Albany Democrats poised for biggest leadership shake-up in years

MAJOR SHIFT: The recent conclusion of Albany’s legislative session has set the stage for a significant transformation among Democratic state lawmakers, marking the most substantial change since they took one-party control in 2019.

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes plans to retire at year’s end, which will open the No. 2 leadership position for only the second time since Carl Heastie assumed the speakership 11 years ago.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris is also stepping down, leaving vacancies in both the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee chair role—held since his time as a senator-elect in 2010—and as Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ deputy. This change paves the way for a new floor leader.

In addition, Senate Democrats are nearing a significant milestone as they become the first conference in state history to confront term limits.

Implemented rules from 2009 restrict the majority leader and committee chairs to eight-year terms. No party has stayed in power long enough to be affected by these rules until now, but they will soon apply to Stewart-Cousins and potentially a dozen members.

“I’d probably have to,” state Sen. Liz Krueger responded when asked if she would vote to abolish term limits. “Because it would mean Andrea couldn’t remain leader. And I do not actually accept the concept where Andrea doesn’t remain leader.”

Krueger is one of seven chairs affected who have expressed unanimous support for Stewart-Cousins to continue. However, Democrats are yet to decide on the fate of other top positions.

“It’s really a question of ‘do you change all the term limits for everybody while you’re changing them for leadership, or do you allow for some new opportunities at the committee level?’” said James Skoufis, Chair of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee. “I don’t know where I land on that.”

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, Health Committee Chair, noted, “The level of expertise I’ve developed, it’s not because I’m better or smarter than anyone else, I’ve just been in it longer. I would be hard pressed to find somebody in the Senate who would be able to do the job on day one.”

Gianaris’ exit could prompt a significant reshuffle within the legislature. Meanwhile, Krueger, who missed the end of this year’s session due to an April stroke, is running for reelection. It remains uncertain whether she will return to her demanding role as the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, a position she has held since 2011, which might result in more leadership changes.

Stewart-Cousins is seeking a deputy “who can bring the same types of talents and skills that Sen. Gianaris has brought.” Potential candidates mentioned by legislators and lobbyists include state Sens. Jamaal Bailey, Andrew Gounardes, and Shelley Mayer, though there is no widespread agreement.

There is more consensus regarding a replacement for Peoples-Stokes. Upstaters have held the position since 1979, providing a balance to New York City speakers over time. The ideal candidate should collaborate well with Heastie and have substantial tenure. More than a dozen insiders have pointed to three individuals fitting these criteria: Syracuse’s Pamela Hunter, Rochester’s Harry Bronson, and Albany’s John McDonald.

Heastie, however, is not strictly adhering to tradition.

“The requirement that the majority leader comes from upstate, that’s more of a y’all thing,” Heastie told reporters. “I inherited a great majority leader who happened to be upstate in Joe Morelle, one of my closest friends. And then Crystal was somebody I knew even before I was elected, and she’s been amazing. But I don’t know if I feel limited to if it’d have to be somebody from upstate. It could be Long Island, it could be the Hudson Valley—I haven’t even really thought about it.” — Bill Mahoney

From the Capitol

MONSERRATE LEADS PACK: The state’s Public Campaign Finance Board distributed $1.96 million in matching funds payments on Tuesday, the final day for such disbursements before the June 23 primary.

This week, Hiram Monserrate, who has been involved in controversies, emerged as the top recipient of public funds.

Monserrate is campaigning to regain a seat in the state Senate, challenging state Sen. Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas. He has the distinction of being the only legislator removed by colleagues in the past century, following a 2009 misdemeanor conviction related to a domestic violence incident. This marks his ninth attempt at a comeback.

Overall, his funds trail the $348,000 in matching funds received by Gonzalez-Rojas, while Ramos has secured $128,000 in recent months.

Read more from POLITICO Pro’s Bill Mahoney here.

FROM CITY HALL

BROKEN PROMISES?: Transit advocates are increasing pressure on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to allocate more funds to reduce bus and subway fares. Groups like Riders Alliance are now labeling the mayor as a promise breaker if he does not expand the Fair Fares program, which provides discounts to low-income New Yorkers.

