| | | | |  | | By Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin and Nick Reisman | |  GOP House candidates won in 2022 by slamming Gov. Kathy Hochul, and they're trying again this year. | Morry Gash/AP | NEW YORK MINUTE: It’s the first day of school in the country’s largest public school system, and students are free to read New York Playbook on their phones in class; Mayor Eric Adams has delayed the promised citywide cell phone ban. Many students will be in new classrooms. The city is opening 24 new school buildings totaling 11,010 seats this year, working to fulfill the new legal mandate for lower class sizes. GOP TARGET: House Republicans facing tough reelection fights have been running against … Gov. Kathy Hochul. And they believe the more vituperative their attacks, the better their prospects of a second term. It’s a repurposing of the strategy that helped boost them to office in 2022, and it’s ramping up with just two months to go until Election Day. Rep. Mike Lawler, as one example, pounced after Hochul’s former aide was charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government. “How else did this foreign agent impact the Governor’s decision-making? The public deserves to know!” Lawler posted on X, referencing Linda Sun, who also worked under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, as another example, used a police car light emoji to sound a virtual alarm Wednesday on X when he shared a clip of Hochul telling Semafor that she’s focused on flipping his seat and others. “A Republican majority runs through New York — we need all hands on deck,” he posted with a link to his campaign website. Hochul waved it all away as a GOP ploy. “I don’t think it’s a news flash that Republicans will criticize the Democratic power when they run for office,” she told reporters Wednesday at an unrelated event. “That’s as old as the ages.” Still, she remains a convenient foil for Republicans. Hochul had a 38 percent favorability rating per a Siena College poll in June, and fairly or unfairly, she is partially blamed in 2022 for Democrats losing five key New York House seats — and thus, the speaker’s gavel. Hochul underperformed against Republican Lee Zeldin that year in the closest gubernatorial race here in a generation. Even former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to point the finger at Hochul, remarking about it in an interview with POLITICO. The GOP House contenders who won that cycle eviscerated the governor and her party on bail reform, public safety and law and order. The issues they’re knocking her on this year are more varied and include the migrant surge, congestion pricing and planned cuts to a Medicaid program impacting home health aides. Reps. Marc Molinaro and Nick LaLota and challenger Alison Esposito are the other House GOP contenders who’ve publicly slammed Hochul as of late. For her part, the governor is making moves to avoid a repeat of 2022 with a statewide coordinated campaign intended to build a Democratic ground game where there wasn’t much of one before. The state Dems have 36 field offices in six battleground districts in New York, their reach rivaling that of a presidential campaign in a swing state, Playbook reported Wednesday. As for the view that she acted as an anchor for Democrats two years ago? It’s too narrow, she responded. “The same year, we lost five seats in California,” she told Semafor, when asked about Pelosi’s comments. “So, I think there’s a broader analysis that would be justified.” — Emily Ngo IT’S THURSDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE’S KATHY? Speaking at an energy summit in Syracuse, then heading to an East Syracuse high school for a bill signing. WHERE’S ERIC? Welcoming students in Brooklyn on the first day of school, holding a private roundtable on street safety, speaking at a Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity event and appearing on Fox 5's 6 o'clock newscast. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “How many arrestees have listed a City-run shelter as their home address and what were their top charges during this same time period?” — GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ Freedom of Information Law request, submitted in January, to the NYPD, which said it’s still working on getting her the data.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
Former New York City Council Member Ruben Wills receives a certificate of disposition from defense attorney Kevin O’Donnell in 2021. | Keisong Powell | FREE WILLS: Former New York City Council Member Ruben Wills is considering another comeback run for office — while suing former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for malicious prosecution, arguing the ex-AG sent him to prison for two years in a political vendetta against his old boss, former state Sen. Shirley Huntley. “I was clearly targeted,” Wills told Playbook. Wills was booted from the legislature in 2017 after getting convicted of using government funds for personal purchases. But the case was reversed on appeal, and the state declined to put him on trial again, after he’d already served time. Wills challenged Council Member Adrienne Adams for his old Southeast Queens seat in 2021, finishing 31 points behind the incumbent. But he’s thinking of running