The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA. We Are Looking for New Volunteers to Join our Editorial Team! If you are interested, please contact us:
Election News
After endorsing an unranked slate for mayor earlier this spring, the Working Families Party endorsed Zohran Mamdani with a #1 ranking along with a ranked five-member slate, solidifying Mamdani’s position as the top progressive choice in the election.
After Mamdani released a video where he asked his supporters to donate to Adrienne Adams, Adams’ latest campaign finance filing revealed that this call likely raised tens of thousands of dollars and unlocked much more through public matching funds.
State Senator John Liu (District 16, Eastern Queens) endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor.
Andrew Cuomo’s campaign was fined again for allegedly coordinating with an independent Super PAC, meaning that his campaign will not receive $1.3 million in matching funds that he previously qualified for.
Cuomo’s campaign threatened a union that endorsed against him with legal action for posting a flyer called “Top 10 Reasons to Vote No Cuomo” to their website.
Council Member Justin Brannan and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, the two top candidates for city comptroller, faced off in their first sanctioned debate of the election.
The New York City Campaign Finance Board sent out 3.5 million voter guides by mail that erroneously included Mayor Eric Adams as a candidate in the Democratic primary, even though he is running as an independent.
Council Member Chris Marte was caught on film taking down his opponents literature from doors while canvassing.
Local News
The state government has decided to waive massive penalties that were due to begin on the developer of Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park for not constructing hundreds of affordable housing units by the end of May.
Health care systems in rural areas in upstate New York are in grave danger of failure if the Medicaid cuts proposed by the federal government pass.
A bill that would add more judges to New York State courts in order to clear the state’s backlog of trials is facing strong opposition from judges themselves.
The Thorn is published weekly by the Electoral Working Group of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America. Join the Electoral Working Group! Volunteer for NYC-DSA-endorsed mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and NYC-DSA-endorsed City Council candidate Alexa Aviles (District 38, Sunset Park)!
The NYC Local
Our chapter's labor newsletter, The Local, arrives every other week with a focus on labor organizing, bargaining, and local legislation that impacts NYC's workers. Give them a follow here.