Category Archives: Corey Johnson

Photo Gallery: St. Pat’s For All Parade



The 21st St. Pat’s For All parade marched up Skillman Avenue, drawing thousands of participants and spectators on a sunny March Sunday.  The St. Pat’s For All parade was founded by Brendan Fay in response to the long exclusion of LGBTQ groups from the large Manhattan parade.  That exclusion ended in 2016 but the St. Pat’s For All parade continues as a vibrant Irish celebration drawing enthusiastic involvement from the LGBTQ community and the Jackson Heights and Woodside neighborhoods that host the parade.

St.Pat’s For All founder Brendan Fay, just ahead of the 2020 parade. 3/1/20

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Three Kings Day Parade 2020



Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Carlina Rivera and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined Council Member Diana Ayala for the annual Three Kings Day parade held Monday in Ayala’s East Harlem district.  Marking the Feast of the Epiphany, the date that tradition holds Jesus was baptized and then visited by three wise men, or kings, the parade is sponsored by El Museo del Bario.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Highlights of The Decade



As the decade rolls to an end we’ve compiled a brief photographic retrospective with a few of our favorite photos of the 2010s.

Political foes Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo shake hands, seemingly at the urging of RWDSU’s Stuart Appelbaum, as they march in the 2016 Labor Day Parade. 9/10/16

Our decade highlight gallery is available here.

Our focus is on New York politics, both city and state, but the gallery includes other shots of New York.  Among the campaigns we’ve covered are the 2013 and 2017 mayoral races, the 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial races, congressional primaries in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the 2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary and the 2019 public advocate special election.  NYTrue.com began in late 2012, with mostly video and little photography in 2012 and 2013, so this is a somewhat truncated decade retrospective that covers 2014-2019.

Special Bonus – Unabridged Gallery:

For those of you who really love New York politics we have an expanded decade retrospective gallery with lots of great shots that didn’t make it into the decade highlight gallery.  Take a look, and a walk down memory lane, here.

We’ve included a few 2013 iPhone shots in a brief addendum at the end of the expanded gallery.

Our 2019 year in photos is available here.

All of our photo galleries are available here.

2019 Year In Photos



As 2019 comes to a close here’s our photographic recap:

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Our full 2019 retrospective gallery is available here.

Our photo retrospective on the past decade is available here.

Photo Gallery: Women’s World Cup Celebration



New York City celebrated the U.S. Women’s National Team World Cup victory with a ticker tape parade up Broadway and a ceremony in front of City Hall.  Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray hosted the ceremony, with TV personality Robin Roberts joining them as the MC.  Several thousand adoring fans welcomed the team for the hour long ceremony, varying between roaring their approval and chanting “equal pay.”

Many city and state legislators were in the audience, but Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Corey Johnson and NYS Senate Temporary President/Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins were the only elected officials on stage.  Governor Andrew Cuomo rode on a float in the preceding ticker tape parade but did not attend the City Hall ceremony.

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Our full photo gallery from the City Hall ceremony is available here.

(Our coverage of the 2015 ticker tape parade and City Hall ceremony is available here.)

Public Advocate Special Election Photo Retrospective



An election with 17 candidates, after 31 aspirants expressed interest and campaigned, and a comparatively short three months of campaigning.  Triggered by Tish James’s November election as New York State attorney general and resulting resignation as public advocate, the public advocate special election was, for New York, a unique electoral experience.  Held with an unprecedented number of candidates and the absence of established party designations or nominations it was New York City’s first citywide special election.  Candidate forums were the predominant public campaign activity, with several dozen held around the city by a wide range of civic and political groups.  Our gallery has moments from the start to finish – take a look.

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Our full public advocate special election photo retrospective gallery is available here.

Additional Galleries:

We have a gallery of group portraits from many of the candidate forums here.

We have a gallery with photos of candidates with family members here.

Photo Gallery: King Day at the House of Justice



The Rev. Al Sharpton drew  a large contingent of elected officials to his annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at National Action Network’s House of Justice.  Headliners included U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Reps. Jerry Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Yvette Clarke and Carolyn Maloney.  NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Council Speaker and Acting Public Advocate Corey Johnson, NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and NYS Senate Temporary President and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also spoke.

Several of the public advocate candidates participated, including Assembly Members Latrice Walker, Michael Blake and Danny O’Donnell, Council Members Jumaane Williams and Rafael Espinal, former Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Dawn Smalls.  Walker, Blake, O’Donnell and Smalls were given speaking slots.  Former mayor David Dinkins and former congressman Charles Rangel appeared, sitting onstage in the front row for the full program.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

2018 Year In Photos



New terms, lots of candidates, fiercely fought elections, victories and defeats both surprising and not.  Lots happened in 2018 New York politics and we’ve distilled the year into our 2018 Year in Photos.

