has been floated. The Borough Park Democrat’s eyes are set on staying in Albany, as opposed to City Hall. And who could succeed Eichenstein? Dominos could keep falling. — Emily Ngo and Jeff Coltin
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Mayor Eric Adams is blaming budget cuts on the mandated closure of Rikers Island. His budget director slammed the prison's closure timeline for cutting into the budget capacity. | Peter K. Afriyie/AP | LOCKING UP THE MONEY: Mayor Eric Adams has found a new target to blame for budget cuts and rollbacks: the mandated closure of Rikers Island that Adams inherited but never fully embraced. City budget director Jacques Jiha slammed the closure’s timeline for eating into the city’s debt capacity, POLITICO reports, chilling City Hall’s ability to fund other priorities through its capital budget such as affordable housing. “I keep telling folks this is a real, real problem,” Jiha said during a City Council budget oversight hearing. “And what makes it worse … is the fact that even though we know we’re not going to spend the money for the borough-based jails by 2027, we need to keep it there.” Jiha said the city is “struggling to maintain” the massive cost of the borough-based jails plan, alongside funding the School Construction Authority and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which, taken together, are “consuming all the capacity” of the city’s debt, he said. Comptroller Brad Lander questioned the math though, saying, “We have meaningful room” before reaching the limit. — Irie Sentner PROFESSIONAL BUDGET DANCERS: Organizations repping the city’s museums, hotels and restaurants sent a budget demand to Adams last week: Since you found more money, restore the $35 million in cuts to culture. The city cut $20 million this fiscal year and $15 million in the next for the Cultural Institutions Group, three dozen organizations on city property ranging including the Met, the Bronx Zoo and the Queens Theatre. “Programs have been canceled and curtailed, hours reduced and jobs left vacant,” read the open letter from the CIG, the Hotel Association, the Hospitality Alliance and the state New York State Latino Restaurant and Bar Association. “We’re not a luxury good for the city,” CIG President Coco Killingsworth of BAM told Playbook in an interview. “It’s very important he understands that tourists come to New York City for culture.” The libraries have staved off cuts by making a lot of noise as a united group, and the culturals could do the same. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams echoed the letter in remarks Monday, saying the city “must not waver in its support of our renowned cultural institutions.” A spokesperson for the mayor touted the previous support for arts, including grants through the Cultural Development Fund, adding that “with responsible, effective fiscal management, we have repeatedly protected cultural organizations from budget cuts and will continue to support this vital sector.” — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — City Hall has secured just one-third of the $150 million in federal funds earmarked for the migrant crisis. Feds say the city hasn’t submitted the necessary documentation. (Daily News) — Winnie Greco had “substantial” influence over policy in City Hall before her homes were raided by federal law enforcement, given her recent addition to an official list of policymakers. (THE CITY) — After record delays to cash assistance and food benefits, Adams administration officials say they’ve nearly cleared the backlog of applications. (POLITICO Pro)
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The Democrat running for the nomination to replace Assemblymember Patricia Fahy has over 109 campaign donors, and a number of endorsements. | Hans Pennink/AP Photo | ASSEMBLY MONEY RACE: Democrat Dustin Reidy is facing a crowded field for the party’s nomination to replace Pat Fahy in the state Assembly. But already he’s making gains in the money and endorsement race. Reidy’s campaign on Monday told Playbook he’s received contributions from more than 109 donors, with 75 of those coming from within the Assembly district. That is expected to translate to more than $133,000 in cash on hand when public matching funds are included. Meanwhile, Reidy has been endorsed by a slate of unions that include Teamster Local 294, 1199SEIU, IUPAT District Council 9, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 2 and Workers United RRJB. — Nick Reisman FARM PACKAGE ON TAP: The state Senate will take up a package of 10 agriculture bills today as part of Albany’s annual farm day. The package will include a bill that would have the state and Cornell set up a hotline to answer farmers’ questions on grant programs, and one that would let cideries directly ship their beverages to consumers. “New York agriculture is a foundational aspect of our everyday lives and statewide economy,” Agriculture Committee Chair Michelle Hinchey said in a statement. “Agriculture is an industry with the most potential to do the most good — fight hunger, affect regional resilience in the face