NY 2022 - Zeldin/Esposito, Libertarian & WFP updates

[President Johnson]

I'm surprised no halfway credible challenger to Blue Trump has declared a candidacy as of yet? Perhaps it's too early or they're just waiting out whether he'll still get forced out through impeachment or pressure not to run again?

That said, I still think Cuomo will be in office beyond Dec. 31, 2022, unless the investigations conclude with bombshells before the primary election is being held (yup, this will be the election, no GOPer has a chance). It's sad the dude may get away with everything, let alone we Dems not living up to our own standards.

It's still early and back in 2018, Cynthia Nixon didn't declare her candidacy until well into the election year. New York holds its statewide primary not until September.

Anyway, let's hope Cuomo is out sooner rather than later.

All primaires are now held in June in New York. The separate state primaries were done away with in 2019.

Didn't know that, but makes sense.

[Mr. Matt]

https://www.businessinsider.com/andrew-giuliani-receives-no-votes-from-new-york-gop-leaders-2021-6

The son of former New York mayor and Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani received no support for his bid to be the next governor of New York in a secret vote by local Republican leaders this week.

According to the New York GOP, more people chose to abstain — 10% — than vote for Giuliani, who has described his views as "very, very similar" to the former president he served.

US Congressman Lee Zeldin led the way with 85% of the vote, followed by former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino with 5%, the party announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V3CfD8TPac

[Suburbia]

Zeldin will lose by 10-15 points

[beesley]

The other surprise flip I can think of off the top of my head is NY-3, largely because I think Tom Suozzi is going to attempt to primary Cuomo.

Is he? He seems one of the worst-placed in the delegation to do so - he's just too similar and undistinctive to really drive the message home.

[NewYorkExpress]

The other surprise flip I can think of off the top of my head is NY-3, largely because I think Tom Suozzi is going to attempt to primary Cuomo.

Is he? He seems one of the worst-placed in the delegation to do so - he's just too similar and undistinctive to really drive the message home.

Souzzi previously ran for Governor in 2006, so I wouldn't be shocked if he still has statewide ambitions, and he might see a wounded Cuomo as easy pickings.

[LabourJersey]

The other surprise flip I can think of off the top of my head is NY-3, largely because I think Tom Suozzi is going to attempt to primary Cuomo.

Is he? He seems one of the worst-placed in the delegation to do so - he's just too similar and undistinctive to really drive the message home.

Souzzi previously ran for Governor in 2006, so I wouldn't be shocked if he still has statewide ambitions, and he might see a wounded Cuomo as easy pickings.

Isn't de Blasio rumored to want to run? Not sure if Suozzi could find a lane in a deBlasio/Cuomo matchup

[Suburbia]

de Blasio is not electable.

Hochul, DiNapoli, Suozzi, Maloney, Bellone and James are....

[Never Made it to Graceland]

de Blasio is not electable.

Hochul, DiNapoli, Suozzi, Maloney, Bellone and James are....

The world isn't your pizza shop. De Blasio can beat Cuomo and would win a general election.

Maloney is an anti-vaxxer, she is terrible.

[Suburbia]

de Blasio is not electable.

Hochul, DiNapoli, Suozzi, Maloney, Bellone and James are....

The world isn't your pizza shop. De Blasio can beat Cuomo and would win a general election.

Maloney is an anti-vaxxer, she is terrible.

Not that Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney...

[President Johnson]

DeBlasio has no chance to win a primary whatsoever, even against Cuomo. He'd win a general election, though, probably by an underwhelming margin. Cuomo will also win by underwhelming margin. I think James, Hochul and DiNapoli would fare best and crack 60%.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

de Blasio is not electable.

Hochul, DiNapoli, Suozzi, Maloney, Bellone and James are....

The world isn't your pizza shop. De Blasio can beat Cuomo and would win a general election.

Maloney is an anti-vaxxer, she is terrible.

Not that Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney...

He is also not great. And he's a Cuomo ally blue dog who is unlikely to run against him.

[Suburbia]

de Blasio is not electable.

Hochul, DiNapoli, Suozzi, Maloney, Bellone and James are....

The world isn't your pizza shop. De Blasio can beat Cuomo and would win a general election.

Maloney is an anti-vaxxer, she is terrible.

Not that Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney...

