Latest news with #JustinBrannan
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Days before losing to Mamdani, Cuomo pushed CFB to investigate him for alleged coordination
Days before losing the Democratic mayoral primary to Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo's campaign called on the city's election watchdog to investigate Mamdani over alleged illicit coordination with another politician, the Daily News has learned. In a June 20 letter to the Campaign Finance Board that hasn't been previously reported, Cuomo's team — who were themselves under CFB investigation at the time over suspected coordination with a supportive super PAC — claimed Mamdani had violated rules by not disclosing a mayoral race poll to the board's regulators. The June 11 poll, commissioned by city comptroller candidate Justin Brannan's campaign, marked the first mayoral race survey to show Mamdani beating Cuomo, causing a stir in political circles just before early voting started in the June 24 primary. In the June 20 letter, a copy of which was obtained by The News this week, Cuomo campaign manager Brian O'Donoghue argued the poll, conducted by the Public Policy Institute on Brannan's behalf, amounted to an 'illegal contribution' by Brannan to Mamdani 'that has gone undisclosed.' Donoghue argued that was the case because days after the poll was conducted, Mamdani released a video on X in which he urged his supporters to donate to Brannan's campaign. In addition, Donoghue claimed, without citing specific evidence, that the Brannan and Mamdani campaigns had 'together' provided a copy of the poll to Politico, which first reported on it. 'The commissioning of the poll, the subsequent fundraising appeal for Justin Brannan and the publication of the Politico story on June 11, 2025, raise a host of issues as to whether or not there was a quid pro quo between the two candidates,' Donoghue wrote. Brannan, who ultimately lost the comptroller's race, blasted the Cuomo camp's claims as 'paranoid' and 'ludicrous.' 'It's clear some people watch too much Netflix,' Brannan, a term-limited City Council member, said Thursday. 'The only thing Zohran and I ever conspired to do was build a more affordable city. I look forward to doing my part to ensure Zohran wins again in November and becomes our city's next mayor.' Mamdani spokesman Andrew Epstein said his campaign will respond to the Cuomo letter by a July 16 deadline. A CFB spokesman declined to comment, while Cuomo rep Rich Azzopardi said he won't offer additional comment until the CFB makes a ruling. Donoghue's letter came as the CFB had for weeks withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in public matching funds from Cuomo's campaign after finding it had likely illegally coordinated with Fix the City, a pro-Cuomo super PAC, on an ad it released touting the ex-governor's record. Super PACs are under the law strictly forbidden from working with candidates they support on political messaging. There are no laws barring candidates in the same race from fundraising for each other. However, Donoghue made the case that the CFB has never 'gone so far as to bless the coordinated expenditures and campaigning of other candidates on the ballot in other races without disclosure.' Ultimately, Mamdani, a democratic socialist Queens Assembly member, defeated Cuomo in the June 24 mayoral primary by 12%, an upset that surprised many observers, given the ex-governor's near-universal name recognition. As the Democratic nominee, Mamdani is heading into November's general election as the likely favorite to become the next mayor, running against incumbent independent candidate Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden. Cuomo's name will also be on the November ballot on an independent line, but his team says he hasn't yet decided whether he's going to mount a genuine general election campaign.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine wins comptroller primary
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has won the Democratic primary for New York City comptroller. Levine defeated City Council Member Justin Brannan, winning the Democratic nomination in the November election. Click here for election results Levine has been vocal about the need for a rent freeze this year, acknowledging that both tenants and landlords are struggling in New York City. Levine will now set his sights on the 2025 New York City comptroller election on Nov. 4, where he hopes to become the city's chief financial officer. Incumbent comptroller Brad Lander was eligible for a second term, but retired to run for mayor. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Justin Brannan concedes Democratic primary for NYC comptroller
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – City Council Member Justin Brannan has conceded the Democratic primary for New York City comptroller, he announced Tuesday night. With 91% of first-choice votes counted, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine was in the lead with 48.1% of the vote two hours after polls closed. Brannan was behind with 33.6%. Click here for election results 'While the votes didn't fall the way we hoped, I'm damn proud of what we built together,' Branna said in a statement. 'I called to congratulate Borough President Mark Levine on his win and I wish him the best as he takes on this extremely important role at this critical time.' Levine has been vocal about the need for a rent freeze this year, acknowledging that both tenants and landlords are struggling in New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Brannan campaigned on his commitment to a universal child care system and creating affordable housing options for New York City employees. Tuesday's tallies only included first-choice votes. The Board of Elections will release the final tally based on ranked-choice voting by next week. The winner will move on to the 2025 New York City comptroller election on Nov. 4 to become the city's chief financial officer. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Justin Brannan Concedes N.Y.C. Comptroller Primary to Mark Levine
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, appeared poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City comptroller after his main opponent, Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn city councilman, conceded the race late Tuesday. Mr. Brannan said in a statement that he had called Mr. Levine to congratulate him and to 'wish him the best as he takes on this extremely important role at this critical time.' With 92 percent of ballots counted, Mr. Levine was ahead by 14 points — near but not above the 50 percent threshold. The Associated Press had not yet called the race, which appears set to be officially decided after ranked-choice votes are tabulated next Tuesday. Mr. Levine told his supporters he would serve as a bulwark against the actions of President Trump's administration. 'To every single one of you who hit the phones, hit the streets, and hit the tweets, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU,' Mr. Levine wrote in a social media post. Six candidates ran in Tuesday's primary, but Mr. Levine and Mr. Brannan were the only two to qualify for public financing. Mr. Levine, 56, raised more money in recent months, led in the little public polling available and consolidated much of the institutional support among unions and elected officials. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mark Levine holds strong lead over Justin Brannan in NYC comptroller race
Mark Levine held a strong lead over Justin Brannan in the first round of counting in Tuesday's Democratic primary for city comptroller, following an at times heated campaign that centered on the candidates' commitments to fight back against President Trump's agenda. With 89% of the votes counted at 10 p.m. Tuesday night, Levine, Manhattan's current borough president and a former City Council member, led the race with 48% of the vote. Brannan had 36%. With New York's ranked-choice voting, the primary will go to a second round of counting if Levine doesn't crack 50%. Two other contenders, Ismael Perez and Kevin Parker, had 18% of the vote between them. Levine campaigned on a more moderate message in the primary, unlike Brannan, a progressive Democrat who was endorsed by the Working Families Party. Still, the two candidates largely agreed on most issues during the campaign, including on the need to use the comptroller's office, which is responsible for auditing city agencies and overseeing the city's public pension funds, as a perch for counteracting Trump's efforts to cut federal funding for New York. Levine received more institutional support than Brannan. That included Levine being endorsed by uptown Manhattan Congressman Adriano Espaillat, a powerbroker of New York politics. Brannan, a City Council member representing parts of southern Brooklyn, did not immediately concede the race or offer remarks about Levine's win. As he is term-limited, Brannan will leave the Council at the beginning of next year. With the Democratic nomination clinched, Levine is expected to breeze to victory in November's general election, as there's no Republican candidate in the race seen as competitive. Brannan and Levine announced campaigns for comptroller after incumbent Brad Lander announced he wouldn't seek reelection and instead run for mayor.
