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New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Cuomo's election loss reveals onetime kingmaker NYC unions now toothless ‘paper tigers'
The biggest loser in the Democratic primary race for mayor besides Andrew Cuomo is New York's weakened labor movement. Cuomo's Big Labor muscles were exposed as nothing but 'paper tigers' without bite, according to longtime political strategists and even people active in the union movement. 'Clearly, the support of some of the largest NYC unions for Cuomo, which he very prominently showcased in the debates and elsewhere, did not do much for the former governor (nor for the unions themselves),' Johsua Freeman, a labor historian and professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, wrote to The Post. Advertisement 9 Andrew Cuomo's Big Labor muscles were exposed as nothing but 'paper tigers' without bite. Getty Images 'Also, the membership in some unions is less mobilized and engaged in political action than in earlier years. 'In some respects, the impressive DSA field operation has moved into the void,' Freeman said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America party that includes primary-race winner Zohran Mamdani. Advertisement Mamdani and his army of thousands of passionate volunteers — including many DSA members — outworked the network of unions that Cuomo relied upon to get out the vote. 9 'The membership in some unions is less mobilized and engaged in political action than in earlier years,' Freeman said. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock It turned out Mamdani didn't need the unions, and it's clear from the results that at least some rank-and-file union members defied their leadership and voted for the two-term Queens state assemblyman — just as many union households voted for Republican President Trump last year. The city's 8-1 matching funds for small donations also make candidates less reliant on union cash, Freeman noted, while others pointed to large funding from 'independent' Super PACs backing candidates as making labor unions less relevant. Advertisement 'The unions were paper tigers,' a veteran labor associate said. 'Their get-out-the-vote operations are diminished. They've been living off past success.' 9 Mamdani and his army of thousands of passionate volunteers outworked the network of unions that Cuomo relied upon to get out the vote. Getty Images Cuomo was endorsed by the heart of Big Labor — Service Employees International Union Local 1199 representing health care workers, Local 32 BJ for building workers, the Hotel Trades and Gaming Council, the firefighter unions, Teamsters Local 237 and the entire network of the hardhat construction trade unions. 'Big Labor endorsed Cuomo but did not seem particularly enthusiastic about him, certainly compared to Mamdani's supporters' enthusiasm level,' said CUNY political science professor John Mollenkopf. Advertisement 'They also did not seem to mount a particularly strong canvassing and GOTV [Get Out The Vote], which they are capable of doing under the right circumstances,' he said of the unions. 9 The city's 8-1 matching funds for small donations also make candidates less reliant on union cash, Freeman noted. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock Meanwhile, Big Labor's membership rolls are shrinking. Union membership in New York City has fallen in recent years: In 2024, only about 20% of all wage and salary workers in the city were union members, down from around nearly one quarter a decade ago. Another challenge in terms of GOTV efforts is the fact that many more union members don't reside in the city as they did decades ago — particularly in the construction trades, among uniformed officers and even in the unions with lower-paid workers, sources said. 9 In 2024, only about 20% of all wage and salary workers in the city were union members, down from around nearly one quarter a decade ago. New York Post 'If you have less and less members and more and more of them live outside New York City, their ability to mobilize large groups of their members has dramatically cratered and shows no sign of slowing down,' a veteran labor insider said. Former Gov. David Paterson, a Cuomo supporter, said, 'The unions don't work like they did years ago for a candidate. Advertisement 'There was not a lot of street activity.' 9 Many more union members don't reside in the city as they did decades ago — particularly in the construction trades. AFP via Getty Images It wasn't just Cuomo who was hurt by the unions' dwindling influence. District Council 37, the union representing the largest number of city municipal workers, backed losing Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for mayor, though they ranked Mamdani second. Advertisement The United Federation of Teachers, whose membership was divided, sat out the race. 9 Former Gov. David Paterson, a Cuomo supporter, said, 'The unions don't work like they did years ago for a candidate.' AP Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen — who appeared at a pro-Mamdani campaign rally touting the candidate's free-bus-fare plan days before the primary — said many labor leaders, along with the city Democratic Party establishment, made a calculated decision that Cuomo would win. 'The Democratic Party establishment got demolished,' Samuelsen said. Advertisement Unions that backed Cuomo or were neutral in the primary are now shifting to Mamdani while others are considering backing incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. 9 'The Democratic Party establishment got demolished,' Samuelsen said. Getty Images Local 32 BJ, the Hotel Trades and Gaming Council and the state Nurses' Association have already joined Mamdani. Some labor sources whose unions backed Cuomo took issue with criticism that they didn't work hard and instead blamed the candidate for running a lackluster campaign. Advertisement 'You need a general in charge to win,' a pro-Cuomo union insider said. 'You can't win with a ghost.' 9 'You need a general in charge to win,' a pro-Cuomo union insider said. 'You can't win with a ghost.' Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock Austin Shafran, a spokesman for HTC and 32 BJ, said unions assist but don't run a candidate's campaign. 'The best unions provide high-quality, supplemental support that help push good campaigns over the finish line. But core field infrastructure for citywide campaigns needs to be owned by campaigns themselves,' he said. He said the unions did a good job in pulling out the Cuomo vote in The Bronx and southeast Queens, areas they focused on and where the ex-governor performed well. .