again in 2025 for the open seat, inspired in part by Council Member Yusef Salaam. “Him being exonerated, him running for office … It’s a parallel in our stories,” Wills said of his fellow Democrat. “And a lot of people love a comeback story, right?” It wouldn’t be easy. Adams seems to be supporting her district chief of staff, Ty Hankerson, City & State reported. Other candidates are in, too, and Japneet Singh, who came in second in 2021, told Playbook he’s considering. Now 53 years old, Wills has worked as a consultant since getting out of prison, but he’s also been filing lawsuits. The case against Schneiderman, which hasn’t been reported, claims Huntley and Wills pulled support for Schneiderman’s 2010 AG campaign after he pressured them to accuse opponent Kathleen Rice of being racist. And that Schneiderman retaliated against Wills for that, among other slights like not flipping on Huntley. Schneiderman’s lawyer, Peter Guirguis, told Playbook, “These are baseless claims, and we expect them to be dismissed.” Wills is also suing drug testing companies, saying their device gave false positives that got him punished in prison. And he’s suing the city for negligent health care on Rikers Island. “Everything that I'm doing is to benefit other people with advocacy,” he said. Why does Wills want to stay in politics, after his experience? “God just made me too stupid to know better,” he joked. — Jeff Coltin
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Ulrich is getting a new attorney, a year after getting indicted. | Mary Altaffer/AP | ERIC UN-RICH: Former New York City Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich asked for a court-appointed attorney Wednesday, after running out of money to pay his private lawyer in his ongoing corruption case. “He does not have the funds to retain legal counsel,” Ulrich’s soon-to-be-former attorney Samuel Braverman told Judge Daniel Conviser in Manhattan Criminal Court. Conviser said he expected to find a public defender for Ulrich within a week, but wanted to confirm with any potential picks because “this is not an ordinary case.” Ulrich, who also served in the City Council for 12 years, had his phone seized by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office in 2022 and was charged last year with trading government favors for gifts like Mets tickets. He’s pleaded not guilty. — Jeff Coltin PLAYBOOK FOR KIDS: Being a dad is a huge part of City Council Member Kevin Riley’s brand — and he’s showing it with a new children’s book. “Hopping Through Life: Tales of a Fatherless Father” “symbolizes the journey that me and my children have been through” as someone whose dad wasn’t around, Riley told Playbook. Riley worked on it with his kids — his daughter even recorded the audiobook version — and he said the Conflicts of Interest Board gave him the go-ahead for his first book, which comes out Friday. Why’s he depicted as a bunny? “We were looking at popular animals for young children,” he said. “Rabbits, elephants and mice were the top three. We ran with the bunnies.” He’s not the first New York pol to get in the game. Ulrich published a children’s book last year featuring a chameleon council member. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — The Adams administration spent $222,000 to procure 14 so-called “throw bots” for the NYPD, adding to the department’s increasing use of robotic technology. (Daily News) — Many of former Adams aide Frank Carone’s personal clients go unreported, including some of the biggest names in politics and real estate. (NY1) — The involuntary removals of people on the street and subway experiencing mental health issues has remained steady over the last year under Adams. (City & State)
| | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
An abortion advocate wants Hochul to be clear what the constitutional amendment on the ballot is about. | Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images | WHAT IT MEANS: Supporters of reproductive rights wanted abortion to be on the ballot this year. But a proposed state constitutional amendment being put to voters in November — while outlining a broad series of rights for LGBTQ+ people and “pregnancy outcomes” — doesn’t include the word “abortion” because of how elections officials wrote the ballot question. Susan Lerner, the executive director of the good-government organization Common Cause, wants Hochul to take a more active role in publicly explaining what the amendment would do — and cut through the “legalese” of the question being put to voters. “As New York’s top elected official, it is your responsibility to ensure New Yorkers understand what they are asked to vote on,” Lerner wrote in a letter to Hochul that was obtained by Playbook. “With two months before voters head to the polls, and no immediate legal remedy for the issue, your office must do more to educate voters and dispel misinformation on the issue.” Lerner’s concern is rooted in how the ballot question was crafted by the state Board of Elections, which she argued violates a new state law that requires referenda to be written in clear language (essentially, a middle school reading level). Referring to reproductive rights as “pregnancy outcomes” violates that measure, Lerner said. The letter comes as Democratic operatives