Just a moment...

NEW YORK PLAYBOOK POLITICO's must-read briefing informing the daily conversation among knowledgeable New Yorkers NEW YORK PLAYBOOK POLITICO's must-read briefing informing the daily

conversation among knowledgeable New Yorkers By signing up, you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. You may unsubscribe at any time by following the directions

at the bottom of the email or by contacting us here. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. * All fields must be completed to

subscribe. Sign Up By signing up, you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. You may unsubscribe at any time by following the directions at the bottom of the email

or by contacting us here. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Sign Up * Print A CUOMO CLASH FEST By NICK REISMAN, EMILY NGO and

JEFF COLTIN  06/05/2025 07:00 AM EDT Presented by ANDREW CUOMO’S SCANDALS and Donald Trump’s meddling were the mood music for the two-hour Democratic mayoral debate Wednesday evening. THE

CANDIDATE who seemed most eager to lace into the frontrunning Cuomo was longshot ex-Assemblymember Michael Blake. THE BRONX DEMOCRAT has little support, but he had zingers. THE FORMER DNC

VICE CHAIR leveled one of the sharpest barbs at Cuomo, knitting together the sexual harassment allegations and Covid policies that have dogged the former governor: “The people who don’t feel

safe are the young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo — that’s the greatest threat to public safety.” THE ATTACKS ON CUOMO during the first televised debate of the

boisterous Big Apple Democratic mayoral primary underscored the strategic need of his opponents to swing hard and fast against the prohibitive favorite to win the party’s nomination. They

parried with early voting set to begin in 10 days. NINE CANDIDATES — Cuomo, Blake, City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, former City Comptroller Scott

Stringer, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and businessperson Whitney Tilson — squared off in the debate co-sponsored by POLITICO and WNBC. THE CROWDED

FORUM was marked by periods of extensive crosstalk from the candidates mostly trying to pile on Cuomo, who is mounting a comeback bid after scandal-induced resignation four years ago. THE

CANDIDATES ALL PLEDGED to tackle issues that have resonated with voters, like affordability and housing, while vowing to fight Trump’s meddling in his native city — especially with targeting

undocumented people for deportation. They uniformly condemned Trump’s threats against Columbia University over charges the school failed to protect Jewish students. LANDER TURNED THE TRUMP

TALK back to Cuomo. “WITH ALL THE CORRUPTION that’s in Washington, we can’t have corruption back here in New York City as well,” he said before blasting Cuomo’s controversial $5 million

contract for a Covid-era memoir. THE CRITICISMS OF CUOMO flowed forth from there. ATTACKING CUOMO, who has largely shied away from speaking with reporters and attending candidate forums, was

an imperative for his opponents Wednesday as voting fast approaches. But it was the longshot Blake, who frequently laced into Cuomo with cutting criticism. MAMDANI ACCUSED the former

governor of being “allergic to accountability” when Blake re-surfaced a 2008 Cuomo quote who criticized candidates who “shuck and jive” as Barack Obama was running for president. ADRIENNE

ADAMS WAS INCREDULOUS when Cuomo could not name a “personal regret” in politics, summoning a cinematic rebuke: “No regrets when it comes to cutting Medicaid or health care? No regrets when

it comes to cutting child care? No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of Covid in Black and brown communities?” STRINGER BLASTED the former governor’s

approval of a controversial cashless bail law. THE EX-GOVERNOR COUNTERPUNCHED at points. He accused his opponents of supporting defunding the police and attacked Mamdani’s lack of experience

in government — saying that it would hinder the democratic socialist’s ability to fight Trump. “MR. TRUMP WOULD GO THROUGH Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,” Cuomo said. “He

would be Trump’s delight.” HITTING BACK AT LANDER, Cuomo asserted the city comptroller approved contracts for organizations with ties to Lander’s wife. “MR. LANDER KNOWS CORRUPTION,” Cuomo

said. Lander called the claim “a lie.” WHETHER THE BARRAGE AGAINST the leading contender — which mainly came within the first hour — will work won’t be known until the votes are counted. BUT

CUOMO IS A KNOWN quantity for many New Yorkers. He’s leading in polls, but his negatives are high. THE REST OF THE FIELD is yet to take advantage of — or crack — that paradox. — _NICK

