This article is adapted from our May 8 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Dear New Yorkers,
Spending by special interest political groups has hit its stride this New York City primary season, which you’d know already if you watch local television.
Between all of the ads for New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, which isn’t of interest to me, you’ll start to see more spots for the mayoral candidates who can afford it.
If you watched “Saturday Night Live” in late April, you may have seen this ad from Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
Watching the Knicks beat the Celtics — hopefully two more times? — you may see this ad laying out State Sen. Zellnor Myrie’s biography, in 30 seconds and featuring his former teacher.
And starting this week, spots for Comptroller Brad Lander — featuring him in a construction vehicle hauling off abandoned cars in a junkyard — will hit the airwaves. The message? He’ll root out corruption and fix the government and fight President Donald Trump, in contrast to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Many of those ads for candidates are paid for not by the campaigns but independent expenditure groups, which are supposed to be completely separate. But this week, the city’s Campaign Finance Board sent a warning to all campaigns to remind them of the no-collaboration rule following reporting that Cuomo’s campaign was “redboxing,” or messaging to the PAC, what it wanted in ads.
The televised ads can help shift the field with so many polled voters still unsure of who they’ll vote for, or even who’s running. (By the way, we updated our own guide on just that; did you know Paperboy Love Prince is on the ballot again?)
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: As we’re seeing more of Cuomo, I got thinking: Where is his dog, Captain? The large mutt frequently made the news after he moved to the governor’s mansion in 2018. He was too aggressive to be around guests. He hates Troopers. And he may have been temporarily abandoned by his human dad, a claim Cuomo denied.
Did he get left behind again as the former governor moved to Manhattan to run for mayor? Captain was missing from a Cuomo family photo posted on Easter Sunday, although three other dogs are present. His last appearance on the account was Aug. 26, 2024 for National Dog Day.
THE CITY visited Cuomo’s apartment with photos of Captain, asking neighbors if they’d ever seen him; of the dozen people who stopped to chat, nobody had.
The mystery was solved after Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, who reportedly moved out of the $8,242-a-month two-bedroom apartment so her dad could move in, arrived at the building.
“He’s in Westchester,” she said. Spokesperson Rich Azzopardi later said a “friend of the family” was taking care of the pooch.
“It is our understanding that he has been spoiled with plenty of toys and treats to take with him to Gracie Mansion,” he said.
— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team
What We’re Reading …
A Council candidate running for a seat in the Bronx won her appeal to stay on the ballot after a big-money PAC tried to boot her off.
And here are a few of the City Council races we’re keeping our eyes on.
Charter changes might include making the process of changing zoning rules easier — and could end up on the November ballot.
Two candidates in a Queens City Council race have been booted from the ballot, including disgraced ex-politician Hiram Monserrate.
Mayor Adams was yet again denied the chance for city-funded matching funds.
What’s Ahead …
Days until the June primary: 47
May 14: Mayoral forum with the Five Borough Waterfront, moderated by THE CITY’s Samantha Maldonado, 7 to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.
May 15: Our local news friends at Hellgate and New York Focus are co-moderating a mayoral forum at The Public Theater, 8 p.m.
May 21: Mayoral forum hosted by New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The New School. Register here.
Your Election Questions, Answered
We’re co-hosting the leading Democratic mayoral and comptroller debates with Spectrum News 1, WNYC/Gothamist and other partners and we want your suggestions for questions to ask the candidates.
Submit a question you would like us to put to the candidates for mayor and comptroller — it could end up getting asked at the debates!
THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: Thanks to the New Yorker’s recent piece titled “Why Can’t New York Have Nice Mayors?” we now know that Bill de Blasio is very aware of that headline from The Onion.
Our nonprofit newsroom relies on donations from readers to sustain our local reporting and keep it free for all New Yorkers. Donate to THE CITY today.
The post Candidates Hit the Airwaves, Cuomo’s Dog and Your Debate Questions appeared first on THE CITY – NYC News.
