DEPARTMENT OF UNFORCED ERRORS: Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted the annual Puerto Rican heritage event at Gracie Mansion today, highlighting ongoing tensions.
The event was subdued, with many prominent figures either missing an invite or choosing not to attend. Initially, Nuyoricans were informed it would not occur.
Around 200 attendees gathered in the ornate room of the mayor’s residence on the Upper East Side. Among those present were state Sens. Gustavo Rivera and Kristen Gonzalez, along with Rafael Salamanca and Carlina Rivera, former Council members.
“New York City government has not done its part to serve Puerto Rican New Yorkers. Our City Hall is determined to change that,” Mamdani stated, referencing plans to introduce municipal grocery stores in East Harlem and the Bronx.
The atmosphere, however, felt somewhat off.
Recently, the mayor’s office has transformed a normally routine gesture of goodwill toward the Puerto Rican community into a self-inflicted political setback. This occurs as the democratic socialist aims to replace an older generation of Latino officials.
“There are people who are still upset about this,” expressed Erica González, former executive editor of El Diario La Prensa, the largest Spanish-language daily in the U.S. “It’s raising questions about how the Puerto Rican community will be treated.”
Upon assuming office, Mamdani established the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, modeled after the volunteer network that contributed to his electoral success. This office absorbed and sidelined several established outreach divisions responsible for organizing events like today’s Gracie Mansion celebration.
Earlier this month, a representative from the mass engagement office informed Puerto Rican leaders that the annual event was canceled.
“To celebrate National Puerto Rican Day with as many working-class New Yorkers as possible, Mayor Mamdani and our administration are focusing on attending the 5th Ave Parade and the Knickerbocker Parade on June 14th instead of hosting an invitation-only reception,” wrote Álvaro López, a former campaign staffer and DSA organizer now with the Office of Mass Engagement, in an email.
This caused an uproar. The mayor’s office quickly disavowed the email and confirmed plans for a reception.
Nevertheless, some invitations were sent out as late as last week. Numerous prominent figures were not contacted, including Melissa Mark-Viverito, a notable Puerto Rican political figure in the city. Moreover, today’s event did not adhere to the tradition of a large evening reception ahead of the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday in Midtown. The mayor’s office announced that future heritage events will not include a large tent in Gracie Mansion’s backyard. Some community leaders, upset by the perceived slight, organized an alternative event Thursday night in Brooklyn.
“It concerns me there is someone in the administration that thinks there’s some mythical, Downton Abbey class of Puerto Ricans that shows up to Gracie,” González remarked.
López, the Mass Engagement staffer responsible for the controversial email, was present at Friday’s reception, overseeing media check-in at the entrance. When a reporter from Playbook arrived, López humorously questioned why POLITICO should be allowed entry, later clarifying it was a joke.
The controversy surrounding the reception appears not to have dented Mamdani’s support among Latino voters. A Data for Progress survey from May 20-26 showed nearly 60 percent of Latino respondents viewed Mamdani favorably.
However, the mayor is also creating divides elsewhere.
Mamdani has endorsed a democratic socialist candidate opposing Rep. Adriano Espaillat in upper Manhattan and the Bronx, igniting a generational clash between older Dominican voters and younger supporters of Darializa Avila Chevalier. He is also backing Assemblymember Claire Valdez against the chosen successor to Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a leading Puerto Rican figure in the city.
Velázquez was among those absent from Mamdani’s Friday event, citing a busy schedule. However, she expressed frustration with Mamdani’s decision to hold a FIFA soccer event in Gracie’s backyard on Thursday, questioning the consistency of his office’s event policies.
“We need clarity on future policies,” she stated. “Otherwise, people might wonder: Why them and not us?” — Chris Sommerfeldt and Joe Anuta
FROM CITY HALL
ZOMBIE DISASSEMBLING: Another member of the Charter Revision Commission, initiated by former Mayor Eric Adams, has resigned, pushing the panel towards dissolution.
Ismael Claudio, a Brooklyn pastor and faith adviser to Adams, resigned on Monday, according to a confidential source.
Kayla Mamelak, Adams’ former press secretary and commission member, declined to comment on Claudio’s resignation. Claudio was unreachable for comment.
Charter revision commissions, set up by mayors to propose ballot questions for local elections, require at least nine members to function legally. With Claudio’s departure, Adams’ commission is down to its minimum nine members.
Robert Tucker, Fernando Mateo, and Shams DaBaron, also resigned recently. Martin Connor and Alfred Curtis, two appointees, never submitted the necessary paperwork to join.
Denis Hughes, a retired labor leader, hasn’t attended any public hearings. Despite this, Mamelak insists he remains a member. Hughes was unavailable for comment.
Resignations might be the least of the commission’s issues, set up by Adams on his last day in office.
Using authority granted by the state, Mamdani disbanded Adams’ commission in late May and established his own, focusing on ballot questions for November to improve government efficiency.
Randy Mastro, Adams’ former first deputy mayor and counsel for the commission, claims Mamdani’s nullification was unlawful and is proceeding as planned.
On the day Mamdani ordered the disbandment, the panel advanced a November ballot question for an open primary system in local elections. Such a system could challenge democratic socialists like Mamdani by broadening the primary voter base to include more conservative voters. Many observers suspect Adams designed the commission to hinder his successor.