REISMAN_ IT’S THURSDAY. GOT NEWS? SEND IT OUR WAY: JEFF COLTIN, EMILY NGO AND NICK REISMAN. WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City and Massachusetts with no public schedule. WHERE’S ERIC? No public

schedule available as of 10 p.m. Wednesday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm going to look at some of the local races that we're having and pick from some of the local candidates. But

the mayoral candidates, I'm going to skip over that. There's only one person I'll be voting for for mayor, and that's Eric Adams." — New York City Mayor Eric Adams,

talking about how he will not vote in the mayoral Democratic primary. (Adams dropped out of the primary to mount a longshot general election bid.) A message from Amazon: Amazon’s investments

in New York have created 47,000 full- and part-time jobs across the state. Amazon jobs include comprehensive benefits starting on day one and free skills training. Kathy started at Amazon

in an entry-level role in an Amazon fulfillment center. She took advantage of Amazon’s free skills training to launch a robotics career. “WITH FREE SKILLS TRAINING, THERE’S NO LIMIT TO WHAT

YOU CAN ACHIEVE,” SHE SAID. Read more employee stories. ABOVE THE FOLD CLARKE’S NO. 1 PICK: Rep. Yvette Clarke is endorsing Adrienne Adams as her top choice for mayor, lending the City

Council speaker a much-needed boost as she seeks traction in the final weeks of the campaign, POLITICO reports exclusively today. Clarke and her powerbroker mother Una Clarke are influential

among Caribbean New Yorkers. They’re also closely allied with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recruited and endorsed Adams in a contentious primary that Andrew Cuomo is

dominating. Adams is a later entry into the race. She qualified only last week for public matching funds. And she’s been polling behind Cuomo and Mamdani, the surging Democratic socialist

who’s closing the gap with the former governor. “Working families in Brooklyn and across this city deserve a mayor who puts people first — someone who leads with both strength and

compassion, and who has the experience to make government work for everyone,” Clarke said in a statement. “Speaker Adrienne Adams is ready on day one to partner with me and my colleagues in

protecting New Yorkers from the harmful policies coming out of the White House.” Clarke’s nod comes as her political club, the Progressive Democrats Political Association, plans to endorse

an unranked slate of candidates that includes Cuomo, though many members wanted to make Adams their top choice, three people familiar with the decision told POLITICO. Clarke, who chairs the

Congressional Black Caucus, is one of the last New York congressional delegation members to make their endorsement. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ chair, Rep. Grace Meng of

Queens, has yet to make her pick in the crowded primary. The prized congressional endorsement among the primary’s progressives is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has yet to announce her

choices. — _EMILY NGO_ _We are in an unprecedented moment in Canadian politics that will shape Canada and its relationship with the U.S. for decades. POLITICO will be your guide to the

issues and players driving the agenda with a fresh version of one of our signature newsletters: __CANADA PLAYBOOK__. __SIGN UP HERE __to get it straight in your inbox._ CITY HALL: THE LATEST

IMPACT REPORT: The hits on Cuomo just weren’t hitting, Democratic insiders told POLITICO halfway through the debate. “This was the Andrew Cuomo show. He took plenty of jabs but not many big

hits,” said David Greenfield, a former New York City Council member and nonprofit leader. “Hard to imagine many minds were changed so far.” And Dianne Morales, a left-leaning 2021 mayoral

candidate and nonprofit leader, said she didn’t think it would impact Cuomo’s lead. “The average NYer standing in line at Staples only remembers seeing Cuomo on their TV every morning during

the scariest time of their lives. They believe he’s a leader they want in office.” Even some of his opponents didn’t seem to think the needle moved. “I wish I lived in a city where voters

cared about women getting harassed,” Ramos said after the debate. Myrie felt that Cuomo didn’t adequately answer the questions posed at the debate. “We are in the late third quarter. Fourth

is coming up, and voters are just starting to tune in. … We’ll see whether or not the voters think these questions that are unanswered are disqualifying.” Ever the optimist, Mamdani said

after the debate that voters will shift away from Cuomo. “I think he’s changing their minds himself as he’s shown himself unwilling to admit even a single regret,” Mamdani said. “He’s just

as allergic to apology and accountability, seemingly, as Donald Trump.” — _JEFF COLTIN_ More from the city: — ERIC ADAMS ANNOUNCED his intention to implement a speed limit on e-bikes in New