of the Climate Crisis, expand diversity and equity across an entire workforce sector and galvanize a new generation of farmers to take the helm.” — Bill Mahoney HEATING UP SAVINGS: Supporters of a measure to cap utility bills at 6 percent of income for New York residents facing high energy costs have calculated that enacting the policy would save 25 percent of households an average of $136 per month. The analysis, released by NY Renews and Win Climate and shared first with Playbook, crunches census numbers to estimate energy burdens across the state and potential savings if bills were capped at 6 percent of income. That’s a key plank of the NY Home Energy Affordable Transition bill, which environmental groups are pushing this session. Hochul’s administration and the Public Service Commission have set a goal of keeping energy bills for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers below 6 percent. Above that, households are considered “energy burdened” and at risk of facing tough choices between basic necessities. While Hochul has endorsed components of the HEAT Act around transitioning off the natural gas system, she declined to include the 6 percent cap. The analysis highlights the potential savings for households in each region and county of the state, type of utility services and income. Ninety-two percent of those who would benefit are characterized as low- or moderate-income — defined as at or below 80 percent of area median income. They would see bills reduced by 53 percent on average, compared to under 30 percent for medium and high income earners. The total estimated annual savings, based on the report’s figures and calculated by Playbook, would be $2.5 billion annually. Opponents of the NY HEAT bill have painted the 6 percent cap as an extreme and costly “wealth redistribution scheme.” Democratic members of the Assembly have also questioned how the cap would be paid for and whether it could shift costs to businesses or other ratepayers. The most recent version expanded the 6 percent cap from just moderate and low-income residents to all residential customers. It also includes a limit on the potential cost increase to utility bills from the savings program to 3 percent. Proponents point to other options the PSC could use to achieve the 6 percent target such as limiting investments in gas infrastructure, increasing community solar credits, expanding energy efficiency programs or examining rate structures. “New Yorkers are living through an affordability and climate crisis and are urging the state legislature to take action this year,” said Fahy in a statement. “The NY HEAT Act will reduce the energy cost burden on working households and save families money on their utility bills while ensuring our transition to a clean energy grid is reliable, affordable, and planned.” — Marie J. French More from Albany: — Retirement fever is sweeping the state Assembly. (City & State) — A group of hemp companies is suing state cannabis regulators over rules aimed at cracking down on intoxicating hemp-derived products. (POLITICO Pro)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Rep. Marc Molinaro is bashing his opponent Josh Riley for being a "DC lawyer" and for not living in the district he wants to represent. | Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo | DC ISN’T GORGES: Rep. Marc Molinaro is again tweaking his Democratic challenger Josh Riley for being a “DC lawyer” and arguing he doesn’t really live in the upstate 19th Congressional district. Riley worked in Washington for a decade, leaving law firm Jenner & Block in 2021 ahead of his last congressional run against Molinaro, and he still owns a home a mile from the U.S. Capitol. But Riley also owns a home in Ithaca, where he registered to vote in 2022 and which he says is his primary residence. Riley was born and raised outside of Binghamton, which is also in the district. Molinaro’s campaign also pointed to the Times report that Riley was considering running for the Syracuse seat instead amid redistricting. A Riley campaign spokesperson said that would only be the case if Ithaca had been drawn in with Syracuse. Republicans criticized Riley’s residency last cycle, and Molinaro is bringing it back, pushing an entirely unscientific poll today showing 96 percent of people on Molinaro’s campaign email list “believe you should have to live in New York to run here.” You don’t legally have to live in the district to run, and Molinaro himself is proof. He was elected in 2022 while living outside the lines, across the Hudson River. He moved to Cairo, within the district, months after taking office. — Jeff Coltin
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See the impact. | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — Red light cameras could be at 10 percent of city intersections, not just one percent, if Albany passes a law that City Hall wants. (Gothamist) — Rep. Tom Suozzi’s son Joe is a minor league prospect for the New York Mets. (Newsday) — New York’s gaming revenue grew by nearly $600 million. (POLITICO Pro)
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