Tidbits regarding possible primary challenges to Mayor de Blasio. The big news or should I say source of mindless gossip was a dinner between the two most mentioned potential primary challengers to the Mayor, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr and City Comptroller Scott Stringer. With neither even pretending to deny 2017 was under discussion between both them and potential donors.
Mr. Diaz said he met with a number of potential donors and others during the week. He confirmed the steakhouse meeting with Mr. Stringer and said they “absolutely” discussed 2017, though he declined to comment on the details of the conversation.
Mr. Stringer has signaled to allies that he is serious about a run for mayor next year and is considered by many consultants to be the most likely to enter the race. He has told people he believes Mr. de Blasio is damaged and wants to be ready, people familiar with the matter said.
www.wsj.com/...
This meeting and a joint editorial they published together ( www.nydailynews.com… ) has spurred some speculation that one may drop out to support the other. Especially given Stringer’s history of being gun shy in pursuing races for Mayor before.
Andrew Cuomo is also seen as wanting to stir the pot and rid himself or at least light a fire under the feet of Bill de Blasio. And not for ideological reasons as he has undercut de Blasio from the left as much as he has from the right. Most prominently on prevailing wage laws. But also in such areas as supporting another potential Mayoral challenger, Public Advocate Letitia James in her battles against the city in regards to it’s foster care system. Because of Cuomo’s past apostasies and disloyalties it’s easy to see things in terms of left-right rather than pure ego. Or perhaps not so much when you have Andrew Cuomo refusing to yield to let de Blasio speak at a party function.
nypost.com/...
There has been some speculation Andrew Cuomo might support Ruben Diaz Jr. Or at least is prodding him to run.
In his speech at Hostos College Governor Cuomo heaped praise on Ruben Diaz Jr.. and how the Bronx had gotten so much better under the leadership of Ruben Diaz Jr. The governor continued pointing out specific items where the Bronx had become a much better borough, and to some like me it almost sounded like an endorsement of Diaz for mayor. Later that night at the county dinner Governor Cuomo repeated the praising of BP Diaz Jr. almost word for word as he had done in the morning. Reliable sources have told me that the Governor has convinced the Bronx BP to run for mayor in 2017, and that the details are being worked out for the primary challenge to Mayor Bill de Blasio next year.
bronxvoice.com/...
Of course urging people to get in may actually help de Blasio rather than hurt him due to the “clown car effect.” While Stringer and Diaz Jr are the two most mentioned in terms of a primary challenge there are other potential candidates as well. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries is still publicly mulling a potential bid. Public Advocate Letitia James and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams are less likely but are seen as potential candidates. Anti-de Blasio gadfly Bradley Tusk has been trying to recruit Obama budget director, Shaun Donovan, to run as well.
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Polling has shown de Blasio with high disapproval numbers but winning one-on-one matchups with numbers being polarized along racial lines (regardless of the race of his opponent) . The most recent being the Quinnipiac poll.
www.politico.com/...
An important caveat however. All his rivals have incredibly low name ID and are largely unknown. Hence it’s little surprise that they all poll similarly. Once there is an actual race their polling numbers may rise or fall particularly with how well they do among both white and black voters. Especially given a decent chance that some if not all of them may run to de Blasio’s left on a number of issues.
If de Blasio is re-elected and Cuomo gets in his way might de Blasio repay the favor by supporting a primary challenge? He did recently try to boost Tom DiNapli.
observer.com/...
The problem however is again just about everyone (including DiNapoli) will bow out and bend to Andrew Cuomo. If you believe the Working Families Party and the UFT won’t hold their nose and back him again I have a bridge to sell you. The real enemy of both Bill de Blasio and Andrew Cuomo is Preet Bharara who is probing both of their administrations for corruption. With both de Blasio and Cuomo eagerly egging him on. And given Bharara’s track record they may come to regret their inability to get along.