Newsweek
03-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Kathy Hochul's Chances of Losing New York Primary to Antonio Delgado: Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing a primary challenge from her own second-in-command, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, with polls showing the incumbent with an early lead more than one year out from the election. Newsweek reached out to the Delgado and Hochul campaigns for comment via email. Why It Matters The New York gubernatorial race will be a key contest for Democrats in a reliably blue state that shifted toward Republicans in last year's presidential race as the party lost ground with key voter groups such as Latino, Asian American and young voters. Delgado and Hochul will offer competing visions for the state and party on the campaign trail in hopes to win over the party's primary voters and woo back those voters to secure a convincing win against a Republican in the November general election. Despite the state's decades-long blue streak, Hochul's approval has struggled and fueled Republicans' hopes of flipping the governor mansion next year. Some Democrats believe another nominee such as Delgado could make a stronger candidate for the general election. One Democratic strategist told Newsweek Delgado is a "rising star" in the party, but that it will be difficult for him to unseat Hochul in the primary. New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado speaks at a Get Out The Vote rally on November 5, 2022 in New York City. New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a MTA board meeting in New... New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado speaks at a Get Out The Vote rally on November 5, 2022 in New York City. New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a MTA board meeting in New York City on February 26, 2025. More David;Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images What To Know Delgado, who has served as Hochul's top deputy since 2022, declared his bid on Monday, saying in a social media post he is "not here to play the game" but to "change it." Recent polls suggest that Hochul has an early lead over potential Democratic rivals. But the race is more than a year away, and there are still questions about whether other candidates, such as Representative Ritchie Torres, could jump into the race. The latest Siena College poll showed Hochul leading Delgado and Torres in a hypothetical matchup with 46 percent of the vote. Twelve percent said they would vote for Delgado and 10 percent said they would support Torres if he runs. A Data for Progress survey from March similarly found Hochul with an early lead. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they were inclined to vote for Hochul, while only 11 percent each said they would support Delgado or Torres. How Vulnerable Is Kathy Hochul? Experts Weigh In Jake Dilemani, a New York Democratic strategist and partner at Mercury, a public affairs firm, told Newsweek defeating Hochul would be no easy feat for Delgado or other Democrats. "It is incredibly difficult to beat an incumbent governor in a primary election. Antonio Delgado is a talented, rising star in the party, but Governor Hochul is a prolific fundraiser who has achieved real policy wins popular with Democrats, including in the state budget passed just last month," he said. Hochul's focus on affordability and public safety, especially heading into a midterm year, will make it "tough to dislodge her," he said. However, Laura Tamman, a professor of political science at Pace University, told Newsweek New Yorkers' feelings of restlessness and uncertainty make it a challenging environment for any incumbent. "Right now people are continuing to feel the pain of rising prices, and there is a lot of uncertainty about how President Trumps budget, potential tariffs and immigration policies are going to impact the economy," she said. "It's a ripe environment for a challenger—from the left or right. Delgado's entry to the race makes it clear she will have to put up a fight on both the primary and the general." Most Primary Voters Unfamiliar With Antonio Delgado, According to Polls New Yorkers are generally more familiar with Hochul than they are with Delgado, with a majority not knowing much about him, recent polls have found. Most New Yorkers—58 percent—said they were not sure how they felt about Delgado, according to the Siena College poll. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they viewed him favorably, while 18 percent viewed him unfavorably. Meanwhile, a plurality of New Yorkers viewed Hochul unfavorably, the poll found. Forty-four percent of respondents said they view her favorably, while 46 percent viewed her unfavorably; an additional 10 percent said they were not sure how they felt about Hochul. The Data for Progress poll found that 64 percent of respondents said they view Hochul favorably, while 31 percent viewed her unfavorably. Twenty-eight percent said they viewed Delgado favorably compared to nine percent who viewed him unfavorably. Still, 63 percent had not heard enough to have an opinion on Delgado, according to the poll. It also found that 32 percent of respondents viewed Torres favorably, compared to 17 percent who viewed him unfavorably. Fifty-two percent were unsure how they felt about him. The Siena College poll surveyed 805 registered voters from May 12 to May 15 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The Data for Progress poll surveyed 767 likely Democratic primary voters from March 26 to March 31. It had a margin of error of plus or minus five percentage points. Hochul and Delgado had found themselves at odds a few times in recent years. Delgado, during the 2024 campaign season, called for President Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate, while Hochul endorsed the sitting president. Delgado also called for Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams to resign after President Donald Trump's administration ended the corruption case against him. Hochul, however, has declined to remove the mayor. Delgado was first elected to Congress in 2018 to a competitive district located around the Hudson Valley and Albany area. What People Are Saying Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado said during his campaign announcement: "Let's not drop the ball on picking out what it is we're fighting for. We believe in facts, truth, liberty, the rule of law and justice for all. Listen, the powerful and well-connected have their champions. I'm running for governor to be yours. Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper wrote in a statement: "Governor Kathy Hochul is a proven leader with a strong record of delivering for New Yorkers: putting money back in their pockets, protecting reproductive rights, and keeping communities safe. The Governor knows how to take on big fights and win for New York families — and her agenda is overwhelmingly popular with New Yorkers on both sides of the aisle. The Democratic Governors Association is 100 percent behind Governor Hochul as she continues to deliver for New York, take on Donald Trump, and build the operation it will take to beat Republicans up and down the ballot in 2026. For years, Governor Hochul has been underestimated — and each time proved her critics wrong." Representative Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat who challenged Hochul in 2022, wrote on X: "Antonio, you are a talented guy, with a great future. Based upon my experience this may not be the most well-thought out idea!" What Happens Next The New York Democratic gubernatorial primary is scheduled for 2026, with several months ahead for candidates to build support and increase voter engagement before the official nomination contest. Voters in New York City will head to the polls this year to vote in the mayoral election, a critical test of how voters are feeling in the Empire State ahead of the midterms.
New Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Vote dispute: Akmal to file protest over Johor Baru PKR upset
JOHOR BARU: Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir will lodge an official protest with the PKR election committee following his unexpected defeat in the race for the Johor Baru PKR division chief post on Sunday. Akmal, who is also Johor Baru member of parliament, is challenging the official vote count, which recorded him receiving only 587 votes, compared to the 709 garnered by Johor Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) Youth chief Mohamad Taufiq Ismail — who won with a majority of 122 votes. In a statement posted on Facebook today, Akmal asserted that he had in fact secured at least 949 votes and revealed that his team had submitted a statutory declaration to support the claim. "These numbers are not mere GOTV (Get Out The Vote) projections but are backed by Form 14s verified by polling station chiefs, signed voter rolls, and photographic evidence," he said. He urged all parties to remain calm as he prepares to submit a formal protest through the proper channels, stressing the importance of preserving party integrity. The defeat came as a surprise to many of Akmal's supporters, especially after he had hinted at victory in an earlier Facebook post, which featured an infographic purporting to show unofficial results indicating a simple majority in his favour. Akmal also criticised the final outcome, likening it to a "headless body" scenario, pointing out that 10 members elected to the division committee were from his team. He appeared to suggest that internal sabotage or manipulation might have influenced the election results. "A strange phenomenon occurred in the AMK (Youth Wing), where only the 'head' — the AMK chief — was 'cut off', while the deputy and the rest of the committee were elected. "A similar situation unfolded in the women's wing, where only the top two positions were disrupted," he added. Akmal previously held the Johor Baru division chief post and was widely viewed as the frontrunner in the contest.