in battleground House districts have voiced concerns that the amendment’s opponents are gaining ground due, in part, to a lack of support from party leaders. Opponents allege that, if adopted, the measure would lead to a range of unintended consequences like trans people playing in women’s sports. — Nick Reisman AG AND AI: First in Playbook — Attorney General Letitia James’ office today is releasing a guide for voters on artificial intelligence and its potential to spread election-related misinformation. The effort by James is the latest sign of how state officials are trying to tackle the technology and its potential to spread misleading content like deepfake images and audio. “New Yorkers deserve to be well-informed, not misinformed, about their choices for the upcoming November elections,” James said. “AI-created deepfakes that spread lies about candidates, policy proposals, and even where New Yorkers can access the polls all represent a dangerous threat to democracy.” James’ office recommended that voters not rely on chatbots to answer election-related questions, report social media content believed to be AI-generated deepfakes and avoid sharing content that may be misinformation. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Prison closures are being counted toward New York’s energy efficiency mandates. (POLITICO Pro) — New York is rethinking how it will provide money to schools, a politically fraught undertaking. (WCNY) — The indictment against Linda Sun and Chris Hu details how they allegedly were enriched by their connections to the Chinese government. (Gothamist)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — The Queens-Midtown tunnel that passes beneath New York City’s East River sprung a leak after a city contractor mistakenly drilled a hole through it. (AP) — The average New Yorker has the shortest work week in decades. (Times Union) — Anti-trans activist Maud Maron was temporarily reinstated to a city education council by a federal judge’s orders, months after she was removed by New York City schools Chancellor David Banks. (Chalkbeat)
| | SOCIAL DATA | | WEDDING — Zach Deatherage, legislative director for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Ansley Schoen, professional staff member on the House Ways and Means majority staff, got married Aug. 10 in her childhood church in Marietta, Georgia. They met when Ansley worked for then-ranking member Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on the House Budget Committee and Zach worked for Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), who was on the committee. Pic … Another pic … SPOTTED: Faith Milbrath, Brian McCormack, Alexia Sikora, Ben Nyce, Nick Runkel, Grace VanDeGrift, Brett and Jordan Layson, Kathryn and Truman Reed, Jack Rosemond and Alex Stepahin, Katie Morley and Jordan Dickinson, Elizabeth McKay, Marie Price, and Will and Emily Frierson. MEDIAWATCH — Brian Stelter has returned to CNN as chief media analyst and the lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter. … Queens Chronicle Editor Sophie Krichevsky is joining City & State NY as associate editor. MAKING MOVES — Jamie Powlovich has joined the Coalition for the Homeless as supervisor of the New Arrivals Team, monitoring the city’s compliance with its right to shelter obligations. Powlovich was previously executive director of the Coalition for Homeless Youth … Jason S. Gould has joined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in the firm’s white collar defense and litigation practices, and Courtney B. Posner has joined as a partner in its investment management group. Gould is a former assistant U.S. Attorney, and Posner is the former general counsel and chief compliance officer at Echo Street Capital Management. … … Christina Pryor has moved to the New York office of the strategic communications firm TLG. Pryor, a senior director at the firm and a DEA alum, was previously based in D.C. The firm also recently moved into a newly-renovated and bigger space in NYC at 200 Park Ave South. … Brian A. Bloom, Brant D. Kuehn, Melissa “Mel” DeCandia and Tapan R. Oza have joined the litigation and intellectual property practices of Greenspoon Marder. Bloom and Kuehn will be partners, while DeCandia and Oza will be associate attorneys. — The Rent Stabilization Association and the Community Housing Improvement Program have officially merged to create The New York Apartment Association, and former Assemblymember Kenny Burgos is expected to lead it (The Real Deal) IN MEMORIAM: Retired Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka has died. (Times Union) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Amelia Adams, chief to Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado … former NYC Council Member Peter Koo … Tech NYC’s Tyler Bugg … Geto & de Milly’s Ethan Geto … Joseph DeRosa … DYCD’s Regina Miller … POLITICO’s Janaki Chadha … theGrio’s April Ryan … Bloomberg’s Ted Mann … NYT’s Clay Risen … CBS’ Kris Van Cleave … Fox News’ Amy Fenton … Rachel Janfaza … John Furneaux … (WAS WEDNESDAY): Dr. Drew Pinsky ... Lester Brickman ... Jared Weinstein ... Judea Pearl Missed Wednesday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | 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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