He is also not great. And he's a Cuomo ally blue dog who is unlikely to run against him.

He'd do well in the suburbs.....

[NewYorkExpress]

A reminder that Cuomo is still under investigation. Attorney General Letitia James's investigative team will interview the Governor Saturday in Albany.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is expected to be questioned on Saturday by investigators from the New York State attorney general’s office, signaling that a four-month-long inquiry into several sexual harassment accusations may be entering its final stages.

Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark, the two outside lawyers hired to lead the investigation that is being overseen by Letitia James, the state attorney general, are expected to interview the governor in Albany, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The lawyers have spent months gathering hours of testimony from several women who have accused Mr. Cuomo of sexual misconduct or harassment. The lawyers have also in recent weeks interviewed senior administration officials in preparation for questioning the governor.

They have subpoenaed and collected troves of records, including state documents, emails and text messages, as they scrutinize the women’s accounts and examine whether Mr. Cuomo and his staff broke any laws in dealing with sexual harassment complaints. The governor, a Democrat, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.


Once their investigation is complete, Mr. Kim, a former senior federal prosecutor, and Ms. Clark, a prominent employment lawyer, are expected to issue their findings in a public report. Its contents could be politically devastating for Mr. Cuomo, who is navigating one of the most turbulent points of his decade-long tenure.

While many of the state’s top Democrats called on Mr. Cuomo to resign earlier this year, many others said they would wait for the outcome of the investigation before weighing in his fate. The findings could inform a separate, broader impeachment investigation being conducted in the State Assembly, which is also looking at the governor’s handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic, among other controversies.

[NewYorkExpress]

State Assembly Speaker says that the Attorney General's investigation won't influence whether the Assembly moves forward with impeaching Governor Cuomo.

The Democratic leader of the Assembly suggested Friday that any potential wrongdoing that might be uncovered by the state Attorney General’s Office regarding sexual harassment and other allegations against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo might not be enough, on their own, for the 150-member chamber to impeach the third-term Democrat.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who has dismissed criticism that he is looking to protect the governor amid the various scandals that jeopardize his political future, said in a stop in Schenectady that the public needs to be patient with the investigation his chamber’s committee has underway.

The Assembly leader said he can't predict what the attorney general's findings might ultimately be and can't, as a result, say one way or another what course the Assembly Judiciary Committee's own probe might take because the panel is looking into allegations that go beyond just the sexual harassment allegations against the governor.

[NewYorkExpress]

Cuomo questioning the integrity of the Attorney General's investigators.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is questioning the trustworthiness of the lawyers leading state Attorney General Tish James’ investigation into several allegations made against him in recent months.

“Look at who the independent investigators are,” Cuomo said Monday at a press event at Yankee Stadium, referring to the outside attorneys James hired for the probe. “Do a little history, go to Google ... and tell me what you see.”


James retained Joon Kim and Anne Clark to conduct her office’s probe. Kim’s resume includes a stint as a federal prosecutor, a role in which he led the case against top Cuomo aide Joe Percoco, who was convicted on corruption charges on 2018 and sentenced to six years in prison.

He was also involved into the investigation over Cuomo's shuttering of the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption in 2014, which did not result in any charges.

“I have concerns as to the independence of the reviewers,” Cuomo said. “Is this all happening in a political system? Yes, that is undeniable.”

[NYSforKennedy2024]

Gillibrand out of consideration, per Politico.

[NewYorkExpress]

Gillibrand out of consideration, per Politico.

Link please?

[NYSforKennedy2024]

Gillibrand out of consideration, per Politico.

Link please?

https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2021/07/19/gillibrand-has-no-interest-in-running-for-new-york-governor-1388651

[NewYorkExpress]

Schumer should consider it.

In all seriousness, while he's doing fine as Majority Leader, progressives would like to see Warren or Sanders as the Democrats leader in the Senate, and I think everyone not named Carl Heastie would like to see Cuomo gone.

Plus, Schumer probably would beat Cuomo in a primary easily at this point.

[Lognog]

Schumer should consider it.

In all seriousness, while he's doing fine as Majority Leader, progressives would like to see Warren or Sanders as the Democrats leader in the Senate, and I think everyone not named Carl Heastie would like to see Cuomo gone.

Plus, Schumer probably would beat Cuomo in a primary easily at this point.