“New Yorkers are hurting, especially low-income commuters whose work we all depend on, and this is the mayor’s last chance to lower costs for transit this year, after emphasizing the importance of affordable public transit for his entire career,” explained Riders Alliance spokesperson Danny Pearlstein in a text message.

Although free buses were one of Mamdani’s three key campaign promises—alongside universal child care and a rent freeze—progress has been slow in this area.

Riders Alliance, together with City Council members Tiffany Caban, Shahana Hanif, and others, will hold a rally at noon tomorrow outside City Hall to “demand” the mayor “keep his promise to lower costs”—a more assertive tone than advocates have previously used.

While Mamdani’s free bus initiative is stalled mainly due to a lack of support from Albany, the City Council has advocated for increased funding for Fair Fares. However, the mayor is hesitant to pursue this path as he generally opposes policies that base access on financial status. — Ry Rivard

WORKING THE REFS: Mamdani has expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating at Monday’s NBA finals game, where the Knicks were defeated by the Spurs.

“Crime is going down in New York City, but what we saw the other night did feel criminal,” Mamdani joked to reporters today. “You just look at the disparity on fouls that were being called. I think many New Yorkers came away from that game with a very clear reflection of the absence of fair refereeing.”

Despite being a Knicks fan, Madison Square Garden, the team’s home, issued a statement on Tuesday calling Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch “party poopers” for implementing tighter security for a watch party outside the arena tonight.

Addressing the matter, Mamdani noted that the planned security measures align with those used by the NYPD for gatherings of similar size, such as July 4 or New Year’s Eve.

“This team has brought an extraordinary amount of energy, pride, excitement to every corner of our city,” the mayor said. “We want this to be a memorable night for all the right reasons.”

The watch party scheduled outside MSG for Game 3 on Monday night was relocated to Bryant Park due to President Trump attending the game.

Asked if he holds Trump responsible for the Knicks’ loss, Mamdani laughed but refrained from blaming the president.

“I’ve made clear my complaints about the refs,” Mamdani said. “I’m hopeful tonight we’re going to see a different game.” — Janaki Chadha

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

WHAT TWEETS?: Darializa Avila Chevalier, endorsed by Mamdani to challenge Rep. Adriano Espaillat, has faced criticism for her past social media posts.

Mamdani insists he has not seen them.

The tweets in question include comments where Chevalier expressed harsh criticism of Kamala Harris, accused black and Arab men of certain behaviors, and described disrespecting the American flag. They feature in an Espaillat ad stating, “Meet the real Darializa, the one she tried to delete.”

Questioned about her social media history, Mamdani told reporters, “No, I have not seen those tweets.”

“What I’ve heard from her, and what I know a lot of others in the district have heard from her, is that her views have evolved, and that the campaign that she’s running on is reflective of what she’s going to be fighting for,” Mamdani said.

The mayor has chosen not to endorse other races, including the one for the Manhattan congressional seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

While Gracie Mansion falls within that district, Mamdani plans to vote in the Democratic primary but has not yet decided which candidate to support. The contenders include Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, Kennedy family member Jack Schlossberg, and George Conway, known for criticizing Trump.

“I’m one of those classic yet-to-make-a-decision voters that frustrate campaigns so dearly,” the mayor said. — Janaki Chadha

IN OTHER NEWS

— THERE’S NO ‘I’ IN TEAM: Brad Lander clarifies that he is not endorsing Darializa Avila Chevalier for Congress, despite participating in a joint ad with her titled “Mamdani’s team.” (Jewish Insider)

— DIY BALLOT LINE: Excluding major third-party endorsements, NY-21 candidates Republican Anthony Constantino and Democrat Blake Gendebien are in court disputing the validity of their self-created ballot line names. (Times Union)

— NO EASY EXIT: Uber is suing New York City to prevent a new driver protection law, claiming it would compel the company to retain dangerous drivers. (Reuters)

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