Category Archives: Danny O’Donnell

Photo Gallery: Sojourner Truth Public Advocate Forum



The Sojourner Truth Democratic Club and the NYC Black and Latino LGBTQ Coalition co-hosted a public advocate candidate forum, drawing 13 candidates to the Fifth Avenue Social Adult Day Center at 112th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Bay Ridge Dems Public Advocate Forum



The Bay Ridge Democrats hosted a public advocate candidate forum, drawing a steady stream of aspiring advocates eager to pitch the vibrant club for its support.  The Bay Ridge Democrats were part of two significant electoral victories in November, with Democrat Andrew Gounardes unseating incumbent Republican NYS Senator Marty Golden and Democrat Max Rose defeating incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Donovan.

Public advocate candidates appearing included Rafael Espinal, Danny O’Donnell, Michael Blake and David Eisenbach.  (Other candidates appeared before I arrived.)  Many of the candidates had participated in an earlier forum at Wagner College.

Bay Ridge Democrats President Chris McCreight said that the Club plans to endorse a candidate at its January 10th meeting.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Public Advocate Forum at Wagner College



The Arena and Staten Island Women Who March hosted the first Staten Island public advocate candidate forum, drawing 10 candidates to Wagner College.  The candidates appeared in two separate panels, with Melissa Mark-Viverito, Theo Chino, Dawn Smalls and Mike Zumbluskas on the first and Danny O’Donnell, Rafael Espinal, Ify Ike, Michael Blake and Ben Yee on the second.  Jumaane Williams, scheduled to be on the first panel, arrived during the second panel and was given a few minutes at the end of the forum to speak.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Upper West Side Candidate Forum



13 professed candidates for public advocate appeared at a forum hosted by the Upper West Side’s Community Free Democrats Thursday night.  Ify Ike, Council Members Ydanis Rodriguez, Jumaane Williams and Rafael Espinal, David Eisenbach, Assembly Members Michael Blake, Danny O’Donnell and Latrice Walker, Theo Chino, Nomiki Konst, Ben Yee, Dawn Smalls and former Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had several minutes to address the audience and then field audience questions.  Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal moderated the forum.

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Our full photo gallery is available here.

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Photo Gallery: Ben Franklin Candidate Forum



The Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club brought the rapidly building race for public advocate to the American mainland Wednesday, drawing 12 advocate aspirants to Riverdale for a candidate forum.  Candidates participating were Assembly Members Michael Blake, Latrice Walker and Danny O’Donnell, Dawn Smalls, Theo Chino, Council Members Ydanis Rodriguez Jumaane Williams and Rafael Espinal, Nomiki Konst, former Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ify Ike and Tony Herbert.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Ben Franklin Candidate Forum

Public Advocate Candidates In Pictures



It’s a challenge to keep track of the multiple candidates running or considering running for public advocate.  To help you do that we’ve set up a photo gallery, a book of faces perhaps, of the 21 candidates known to us.  Our full photo gallery is available here.

Current public advocate Letitia James is expected to resign on or before December 31st so that she can take office as the New York State Attorney General on January 1st.  The City Charter provides that when James resigns the mayor is to, within three days, set the date for a special election.   These prospective candidates will then have a short period to legally become candidates for the vacancy by petitioning their way on to the special election ballot.

Photo Gallery: Public Advocate Candidate Debate



Seven of the many prospective candidates for New York City public advocate gathered for the first debate of the expected campaign.  Current Public Advocate Tish James was elected New York State attorney general on November 6th and she will need to resign before assuming that office on January 1st.  That anticipated vacancy will be filled by a special election.

The debate was sponsored by Citizens Union and AARP NY and hosted by New York Law School.  It was moderated by Ben Max, executive editor of Gotham Gazette, and featured expected candidates Rafael Espinal, Eric Ulrich, Jumaane Williams, Dawn Smalls, Michael Blake, Danny O’Donnell and Nomiki Konst.

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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.