House Divided

Good morning from New York City, where the Board of Elections voted 7-1 to approve three ballot measures to appear on the ballot in November. Drafted by the Charter Revision Commission and aimed at boosting housing production, the measures are focused on reducing the City Council’s power, specifically the unofficial veto individual council members have over certain land-use decisions within their districts. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and her colleagues on the City Council have argued the ballot measures are vaguely worded and have threatened to sue, offering in a statement, ”We will take action to protect democracy from Mayor Adams’ dishonest ballot proposals, which would strip Black, Latino, and Asian neighborhoods of their power to secure more affordable housing and community investments.”

The decision is a win for Governor Kathy Hochul, who reportedly dispatched one of her closest aides, Karen Persichilli Keogh, to win over the skeptical Democratic BOE Commissioners. In a statement, Hochul said, “There's only one way to solve New York's housing crisis: we have to build more housing. The Charter Revision Commission's proposals will make it easier to build the affordable housing New Yorkers so urgently need. I’m glad the Board of Elections listened to the voices of New Yorkers—myself included—who want to see these critical initiatives brought to voters in November.” From here, the voters will decide if the measures will become law.

Another major issue is winding its way to a conclusion in the Courts. After hearing oral arguments last week, the New York State Court of Appeals will decide the fate of a new state law, moving most local elections to even-numbered years to better align with state and federal elections. The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), including Onondaga County, which initiated the lawsuit, opposes the 2023 law, arguing it runs afoul of New York’s designation as a “home rule” state. In a statement, NYSAC’s Executive Director said, ”The thing that’s really the burning question in our mind is a very simple one: what can we do as local government officials if we can’t even set our terms of office? That has now been 'converted' to a matter of state concern. And the Court of Appeals is going to allow that to happen?” While proponents of the change argue it will reduce administrative costs and increase voter turnout, others have raised concerns about the ability of local candidates to compete for airtime and media coverage with statewide and national candidates who will now be running at the same time. Stay tuned for a decision from the State’s highest court. A constitutional amendment that would move the remaining local elections is pending in the legislature.

As the 2026 legislative session in Albany inches closer, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the following leadership appointments after the resignation of North Country Assemblyman Billy Jones: 

• Deputy Majority Leader: Charles Fall 

• Assistant Majority Leader: Jen Lunsford 

• Vice Chair, Majority Steering: Judy Griffin 

• Chair, Local Governments: Michaelle Solages

Governor Hochul continues to sound the alarm over the impact of federal cuts to Medicaid to New Yorkers, and this time, taking action, announcing the state will transition 1.3 million people currently on the Essential Plan onto the state’s Basic Health Program to preserve coverage for as many residents as possible. In a statement, Hochul offered, “Nearly 1.7 million New Yorkers rely on the Essential Plan for health care—working moms and dads, families living paycheck to paycheck, people doing everything right and still struggling to get by. The Big Ugly Bill forced through by Donald Trump and Republicans puts every single one of them at risk of losing their care. I refuse to stand by while Washington punishes vulnerable New Yorkers.” Still, Hochul warned that many New Yorkers are at risk of losing coverage without further action from the state or federal government, saying, “Even with these steps, 450,000 New Yorkers are at risk of losing their care. That includes 127,000 people represented by New York’s seven Republican Members of Congress, who are abandoning their own constituents to hand out tax breaks for the wealthy. It doesn’t have to be this way. If Republicans give a damn about protecting health care for their constituents, they can act right now to pass a three-year delay of HR1's cuts to health care eligibility and keep every New Yorker on the Essential Plan covered.” Expect this to be a constant refrain for a long time to come.

In New York City, new polling shows the mayoral race remaining relatively static, assuming it remains a four-way race. Among the current candidates, a New York Times/Siena College poll found Zohran Mamdani is at 46% support among likely voters, followed by former governor Andrew Cuomo at 24%, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 15%, and current Mayor Eric Adams at 9%. The race would narrow significantly if Sliwa and Adams were to drop out of the race, with Mamdani at 48% and Cuomo at 44%. The race has seen plenty of leaks, rumors, and speculation, but the anti-Mamdani folks are running out of time to change the direction of the race. Even President Donald Trump, speaking on Fox and Friends, appeared to acknowledge that. 

-Jack O’Donnell

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