Category Archives: Ydanis Rodriguez

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.

Photo Gallery:

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: NAN Candidate Forum



The National Action Network hosted a public advocate candidate forum, drawing 12 candidates to its House of Justice in Harlem.  The Rev. Al Sharpton made opening remarks and introduced the candidates but did not moderate or attend the forum.  Candidates participating included Ydanis Rodriguez, Ben Yee, Jumaane Williams, Manny Alicandro, David Eisenbach, Tony Herbert, Nomiki Konst, Dawn Smalls, Ron Kim, Danny O’Donnell, Melissa Mark-Viverito and Michael Blake.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Medgar Evers PA Candidate Forum



Nine candidates attended a public advocate forum at Medgar Evers College sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Arena Summit and the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter of Delta Rho Omega. Candidates included Dawn Smalls, Ben Yee, Jared Rich, Tony Herbert, Michael Blake, Ydanis Rodriguez, Rafael Espinal, Eric Ulrich and Jumaane Williams.

One of the three candidate panels was the complete set of current City Council members running for public advocate: Eric Ulrich, Rafael Espinal, Ydanis Rodriguez and Jumaane Williams.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Astoria PA Forum



The Powhatan and Pocahontas Democratic Club and the Taminent Regular Democratic Club co-hosted a public advocate candidate forum that drew ten candidates to Astoria on a bitterly cold night.  Candidates attending included Ron Kim, Danny O’Donnell, Dawn Smalls, Jumaane Williams, Jared Rich, Ydanis Rodriguez, Michael Blake, David Eisenbach, Nomiki Konst and Rafael Espinal.

Neither club endorsed a candidate at the forum and it’s my understanding that neither club intends to endorse in the race.  Of the elected officials attending the forum, Council Member Costa Constantinides has endorsed Nomiki Konst and NYS Senator Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Aravella Simotas each said that they have not endorsed in the race and are uncertain whether they’ll do so.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Downtown Dem Clubs PA Forum



A group of downtown Manhattan Democratic Clubs jointly sponsored a public advocate candidate forum at the Educational Alliance’s Manny Cantor Center on East Broadway.  The Grand Street Democrats and several other Clubs co-sponsored the forum.

The forum drew 13 candidates who appeared in three panels before an audience of approximately 150 people: Panel #1 – Melissa Mark-Viverito, Eric Ulrich, Dawn Smalls and Rafael Espinal, Panel #2 – Ydanis Rodriguez, Ben Yee, Ron Kim, Jumaane Williams and Nomiki Konst and Panel #3 – Manny Alicandro, David Eisenbach, Tony Herbert and Jared Rich.

Clubs and organizations sponsoring the forum included Downtown Independent Democrats, Henry Street Settlement, United Democratic Organization, Coalition for a District Alternative, Village Independent Democrats, Village Reform Democratic Club, Chinese American Planning Council, United Neighborhood Houses, New Downtown Democrats, University Settlement, Grand Street Settlement and OCA-New York.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Public Advocate Candidate Photo Gallery: Ballot Edition



Who are they?  Here’s a photo gallery of the public advocate candidates to help you get to know them.  We published an early photo gallery featuring 21 prospective candidates, and the group later rose to 31. We’ve ended up with a reduced, though still quite large, field of 17.

The Board of Elections set the final ballot at a hearing Tuesday, ruling on the validity of several candidates contested petitions.  17 candidates were approved and will be on the ballot, although not all willingly.   Assembly Member Latrice Walker’s campaign attorney said that despite having submitted sufficient petitions and qualifying for the ballot Walker does not intend to campaign and unsuccessfully sought to have her removed from the ballot.  We’ve included Walker in our photo gallery.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Continue reading Public Advocate Candidate Photo Gallery: Ballot Edition

Photo Gallery: Fresh Meadows Forum



The Saul Weprin Democratic Club and 13 of its fellow Queens Democratic clubs hosted a public advocate candidate forum in Fresh Meadows, drawing nine candidates.  Moderated by Saul Weprin Club President Anthony Lemma, the forum featured appearances by Dawn Smalls, Ben Yee, Danny O’Donnell, David Eisenbach, Latrice Walker, Michael Blake, Rafael Espinal, Ron Kim and Ydanis Rodriguez.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Photo Gallery: Sustainability Public Advocate Candidate Forum



Fourteen public advocate candidates participated in a forum at Brooklyn Law School focused on sustainability and the environment.  Moderated by Politico reporter Gloria Pazmino and sponsored by the New York League of Conservation Voters, the forum was the first to focus on sustainability.  Candidates participating included Ben Yee, David Eisenbach, Dawn Smalls, Eric Ulrich, Ify Ike, Jared Rich, Jumaane Williams, Latrice Walker, Michael Blake, Mike Zumbluskas, Nomiki Konst, Rafael Espinal, Walter Iwachiw and Ydanis Rodriguez.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

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: Rodriguez Campaign Kickoff



Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez held a kickoff rally Sunday for his campaign for public advocate.  Rodriguez is in a field of at least 23 people who have taken steps toward running, with three of his current council colleagues and one former colleague among those 23.  He’s been actively campaigning, appearing at candidate forums over the past few weeks, and the kickoff was a formal declaration of a campaign that is well underway.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Rodriguez Campaign Kickoff

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.

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is available here.

Continue reading Photo Gallery: Upper West Side Candidate Forum