Latest news with #mayoralcampaign
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Edmonton mayoral candidate apologizes after missing infill vote
Edmonton mayoral candidate and current councillor Tim Cartmell has apologized after he missed a vote on changing the rules surrounding infill in the city. Cartmell has made infill a hallmark of his campaign.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Mamdani Defies Corporate Dems, But Workers Back His Free Bus Fare Plan
Zohran Mamdani takes the subway betweenr campaign events on May 27. (Photo by Andrew ... More Lichtenstein/Corbis) A top New York City labor leader says mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is succeeding for the same reason Donald Trump has succeeded: 'In the eyes of working people, he is the antidote to what has plagued his party. 'This is about working people with establishment fatigue, exhausted with same old, same old, corporate Democrats and Republicans catering to corporate interests,' said John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union and former president of TWU Local 100, the historic local that represents New York City subway and bus workers. 'Zohran smashed establishment Democrats,' Samuelsen said. 'He talks about economic security and affordability for working people. He focused on economics. Trump did the same thing in 2016: Now it's ten years later and Democrats still have not learned the lesson. 'Imagine how desolate the Democrats are that a Democrat running on affordability is an anti-establishment Democrat. That's nuts. But Zohran learned the lesson,' he said. TWU has not endorsed Mamdani. However, Samuelsen strongly backs Mamdani's plan for free bus service. 'I've spoken to him at length about his positions on public transit, as far back as four years ago,' Samuelsen said. 'His discussions with TWU have shaped his vision for public transit. That separates him from the crowd: he has the humility to come and speak with the union.' Mamdani was elected to the state assembly in 2020. He championed a 2023 pilot program to test free busses on five NYC routes. The New York City Central Labor Council, a coalition of over 300 unions, endorsed Mamdani on June 30 following his victory in the June 25th Democratic primary. Samuelsen is among the council's most visible members. Samuelsen made a surprise appearance at a June 14th Mamdani rally on June 14. Before a cheering crowd, he endorsed the free bus plan, which would be likely to substantially diminish assaults on bus drivers seeking to collect bus fare. 'I'm here for one reason tonight: that reason is to talk about Zohran's policy on public transit, particularly fare free busses,' Samuelsen proclaimed. 'Three pillars to get out of urban poverty are quality education, quality health care and robust public transit,' he said. 'Tie all those together, and our kids have a chance of escaping the type of urban blight that we've been subjected to all these years.' 'Zohran of all the mayoral candidates recognizes this,' he said. 'Only Zohran reached out to the workers to say I have policies on public transit, what does the union think?' First elected president of Local 100 in 2009, Samuelsen served two terms before being elected TWU international president in 2017. He has ongoing relationships with Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. As for a TWU endorsement, Samuelsen said 'There are ongoing conversations. They may or may not lead to an endorsement.' He noted that he has relationships with all three mayor candidates. Adams 'is a working-class guy from the streets of New York who has support among our membership,' Samuelsen said. 'He took crime in the transit system, subway and bus, very seriously. There is a level of appreciation from our membership and from the officers of the TWU. He's not perfect. Nobody's perfect.' Cuomo said Monday that he will run as a third-party candidate. Samuelsen said Cuomo betrayed TWU workers when he committed to a bill that includes overtime earnings in pension calculations, then vetoed it. 'I talk to him,' Samuelsen said. 'It's not personal. We just can't trust him.' Mamdani, meanwhile, 'is a dynamic candidate, and he has support as well' within Local 100. In upcoming subway contract talks, 'We don't bargain with the city, but I think he would be supportive of the TWU in our contract fight and our fight to keep conductors on the trains,' Samuelsen said. Regarding Mamdani's controversial stand on the Middle East conflict, Samuelsen said, 'Our position is we will endorse candidates on their economic positions as it relates to TWU members.' In the end, if Mamdani wins, 'We will have to see how he governs,' Samuelsen said. 'He is focused on affordability. If he effectuates his campaign agenda, it will look great for Democrats in the rest of the country. But on the policing side, if New York spins out of control, that negates the affordability.' TWU has about 48,000 members in New York City including 42,000 members of Local 100 and about 6,000 flight attendants at JetBlue. Nationally, TWU has about 161,000 members and is the largest airline union, with members at American, JetBlue, Southwest and others.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Slinging match as dirty politics engulfs Wellington mayoral race
Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung says and email he wrote to three fellow councillors in 2023 about an alleged sex encounter involving Mayor Tory Whanau has been released to discredit his mayoral campaign. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung says he regrets writing an email with third-hand claims about incumbent Mayor Tory Whanau, but believes the email's release was an attempt to discredit him and his campaign. Chung sent an email, seen by RNZ, to three fellow councillors in early 2023 recounting a story he'd been told by his neighbour about the neighbour's son allegedly having a sexual encounter with the mayor. The email surfaced last week. Whanau rejected the contents of the email and said it was false and contained a "malicious and sexist" rumour. In a video statement on social media Chung said the email was released deliberately to discredit him. "This attack on me and our Independent Together candidates is designed to undermine our campaign," he said. Chung had previously indicated he would be apologising to the mayor in the video. He had told Morning Report on Friday he wouldn't object to apologising. But in his Sunday statement he said, "I regret writing it and I regret sharing it with people whom I thought trustworthy". Chung said since the email's contents had surfaced he had encountered abuse in public. High-profile donor and philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik had also withdrawn his support for Chung saying he did not support his behaviour. Chung said the email's release was a "blatant political attack". "I have not and will not conduct personal attacks against other candidates in the selection," he said. "I will play the ball, not the person." "Dirty politics will not be tolerated. I will call it out," he said. Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has slammed Ray Chung's campaign as being characterised dirty politics. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Tory Whanau said Chung's campaign was characterised by "unethical and dirty politics". "Ray Chung's recent actions and public statements reflect a significant lack of accountability and a disregard for basic decency," she said in a statement. Whanau said the city deserved elected members who upheld the highest standards of respect, honesty, and integrity. "It is also important to emphasise that this poor behaviour has not occurred in isolation; it has been enabled by some councillors, lobby groups, mayoral candidates, and a few members of the media," she said. "I hope they also take this moment to reflect on their respective roles and consider how we can collectively create a respectful environment. "Those who wish to stand for public office, particularly women and Māori, deserve this. Our constituents deserve this too." Other media report that Whanau released the email. RNZ has sought clarification from the Mayor's office about who gave the email to the New Zealand Herald , which first reported the story. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
High-profile donor withdraws support of mayoral candidate Ray Chung after gossip email about mayor
Chung sent an email to three fellow councillors in early 2023 recounting a story he had been told about Tory Whanau by his neighbour. Photo: Supplied / Facebook A high-profile donor has withdrawn his support for mayoral candidate Ray Chung in the face of an email scandal , while another supporter is continuing to back his mayoral campaign. Ray Chung sent an email, seen by RNZ, to three fellow councillors in early 2023 recounting a story he had been told about mayor Tory Whanau by his neighbour about the neighbour's son. Whanau rejected the contents of the email and said it was false and contained a "malicious and sexist rumour", that she was now seeking legal advice on. Rich-lister and philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik said in a statement he did not support Chung's behaviour. "I believe that the city will best be served by a mayor and councillors who bring a mix of business and local body experience. At various times I have met with and spoken to a number of different mayoral and councillor candidates. "Assuming the recent media reports, about dirty politics, are correct I am disappointed, I do not support that behaviour nor will I support any candidates who engage in it. "I urge all candidates to engage in a clean campaign and address the important and urgent issues facing the city, they should play the ball not the person," Dunajtschik said. Alistair Boyce, from the group Better Wellington, behind Chung's Independent Together ticket, said he was still backing Chung. He rejected Chung's email was sexist or malicious and said the release of it two and a half years' later was "dirty politics". "It was not a public email, or a public statement, there was nothing public from Ray about that, it was a private email." He rejected Chung's language in the email was sexist or malicious, but that he was "very naive" in sending it. "He was only two to two and a half months into his tenure as a councillor, a first-time councillor, he doesn't know protocols or procedures. "So he was very naive to put that - he should have probably just discussed it privately, in person, and said this is the situation I've come up against, with a constituent who has related this story." He said Chung could "chill-back" a bit in his campaign work, but that he was in no way saying he should step back from the race. "Ray yesterday worked from 5am in the morning until 10 o'clock at night. Now according to my maths, that's something like 17 hours straight. "Do you think that's a good idea?" Whanau said in a statement that it was deeply concerning that individuals spreading "harmful falsehoods" were now standing for election. She said spreading rumours was a tactic "designed to dehumanise, wear people down, and discourage good people from standing for public office". "(I) am speaking publicly because I believe we must take a stand against these kinds of false, sexist, and personal attacks," the statement said. "Our city deserves elected members who uphold the highest standards of respect, honesty, and integrity." Chung, on Morning Report , said he wouldn't object to apologising to the mayor. "On hindsight, if that was now, I think we're more aware of the things that we should or shouldn't say or the things that we should or shouldn't pass on. I think that I'm wiser now after a couple of years in council." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Corrections: July 1, 2025
An article on Saturday about Zohran Mamdani's campaign promises while running for mayor of New York City referred incorrectly to the New York City Council. It is not the case that the Council has never passed a minimum wage law. It did so in 1964, but the law was struck down in court. An article on Saturday about Susan Namangale and her efforts to introduce the game of chess in Malawi, misstated the size of the family into which Ms. Namangale was born. It was a family of eight, not seven. An article on Sunday about the four police officers in France who were ordered to stand trial on charges that they assaulted a Black man in November 2020 misspelled the name of the fourth police officer identified as a defendant by prosecutors. The officer identified by prosecutors is Hugues R., not Hughes R. An article on Sunday about the rise in political violence in the United States misstated the events that followed Thomas Crooks's assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Butler, Pa., campaign event. Mr. Crooks was not charged; he was killed by the Secret Service that day. Because of an editing error, an article on Monday about Republican Senator Thom Tillis's announcement that he will not seek re-election in North Carolina next year misstated the political affiliation of Andy Nilsson, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina. Mr. Nilsson is a Republican, not a Democrat. An Overlooked No More obituary on Monday about the photographer Rotimi Fani-Kayode misstated where Fani-Kayode trained with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. It was in New York City, but not at Pratt Institute. Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