York City. (NBC 4 New York) — TEARS AND PANIC mark the scene outside an immigration office in New York as ICE accelerates migrant round-ups. (THE CITY) — CUOMO CRITICIZES Gov. Kathy Hochul

for prioritizing tax rebates over New York City childcare vouchers. (Daily News) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A bill that would make it easier for prison inmates to be paroled

has passed a key milestone — it has the backing of a majority of state Senate lawmakers. There are now 32 members who have signed onto the bill in the 63-member state Senate. The bill would

enable the release of inmates when they’re eligible for parole unless there’s a risk to the public. “I’m grateful to the majority of my Senate colleagues for co-sponsoring the Fair &

Timely Parole bill,” said bill sponsor state Sen. Julia Salazar. “Now, it’s time to act.” — _NICK REISMAN_ WINE TIME: The business-backed coalition pressing for a law that would allow

grocery stores to sell wine is making an end-of-session push today for the long-sought measure. The group, New York State of Wine, will launch digital ads targeting state lawmakers by

pointing to polling that shows the measure is popular with voters. A rally at the state Capitol will also be held today in support of the proposal. The bill faces an uphill climb amid

opposition from liquor store owners. Democratic state lawmakers have amended the bill to include provisions to alleviate their concerns — such as allowing liquor stores to sell a greater

variety of products and placing restrictions on where new supermarkets can sell wine. But liquor stores believe allowing wine sales in grocery stores represents an existential threat, and

their owners have successfully beat back legislation for decades. — _NICK REISMAN  _ More from Albany: — HEDGE FUNDS THAT sue impoverished countries could be reined in by Albany. (NYS Focus)

— THE TECH LOBBY IS TRYING to push back against AI regulation bills. (City & State) — ADVOCATES WANT CHANGES to land-lease co-op terms. (Times Union) _Playbook isn’t just a newsletter —

it’s a podcast, too. With new co-hosts who bring unmatched Trump world reporting and analysis, __THE PLAYBOOK PODCAST__ dives deeper into the power plays shaping Washington. Get the insider

edge—__START LISTENING NOW__._ KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION MORE AND MORE CROWDED IN NY-17: The number of Democrats officially running for GOP Rep. Mike Lawler’s Hudson Valley seat now

stands at seven. The newest candidate, Peter Chatzky, is arguing he’s the most electable because he’s grounded and pragmatic. Chatzky, the former mayor of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester

County, will launch his campaign today, Playbook has learned. He’s touting a blend of public and private sector experience as founder and CEO of a fintech company. And he said lowering the

cost of living, restoring funding to essential services like Medicaid, defending abortion rights and combating extremism are his top priorities. “We need to make Democrats proud to vote blue

again,” the candidate said in a statement. “What we don’t need is a politician who pretends to resist the destructive Trump agenda, only to back the administration’s dangerous,

miscalculated initiatives every step of the way.” He and others in the increasingly heated 2026 race will have a fight on their hands — first among each other and then against Lawler, a

high-profile moderate who won reelection last year by 6 points in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans. Lawler’s campaign spokesperson has derided the ever-expanding field of

Democratic challengers as a “clown car.” The House member is weighing a bid for governor and says he will make his decision this month. His calling card cause is New York Republicans’ push

to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction. SALT promises to be a big topic in the midterms. Lawler and other SALT Republicans secured a quadrupling of the current cap to $40,000,

though the megabill is now with the Senate. Democratic NY-17 candidate Beth Davidson has criticized Lawler for not fighting to scrap the cap by letting it expire, then recently told NY1 she

supports a lifting of the cap to at least $25,000. — _EMILY NGO_ More from the delegation: — THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS get their megabill’s official price tag: $2.4 trillion. (POLITICO) —

SENATE MINORITY LEADER Chuck Schumer halted the quick confirmation of a top Justice Department nominee as part of a blockade tied to Trump’s acceptance of a Qatari plane. (POLITICO) —

REPUBLICAN SENATORS face Wall Street’s worries over the megabill’s retaliatory tax. (Semafor) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION initiated the process to remove

