How super PACs hope to change Albany this year

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Jun 12, 2024 View in browser   By Jason Beeferman Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are the target of super PAC spending in legislative races this year. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images SPECIALLY INTERESTED IN ALBANY: With less than two weeks to go before state primaries, progressive candidates for legislative seats are being targeted by special interest groups — and the groups say the flood of cash is a sign of their success. “DSA has been winning,” Grace Mausser, an organizer with the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, said when asked about the outside spending, exclusively reported by POLITICO Monday. “We don't win 100 percent of our races, but we do win races every year, and we've been growing our block in Albany,” she said. “I think our enemies are just getting more and more nervous about that, trying to scramble to spend against it.” The DSA made its mark in recent years, defeating a handful of Democratic mainstays in legislative primaries across New York City — most notably Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. So far independent expenditure committees have spent $489,000 on upcoming state races, with the vast majority spent in support of Assemblymembers facing primary opponents backed by the DSA or the Working Families Party, according to our colleague Bill Mahoney’s analysis. That amounts to less than what was spent in years prior — super PACs shelled out $868,000 at this point in the 2022 legislative primary season and over $1 million two weeks before the 2018 vote — but the interest groups are particularly focused on knocking out lefty candidates this year. “DSA has been a leader on standing for Palestinian Liberation and against the genocide in Gaza,” Mausser said. “I think that's fueled a lot more focus on both DSA and some WFP races.” The targeting of the candidates comes amid the backdrop of the especially pricey NY-16 congressional primary between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer, where about $16 million has been spent on advertisements alone. Of particular note in the assembly races is the role that former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is playing. Bloomberg, a billionaire and a longtime advocate for charter schools, gave a combined $2 million in March and April to pro-charter school groups New Yorkers for a Balanced Albany and Moving New York Families Forward. Those organizations spent heavily in support of incumbents Michael Benedetto and Stefani Zinerman, who each face a DSA-backed challenger. They’ve also backed Anathea Simpkins, who is running against North Brooklyn Assemblymember and DSA member Emily Gallagher, and Taylor Darling, a third-term Assemblymember hoping to secure outgoing Democrat Kevin Thomas’ state Senate seat. Bloomberg’s team declined to comment for the story, though he and one of the heirs to the Walmart fortune have both spent generously in favor of charter schools recently. “Luxury developers and real estate CEOs are spending big against our candidates, because they know our candidates support the rights of families to stay in their homes without bracing for massive rent hikes each year,” said Ravi Mangla, a spokesperson for the Working Families Party. The issue of charter schools continues to be salient in Albany. A historically pro-public school state Legislature gave concessions to charter schools last year at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose reelection campaign was supported by pro-charter school groups. In that deal 15 "zombie charters" — schools that were closed or never opened — are now available to be filled in New York City, where the number of charters has reached the state's geographical cap. “Mayor Bloomberg, he funnels the money through the PACs,” said Jonathan Soto, a DSA-backed candidate running against Benedetto. “He has his policy in place with mayoral control, and is going to continue trying to buy state legislators like Michael Benedetto out, but that's why we're running as a public school parent.” Crystal McQueen-Taylor, executive director of StudentsFirstNY, which is affiliated with New Yorkers for a Balanced Albany, explained the groups involvement in the races in a statement to Playbook. "New Yorkers for a Balanced Albany will always be there when tough races emerge for candidates who put kids first,” she said. “This year's elections are critical for parent choice, and we're proud to stand with an outstanding crop of candidates." — Jason Beeferman   THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     From the Capitol New York City Comptroller Brad Lander in a press conference in May 2023. Lander detailed plans to sue the state to implement congestion pricing today after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite pause for the program. | Getty Images TOLL TROUBLES: City Comptroller Brad Lander shed more light today on the legal assault being hatched against Gov. Kathy Hochul and her indefinite delay of congestion pricing. “If congestion pricing is not implemented by June 30, as required by law, this coalition will be ready right away to take these cases to court,” Lander said at a press briefing, flanked by members of a new group — whose existence was first reported by POLITICO — aiming to save the controversial tolling plan through a barrage of lawsuits. The coalition’s most powerful case appears to be the simplest. “Our lead argument is that the 2018 statute says the MTA shall implement congestion pricing,” Columbia University law professor Michael Gerrard said at the press briefing, emphasizing the word “shall” to indicate the law literally says the state must move forward with the policy. Other spaghetti-on-wall possibilities include accusing Hochul of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and the 2021 Green Amendment — an addendum to the state constitution. The coalition, which includes transit, environment and disability advocacy organizations, is waiting until the MTA board meets on July 26 and the deadline to implement congestion pricing transpires four days later before launching their attack — which could include a suit from Lander himself. “We could sue right away,” Gerrard said. “But we want to see what the other agencies do.” — Joe Anuta IN OTHER NEWS POLL DANCE: Vulnerable Rep. Jamaal Bowman earlier today knocked the credibility of a new Emerson College/PIX11/The Hill poll ahead of a high-stakes televised debate on Spectrum News NY1. The survey had his opponent George Latimer up by 17 points in the heated NY-16 primary. “I don’t think that lead is credible,” Bowman told Playbook today at an event. “That does not align with our internal data at all. … We’re actually talking to people of all backgrounds, not just 425 of ‘some’ background, so they’re not polling our people.” The June 11 poll surveyed 425 likely Democratic primary voters in the Westchester County and Bronx district from June 6 to June 8. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percent. Emerson said they stand by their results and methodology. Latimer, in a morning interview with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, sought to answer the wide-ranging questions on his own terms and contrasted his debate and communication style with Bowman’s. “I think there’s a perception that being intense requires loud speaking, requires bombastic demeanor,” the Westchester County executive said. “The passion can be a cool, realistic passion. … You work hard and you deliver the results.” Also on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton announced her support for Latimer, saying: “With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever. In Congress,@LatimerforNY will protect abortion rights, stand up to the NRA, and fight for President Biden’s agenda — just like he’s always done.” Bowman told Playbook he’s looking forward to showing voters who Latimer is with tonight’s debate. “He’s in the pocket of Republican billionaires … who are racist,” the incumbent said. “He is also not just anti-Black racist, he’s anti-Muslim racist.” Latimer has called such claims lies and desperation by Bowman. — Rich Mendez  — BRAGG ABOUT IT: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is set to testify to congress and face questions from GOP lawmakers after former President Donald Trump’s conviction last month. (The New York Times) — ANTI-ZIONISM VANDALISM: The Brooklyn Museum’s director and several of its Jewish board members had their homes vandalized overnight. The vandals scrawled anti-Zionist messages in red paint on the front of the individuals’ homes. (New York Post) — CUOMO’S LEGACY: The deaths of over 15,000 in nursing homes during the pandemic continues to cast a shadow over the legacy of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (NY1) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? Read it here.   Follow us on Twitter Jason Beeferman @JasonBeeferman   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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