Election Results + Library Funding Restored in Budget Deal
No. 381 | Monday, July 1, 2024
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Election News
DSA-endorsed Claire Valdez scored a decisive win over her opponents, Johanna Carmona and incumbent State Assemblyman Juan Ardila (AD 37, Sunnyside), with 58% of the vote.
DSA-backed incumbents Emily Gallagher (AD 50, North Brooklyn), Kristen Gonzalez (SD 59, Western Queens) and Sarahana Shrestha (AD 103, Mid-Hudson Valley) fended off challengers to win their respective races.
Incumbent U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16, Westchester) lost to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)–funded challenger George Latimer in the most expensive House primary race in history. AIPAC spent $14M in support of Latimer, with total spending on advertising from campaigns and their opponents exceeding $23M.
Two DSA-backed insurgent candidates lost to incumbents: Jonathan Soto, challenging Michael Benedetto (AD 82, Pelham Bay), and Eon Tyrell Huntley, who lost by less than 500 votes to Stefani Zinerman (AD 50, Bed Stuy).
Local News
Mayor Eric Adams and City Council reached a tentative deal to reverse the $58 million in cuts to the library’s budget, making it possible for libraries to reopen on Sundays.
Correction officers at Rikers Island will not wear body cameras until at least September after one caught fire, preventing critical oversight of officers’ behavior towards detainees.
The MTA board met on Wednesday and confirmed scaled-back plans for capital improvements following Governor Hochul’s indefinite pause on congestion pricing, which includes cutting accessibility upgrades and expansion projects such as extending the Second Avenue Subway to Harlem and creating a Brooklyn-Queens light rail line.
Sixty-two Democrats in the House of Representatives – including Adriano Espaillat (NY-13, West Bronx), Dan Goldman (NY-10, Lower Manhattan), Grace Meng (NY-6, Flushing, Forest Hills), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15, South Bronx) – joined Republicans to vote to ban the State Department from citing the Gaza death toll reported by Gaza Health Ministry.
The NYC Local
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