Columbia University's accreditation over antisemitism allegations. (Axios) — A MANHATTAN JURY will soon begin deliberating whether to convict the disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein

of rape and other offenses. (New York Times) — WHAT TO KNOW about health risks as wildfire smoke reaches New York City. (THE CITY) A message from Amazon: AMAZON HAS COMMITTED $1.2B FOR FREE

SKILLS TRAINING AND PRE-PAID TUITION More than 200,000 full- and part-time Amazon employees like Kathy, have used the pre-paid tuition benefits and free skills training to learn and earn

more. “It’s amazing how many hourly employees have used the free skills training. Stories like mine are one of the many things Amazon is known for,” said Kathy, who turned her entry-level

role into a robotics career. See the impact. SOCIAL DATA _Edited by Daniel Lippman_ MAKING MOVES: AMANDA GOLDEN is now a senior associate at Sands Capital on their global ventures team. She

most recently earned her MBA from UVA Darden School of Business and is a Google News, NBC News and CNN alum. WEEKEND WEDDING: ALEXANDRA DAKICH, an associate at Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP

and a Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign alum, on Saturday married NICK IZZARD, the strategic finance senior manager at ZocDoc. The couple, who met in college at Vanderbilt University, married at

Newfields in Indianapolis. _PIC_ HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NYC Council Member SHEKAR KRISHNAN … former NYC Council Member MARK WEPRIN … MAYA BRONSTEIN … (WAS WEDNESDAY): MORT ZUCKERMAN ...

ProPublica’s JUSTIN ELLIOTT … NBC’s EMILY GOLD … DANIEL H. WEISS ... ADAM E. SOCLOF ... DANIEL ROSENTHAL  MISSED WEDNESDAY’S NEW YORK PLAYBOOK PM? We forgive you. _Read it here._ « View

Archives ABOUT THE AUTHOR : NICK REISMAN Nick Reisman is a reporter covering New York state government and politics, co-authoring New York Playbook. He has been covering the statehouse in

Albany for more than a decade, first as a reporter with the USA Today Network and for 12 years as a reporter with Spectrum News. A Yonkers native and graduate of the University at Albany, he

is a long-suffering Jets fan. ABOUT THE AUTHOR : EMILY NGO Emily Ngo co-authors the New York Playbook and covers New York politics and government at the local, state and federal levels. She

is especially adept at reporting on campaigns and elections. She was previously an on-air political reporter with Spectrum News NY1, where she thrived during wall-to-wall live coverage of

elections and breaking news events. Ngo also has worked as a national political reporter at Newsday, including as part of the White House press corps. She graduated from the Newhouse School

at Syracuse University. She lives in Queens with her family. While the New York Mets are her adopted team, she’ll always root for her hometown Chicago White Sox. ABOUT THE AUTHOR : JEFF

COLTIN Jeff Coltin is a reporter and co-author of the New York Playbook. He’s been covering New York City politics for a decade, most recently as City Hall bureau chief at City & State,

where he authored the Campaign Confidential newsletter. Born and raised in Phoenix, Jeff got into journalism at Fordham University in the Bronx, inspired by his grandfather Wendell, who

reported for the Boston Herald, among other papers. He lives with his fiancé on the Upper West Side. NEW YORK PLAYBOOK - POLITICO ARCHIVE * THURSDAY, 6/5/25 * WEDNESDAY, 6/4/25 * TUESDAY,

6/3/25 * MONDAY, 6/2/25 * FRIDAY, 5/30/25 * View the Full New York Playbook Archives » POLITICO MAGAZINE * THE ‘FUNDAMENTAL MISTAKE’ IN TRUMP’S TRADE WAR WITH CHINA By Phelim Kine *

CONSERVATIVE ECONOMIC POPULISTS ARE TAKING A VICTORY LAP By Ian Ward * ‘THIS IS THE SCALPEL THEY'LL USE TO RUIN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS THE PRESIDENT IS OPPOSED TO.' By Ian Ward *

THE POLITICAL REALIGNMENT HAS ARRIVED. REPUBLICANS ARE IN DANGER OF BLOWING IT. Opinion by Albert Eisenberg