Category Archives: 2018 NYS Governor’s Race

Photo Gallery: Molinaro MTA Plan



Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro unveiled his long awaited proposal for overhauling the MTA, holding a City Hall press conference this morning.  It’s an enormous task that involves complex construction and engineering challenges as well as managing the logistics and politics of transit disruptions, all at a huge cost.  Dissatisfaction with the MTA, especially the subway system, has boiled for the past couple of years and poses both a real challenge to the City’s well-being and to the political fortune of Governor Andrew Cuomo.  There’s opportunity for Molinaro, but as a non-City pol he faces a large challenge in convincing City and New York City suburban voters that he’s the best choice to repair and expand their transit systems.

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Photo Gallery: Nixon Forum



Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon attended a Democratic gubernatorial candidate forum Tuesday night, getting the stage to herself as rival Andrew Cuomo did not attend.  Held in Sunset Park and moderated by Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max and Politico reporter Madina Toure, the forum was an hour-long discussion on a wide mix of policy issues and political prospects as Nixon heads toward primary day well behind in public polling.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: O’Donnell For Nixon



Assembly Member Danny O’Donnell endorsed Cynthia Nixon, hosting her for a brief press conference and voter meet & greet at the 96th Street/Broadway subway station last Monday.  O’Donnell has represented the Upper West Side since 2003 and endorsed Andrew Cuomo in 2014.  He said that Cuomo’s failure to produce sufficient results in eight years in office, including on criminal justice reform and mass incarceration, have led him to support Nixon.

O’Donnell was the fourth member of the Assembly to endorse Nixon, joining Andrew Hevesi, Tom Abinanti and Harvey Epstein.  She’s also been endorsed by four New York City Council members.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Nixon Latinx Fundraiser



Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon was joined by several aligned candidates at a  “Latinx for Cynthia” fundraiser.  (“Latinx” is a genderless descriptive in place of “Latino/Latina.”)

Joining Nixon were attorney general candidate Zephyr Teachout, state senate candidates Jessica Ramos and Robert Jackson and Assembly candidate Amanda Septimo.  Former City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito also attended.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Abinanti For Nixon



Assembly Member Tom Abinanti has added to the small number of elected officials supporting Cynthia Nixon over Andrew Cuomo, endorsing her in a pair of Westchester appearances.   Nixon joined Abinanti at a health fair in Greenburgh and at a Tarrytown park on the Hudson River overlooking the Mario Cuomo/Tappan Zee Bridge Friday.

Abinanti cast his decision to choose Nixon over Cuomo as driven by the combination of his shared views with Nixon on a broad range of issues and his conclusion that after Cuomo having eight years in office it’s “time for a change.” Alluding to his ideological compatibility with Nixon, Abinanti spoke of the need for “a strong Democrat who’s going to enunciate Democratic Party principles … all of them.”

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Nixon & Williams Cross Endorse



Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams endorsed each other Sunday, establishing an alliance that many voters assumed existed between the two candidates opposing the incumbent governor and lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary.  Speaking at a press conference on the edge of Prospect Park, Nixon and Williams were endorsed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America before they endorsed each other.  Following the press conference the two candidates spent considerable time greeting attendees and passersby.  They briefly walked into Prospect Park but quickly changed course, having already spent their allotted park time greeting those attendees and passersby, and instead headed out to knock on doors on surrounding blocks.

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Photo Gallery: Nixon Pledges Increased School Aid



Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon pledged to increase state aid to schools, promising that as governor she will increase such aid in accordance with the long ignored provisions of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit settlement.  Advocates assert that the City is owed more than $2 billion under the terms of the CFE lawsuit settlement.  Speaking at a press conference in Corona Tuesday Nixon reiterated her support for such additional aid, casting it as driven by racial animus with “white, wealthy children … prepared for college, and low-income, children of color … put into the school to prison pipeline.”

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Nixon On Criminal Justice Changes



Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon declared that as governor she will end solitary confinement in state prisons and that she favors a more robust version of “raise the age.”  “Raise the age,” increasing the age for criminal culpability to 18, has been implemented in New York but Nixon criticized the current structure as flawed and incomplete as some 16 and 17 year old defendants are still put into the adult criminal justice system.  Nixon spoke at a Harlem press conference Friday, joined by former city council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Mark-Viverito’s co-district leader John Ruiz.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Molinaro At City Hall



Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro came to New York City’s City Hall Monday, joined by running mate Julie Killian and Council Member Joe Borelli for a press conference focused on opposing Governor Andrew Cuomo’s effort at eliminating the tip credit.  (The tip credit allows paying tipped service workers, such as waiters/waitresses and bartenders, less than minimum wage due to their receiving significant tip income.  Eliminating it would raise wages but, in the view of many in the hospitality industry, lead to many establishments eliminating tipping completely and consequently reducing tipped workers income.)  Other topics included Molinaro’s ability to reach City voters, whether he has a preference in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and his reaction to the Trump/Putin Helsinki press conference.

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