100% never going to happen

[Suburbia]

Schumer should consider it.

In all seriousness, while he's doing fine as Majority Leader, progressives would like to see Warren or Sanders as the Democrats leader in the Senate, and I think everyone not named Carl Heastie would like to see Cuomo gone.

Plus, Schumer probably would beat Cuomo in a primary easily at this point.

Schumer and Cuomo don't get along, like egotistical politicians, they keep their distance....

Scott Stringer, Andrew Yang, Ray McGuire and Maya Wiley should consider running for governor as well.

Former NYC comptroller Bill Thompson should consider it as well...

[President Johnson]

Schumer would beat Cuomo, as would Hillary. But neither is going to happen.

If Cuomo isn't pushed out of office before the conclusion of his term, I really wish Kathy Hochul would come out and run against him or just declare herself a candidate. There isn't much to lose other than not staying on for another four years under this guy and she could actually defeat him. I know that she has built many connections over the state and would receive strong backing from the big names in New York Democratic politics; namely Schumer, Gillibrand, the Clintons and Steward-Cousins. I could also see Eric Adams and Tish James supporting her. The latter herself would be a great candidate, though I'd prefer her to stay on as attorney general and continue her amazing work here. Let alone possible endorsements by the heavyweights Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, which would absolutely sink Cuomo regardless of how many tricks and corrupt donors he pulls out of his hat. Unlike Teachout and Nixon, Hochul would be acceptable to a lot of former Cuomo backers and the progressive wing failed twice to come close to primary out Cuomo (although he's now weaker than in 2014 and 2018). This time it needs a single strong candidate to get rid of him. Hochul could credibly turn on him after sexual harassment claims and nursing home deaths as she hasn't been in his inner circle here. And by contrast, Hochul appears a vastly different personality and is often described as a very likeable person who connects with common people. She's not even from a privileged background and prevailed mainly on her own. That alone would be very refreshing.

If I were to advise Hochul, I'd recommend to pick a Downstate (not too far left) progressive (ideally a man under 50) to run for lt. governor at her side then, to balance the ticket and broaden the appeal. I know the primaries are separate, though running as an informal ticket would benefit both sides and help turning out Cuomo opponents from the left and the center. Furthermore, she could stress her broad experience at the state, federal and local level as well as the private sector and to bring in a unique perspective not just as first female governor but also as Upstate politician. As she has proven in the past, she seems to have some appeal to Upstaters and could halt or reverse the Democratic losses there, including helping downballot candidates. Particulary in a Democratic midterm, that's not a small thing (Schumer being on the same ballot is also a huge factor here).

While I doubt she actually does that, I'm convinced she can not only win if she plays her cards right, but also govern effectively and become a much more successful governor than the ones who served in recent years and decades.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Cuomo is gonna stay in office and win reelection over Guiliani 55/45%

[NewYorkExpress]

Bill De Blasio not ruling out a primary challenge to Cuomo.

Term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio refused Monday to rule out a run for governor while his nemesis — embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo —grapples with multiple investigations over sexual harassment accusations and his handling of the coronavirus.

De Blasio, who completes his term for mayor on Dec. 31, was asked point blank during a press conference whether he would run for governor in 2022. He did not close the door.

“I have not ruled in or ruled out anything. I have not made any decisions about the future,” de Blasio said.

The Post reported in March that de Blasio was talking to advisers about a potential run for governor next year while three-term Democratic incumbent Cuomo is mired in scandal.

[Suburbia]

Bill De Blasio not ruling out a primary challenge to Cuomo.

Term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio refused Monday to rule out a run for governor while his nemesis — embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo —grapples with multiple investigations over sexual harassment accusations and his handling of the coronavirus.

De Blasio, who completes his term for mayor on Dec. 31, was asked point blank during a press conference whether he would run for governor in 2022. He did not close the door.

“I have not ruled in or ruled out anything. I have not made any decisions about the future,” de Blasio said.

The Post reported in March that de Blasio was talking to advisers about a potential run for governor next year while three-term Democratic incumbent Cuomo is mired in scandal.

deBlasio would give Zeldin a chance at victory....he'd win Long Island, and potentially make de Blasio limited to only winning Westchester, NYC without Staten Island and maybe Erie and Albany counties...