If Voters Abandon Stringer, Who's Their Next Pick?

the three leading women candidates gain ground [View this email in your browser]( [Keep friends and family informed. Forward the Politics Brief.]( Will The Allegations Against Scott Stringer Push Voters To Other Candidates? By James Ramsay [Lobbyist Jean Kim publicly accuses Scott Stringer of sexual harassment] Mary Altaffer/AP Last Wednesday, less than 24 hours after we sent out an edition of this newsletter with the headline, "Are Progressives Prepared To Rally Around Scott Stringer?", a lobbyist named Jean Kim [publicly accused]( Stringer of sexually assaulting her two decades ago when she was volunteering on his campaign for public advocate. The answer, it soon became clear, is that many progressives [are not prepared]( to rally around Stringer. A group of New York lawmakers from the left flank of the Democratic Party, including State Senators Alessandra Biaggi and Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, and Rep. Jamal Bowman, all rescinded their endorsements. The Working Families Party and other unions withdrew their support. And several mayoral candidates called for Stringer to [drop out of the race entirely](. For Wiley and Morales, the two other highest-profile progressive candidates in the field, Stringer's lost endorsements present an opportunity to gain needed ground — [polling]( from just before the allegations came out had Stringer as the only candidate with double-digit support besides the front-runners, Andrew Yang and Eric Adams. The Working Families Party, which had given a ranked endorsement with Stringer at the top, said it's now throwing all its support behind Morales and Wiley. "The New York Working Families Party will be forging forward in the critical weeks ahead to ensure one of these fearless, bold women is the next Mayor of New York," the group said in a statement. "Jean Kim shared her experience of sexual assault and Scott Stringer failed to acknowledge and consider his responsibility for that harm." (Kim has filed [a civil rights complaint]( with the New York Attorney General's office. [As recently as this morning]( Stringer has maintained that the allegations have "no merit, no basis for truth.") But Stringer isn't just running as the progressive standard-bearer — as an assemblymember-turned-borough president-turned comptroller, he's also pitching himself as a candidate with four decades of government experience, looking to become mayor at a moment where New Yorkers may want a leader who knows what they're doing. With her [debut TV ad]( coming out today, Kathryn Garcia, the former sanitation commissioner who entered the mayoral race with little public name recognition but a stellar reputation among municipal employees, is seeking to boost her profile as the competent crisis manager in the race. "If her campaign can just transfer some of those types of voters who say, 'I really just want someone who knows government' — well, she fits the mold,” Fordham professor Christina Greer [told The New York Times]( adding that Garcia could also pick up former Stringer voters who now feel stronger about electing a woman as mayor. Still, not all of Stringer's support has evaporated. The United Federation of Teachers hasn't withdrawn its influential endorsement. And just yesterday, the Teamsters Local 237, which represents 24,000 city workers, came out it support of Stringer. "I don’t believe [Jean Kim's] story. I really don’t," union president Gregory Floyd told the [New York Post](. "I know Scott a long time. I knew his mother before I knew him. That’s just not his behavior." Early voting in the Democratic mayoral primary begins on June 12th. Do you have a question about this year's races, the ranked-choice voting system, where the mayoral candidates stand on bagel orders, or anything else happening this election season? Send your questions to tips@gothamist.com with the subject line, Ask An Election Reporter! Gothamist Guides To The 2021 Election Here's How Ranked-Choice Voting Works [A breakdown]( using the results from our ranked-choice election for the greatest fictional mayor. [an "Abolish the Police" sign hangs over a subway entrance] "Defund" The NYPD: What It Means And Where Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stand On It Your [guide]( to the candidates' positions on policing. [an open street being enjoyed by pedestrians] How Will NYC's Next Mayor Improve Our Open Streets Program? We asked the eight leading Democratic candidates for [their Open Streets plans](. [the exterior of a weed shop in Times Square] How Will NYC's Next Mayor Handle The Weed Economy? From zoning to enforcement, [here's]( where the candidates stand. Here's What Else Is Happening Venture For America, the nonprofit founded by Andrew Yang, was far less successful than he's claimed. An investigation into the company — which aimed to help college graduates eventually launch start-ups — found that despite Yang's claim about creating 100,000 jobs, only about 150 materialized. Former VFA fellows also said the organization was biased against Black women. ([The New York Times]( With ranked-choice voting in effect this election year, thousands of donors are giving to multiple mayoral campaigns. Of the candidates who received donations from the 2,360 multi-campaign donors, Dianne Morales got the most support. Overall, however, she's raised the least amount of money among all the candidates who've qualified for the Campaign Finance Board debates. ([THE CITY]( After the latest Census showed a population drop in New York — causing the state to lose a House of Representatives seat — the redrawing of district lines will be a bit more contentious. In the name of not taking away an incumbent's spot, the independent commission in charge of proposing a new map might split up the 23rd District along the Pennsylvania border, where Republican Rep. Tom Reed said he isn't seeking reelection. ([The Wall Street Journal]( Oswald Feliz's victory in last month's special election for a Bronx City Council seat marked the last sign of the Dominican community's growing political strength. Feliz, who worked on the 2016 campaign to make Adriano Espaillat the first Dominican-born member of Congress, now includes himself in the club of Dominican New York politicians, who've gained a hold in city, state, and federal government. ([Gothamist]( In the latest installment of its series of detailed accounts of mayoral candidates' records, City & State looks at Maya Wiley's tenure as a civil rights attorney. From the NAACP to her own nonprofit, Wiley has a long record of fighting for racial equity. Critics have pointed to her brief tenure as the head of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, a police oversight agency, as a stretch where the group was notably un-transparent and reluctant to confront the NYPD. ([City & State]( [BL pod] Why Kamala Harris' First 100 Days Might Be 'Misunderstood' Kamala Harris is simultaneously being labeled too cautious, and too ambitious. To what standards are we holding the first woman and first person of color to serve as vice president? Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. [Donate]( Copyright © 2021 New York Public Radio, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: New York Public Radio 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 [unsubscribe]( [update preferences]( [privacy policy](