SHARE:
New York City voters’ first major tryout of ranked-choice voting may be over, but now the work of tallying votes – including absentee ballots still yet to be returned – begins. As of late Tuesday night, few of the more than 300 candidates in three dozen open City Council districts were decisively declaring victory or conceding defeat.
While Council Members Carlina Rivera, Rafael Salamanca Jr. and Farah Louis were a few of the Democrats to face primaries as incumbents, those challenges weren’t particularly competitive and each of the incumbents swon easy victories. And a few new City Council candidates also won, with Democrat Jennifer Gutierrez and Republican Joann Ariola, who The New York Times declared as the winners in the 34th and 32nd Council Districts, respectively.
Will Tusk be the next Capalino?
Andrew Yang’s two campaign managers, his press secretary, his policy director and multiple senior advisers don’t actually work for his New York City mayoral campaign. They’re employed by Tusk Strategies, a lobbying firm that’s regularly hired by clients to advocate for or against bills that are being considered by the City Council and the mayor. And the arrangement raises concerns about what kind of access this lobbying firm – and the private clients that hire Tusk – would have to the mayor if Yang were to win the election.
“We believe that it is improper for the same firm to be both a campaign consultant, and then lobby the person that they helped to elect,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of good-government group Common Cause New York. Consultants build “a special relationship of trust” with the candidate, and Lerner added they’re increasingly cashing in on that relationship.
UpdatedFri, Mar 5, 2021 at 10:47 pm ET
Reply
The surprise re-election bid by Perkins, 71, was first reported Thursday by THE CITY, who quoted three of Perkins s Council colleagues, a constituent and a former staffer attesting to his frequent disorientation and memory loss. (John McCarten/New York City Council)
HARLEM, NY The competitive City Council race playing out in Central Harlem was jolted this week by news that the incumbent, Bill Perkins, would seek another term despite longstanding rumors that he is in poor health.
The surprise re-election bid by Perkins, 71, was first reported Thursday by THE CITY, who quoted three of Perkins s council colleagues, a constituent and a former staffer attesting to his frequent disorientation and memory loss.