NYS senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Jeff Klein join hands following a press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 4/4/18

Our full 2018 Year in Photos gallery is available here.

Mayor Bill de Blasio wrapping his family in a hug after taking the oath of office. 1/1/18

Photo Gallery: Johnson at the Met Club



New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson held a press conference calling for police action against members of the alt-right group “Proud Boys” for their actions following an appearance by Gavin McInnes, founder and leader of the “Proud Boys,” at the Metropolitan Republican Club.  After McInnes’ appearance fighting broke out on nearby streets, with video showing “Proud Boys” members beating protesters.  The Met Club’s clubhouse had been vandalized ahead of McInnes’ appearance, with a broken window and spray painted doors visible behind Johnson.  Johnson was joined by fellow Council members Ben Kallos, Keith Powers, Donovan Richards and Rory Lancman and Assembly members Rebecca Seawright and Dan Quart.

Republican state senate candidate Pete Holmberg was at the press conference, although not invited to join it.  Holmberg, a Met Club member who was present at McInnes’s appearance, had a seemingly conciliatory conversation with Johnson ahead of the press conference but the press conference ended with Holmberg, Johnson and Paxton Hart (also a member of the Met Club) shouting at each other as Johnson departed.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Cuomo Post Primary Rally



Governor Andrew Cuomo marked his primary victory over Cynthia Nixon and the start of the general election campaign with a Midtown rally featuring a large group of Democratic elected officials and candidates.  Headlined by Cuomo and running mate Kathy Hochul, attendees included New York City’s three citywide elected officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Public Advocate and attorney general candidate Tish James and Comptroller Scott Stringer,  as well as Council Speaker Corey Johnson.  House members attending included Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Crowley, Jose Serrano, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat and Tom Suozzi.

Some of the successful challengers to state senate IDC members attended, including Alessandra Biaggi who defeated IDC leader Jeff Klein and Robert Jackson.  Notable candidates not spotted included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated Rep. Joe Crowley in the June primary, and incumbent NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  Additionally, Cuomo’s and Hochul’s primary challengers Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams did not attend.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Steven McDonald Dedication



Patti Ann McDonald, joined by her son Conor, speaks at the plaque dedication.

Deceased NYPD Detective Steven McDonald was memorialized on the one year anniversary of his death with a plaque at the NYPD’s Central Park Precinct.  As a patrolman assigned to Central Park McDonald was shot and grievously wounded in 1986, surviving but rendered quadriplegic.  He nonetheless remained actively involved with the NYPD for the rest of his life, deeply admired for his tenacity and optimistic outlook.

Patti Ann and Conor McDonald flank the plaque dedicated to Det. Steven McDonald.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Steven McDonald Dedication

Photo Gallery: Johnson At NAN



Newly elected Council Speaker Corey Johnson visited the Rev. Al Sharpton Saturday, joining Sharpton for his weekly rally and radio broadcast at the National Action Network.  Council Members Jumaane Williams and Robert Cornegy also appeared.

Sharpton expressed disappointment that none of the African-American candidates for speaker succeeded, but nonetheless gave Johnson a warm welcome.  Underpinning that welcome was Johnson’s active support and campaigning for Sharpton in his 2004 presidential campaign.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: 2018 Speaker Election



Council Member Corey Johnson became Council Speaker Corey Johnson, drawing nearly unanimous support after besting rivals in the informal process preceding the vote.  Receiving  the support of Congressman and Queens County Democratic Chairman Joe Crowley appeared to seal the speakership for Johnson ahead of the vote and that expectation came to fruition Wednesday with Johnson receiving 48 of the 49 votes cast.

In remarks on the floor during the Council Charter session Council Member Inez Barron offered herself as an alternative speaker candidate, harshly criticizing the absence of any black speaker among the four people who’ve held the position and the continuation of that reality with the selection of Johnson.  While drawing supportive remarks from several of her colleagues Barron did not draw any of their votes.  He spoke movingly of his mother and their close relationship, embracing her just after his election.

A departing & angry Charles Barron points at and criticizes Council Member Daneek Miller for not voting for Barron’s wife Inez for speaker.

Johnson was warmly praised by many of his colleagues who noted both his professional accomplishments and his personal journey.  First coming to public attention as a high school football player who revealed himself as gay, and now H.I.V. positive, Johnson has also openly shared his past substance abuse struggles.

Newly elected Council Speaker Corey Johnson (back to camera) absorbs the applause of his colleagues and audience. 1/3/18

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Our full photo gallery is available here.