Why a presidential primary is underway in NY today

Plus: About that viral Mayor Adams interview [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Why does NY even bother with a presidential primary now? It has to do with Andrew Yang.]( [Andrew Yang with supporters ]( Polls are open until 9 p.m. in New York City today for a presidential primary in which the Democratic and Republican nominees have already secured their spots on the general election ballot. Why is this primary — which is costing $25 million to hold just in the five boroughs — still going forward? [Read more about Andrew Yang's 2020 lawsuit that ensured this primary would be held no matter what.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week What else is happening in election news The Working Families Party is urging New York Democrats to cast blank ballots in today's presidential primary as part of a growing movement to pressure President Joe Biden over the war in Gaza. [Read more.]( Ahead of the June 25 congressional primary, Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman secured a crucial endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. [Read more](. Rep. Bowman, who's facing a primary challenge from pro-Israel candidate George Latimer, is staking his reelection bid on his support for the Palestinian people and calls for an immediate, permanent cease-fire in Gaza. [Read more](. What’s going on around City Hall The New York City Council is pushing Mayor Eric Adams to reverse more than $1 billion in planned budget cuts to 3-K, schools, libraries and other city services, claiming an extra $6 billion is available from a variety of sources the administration didn’t account for. [Read more.]( A 50-minute verbal brawl between former Legal Aid Society attorney Olayemi Olurin and Mayor Adams on the radio show "The Breakfast Club" went viral — and became a Rorschach test of the city’s political divisions, with Hell Gate praising the interview for its "refreshingly adversarial tenor" and The New York Post deriding Olurin as a "woke defense attorney." [Read more.]( What's happening in Albany The New York state budget will be late this year — again — after Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers failed to reach a deal on what will be at least a $233 billion budget for the next fiscal year. (They did approve a temporary spending bill to last through April 4.) [Read more](. The Albany-Times Union reports that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is investigating a strong stench of urine and flatulence that's been plaguing the Capitol Region since last September. [Read more](. What's new in New Jersey A federal judge has officially blocked New Jersey’s unusual "county line" ballot system — used by powerful political machines to help sway Garden State elections — from the June Democratic primary. [Read more](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Biden vs. Trump Money Primary; Cesar Chavez Family vs. RFK Jr.]( The Biden campaign is currently out-fundraising Trump, who needs money not only for the campaign but for his growing legal bills. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.