The commission continues to hold public hearings to consider additional proposals, including a question to combat antisemitism in New York.
The impact of further resignations nullifying the panel remains uncertain.
Mamdani’s administration insists the Adams commission’s activities are legally irrelevant since its disbandment. — Chris Sommerfeldt
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
PAC IT UP, PART I: A shadowy super PAC battle has erupted in the Democratic primary to challenge Rep. Mike Lawler.
Progressive Champions PAC, which filed with the Federal Election Commission last month without revealing its donors, has invested nearly $1 million in TV ads attacking Democratic candidate Cait Conley in the campaign’s final days.
Democrats suspect GOP backing due to a shared bank with another PAC linked to Republican spending in other Democratic primaries.
It’s not uncommon for opposing parties to meddle in each other’s primaries to promote candidates they view as weaker opponents in the general election.
The ad targets Conley, an Army veteran supported by national groups, over Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It claims she is “bankrolled by firms partnered with a major ICE contractor targeting immigrants.” Conley has repeatedly denied this claim.
“True activists fought ICE’s atrocities, but Conley kept collecting,” the ad claims. “That’s not progressive, that’s profiteering.”
Conley responded, stating, “Republicans are seriously underestimating NY-17 Democrats who will see through their political lies and deceit.”
The PAC did not respond to a request for comment. Its website claims its mission is to “elect bold, progressive candidates up and down the ballot who will fight for working families, protect our democracy, and build a future that works for everyone.”
Conley is one of five Democratic candidates. Her main challengers are Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, also running as a moderate, and Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, who is pursuing the progressive vote. Some Democrats worry a far-left candidate would struggle to flip the seat in November.
Conley partly attributes the PAC attack to Davidson, whose public statements echo the ad’s sentiment. Davidson also aired an ad criticizing Conley on immigration.
In reply, Davidson stated, “Mike Lawler and Republican dark money groups have no place meddling in our Democratic primary. Full stop.” (Phillips-Staley also condemned the spending.)
Lawler has been active in criticizing Democratic opponents throughout the primary. However, on Friday, his campaign claimed disinterest in the intra-party conflict.
“Frankly, we don’t care who survives this clown car primary because every single one of them supports raising taxes on working people, making New York a Sanctuary State, and doesn’t have an independent or bipartisan bone in their body,” Lawler campaign manager Ciro Riccardi stated. — Madison Fernandez
PAC IT UP, PART II: Another super PAC has entered the high-stakes Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.
Guardrails Alliance, registered with the FEC last month, has invested a six-figure ad buy in the race, according to the ad tracker AdImpact. Public records with the Federal Communications Commission show the ad will focus on Assemblymember Alex Bores and artificial intelligence, joining the AI-related PACs in the race.
Bores’ work on significant AI regulations in the state legislature has attracted millions of dollars in both support and opposition during his congressional campaign. Think Big, a super PAC backed by leaders from OpenAI and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, among others who argue such regulations hinder innovation, has spent over $6 million against Bores, as per FEC records. Several PACs, many linked to tech industry advocates for AI regulation, have spent $8 million supporting him, according to the FEC.
Super PAC spending is a contentious issue in the race. As the campaign concludes, Bores’ opponents have voiced frustration over heavy super PAC spending in his favor. — Madison Fernandez
BERNIE COMES TO TOWN: Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator and prominent democratic socialist, is visiting New York on Thursday to support progressive congressional candidates.
The New York Times first reported the event will feature Assemblymember Claire Valdez, running in the open race to replace Velázquez; Darializa Avila Chevalier, challenging Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat; and former city Comptroller Brad Lander, aiming to unseat Rep. Dan Goldman. All three have Mamdani’s endorsement and are expected to attend the rally.
Sanders’ team confirmed the event to Playbook.
Sanders, popular in New York, previously endorsed Valdez and Lander. Both Valdez and Avila Chevalier belong to the Democratic Socialists of America and have the city chapter’s backing in their campaigns; the two have endorsed each other.
Lander, however, has attempted to maintain some distance, despite appearing in a joint ad with Mamdani’s congressional slate. When questioned at a press conference about appearing in the ad with Avila Chevalier, who attended a pro-Palestinian rally the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in 2023—a rally Lander left the DSA over—he described it as “an opportunity to show New Yorkers that politics can be a team sport.” He clarified he has not endorsed candidates in other congressional primaries.
Avila Chevalier explained to reporters that she attended the rally to oppose Israel’s “often disproportionate response that leads to more loss of life.” She added she has “condemned Hamas” and does “not believe celebrating anyone’s death is acceptable.”
Avila Chevalier’s profile has grown recently, following Mamdani’s endorsement. But it has also led to increased scrutiny, particularly of her past social media activity. One post criticized Sanders’ “liberal Zionism.” Avila Chevalier has repeatedly claimed she has changed since making those posts and accused Espaillat of focusing on old posts to distract from other race issues. — Jason Beeferman and Madison Fernandez
WORLD CUP WATCH
MOHAWK VALLEY MADNESS: When Bosnian refugees began arriving in Utica in the mid-1990s, the city, once a thriving Rust Belt hub, had seen its population decline by about a third from its mid-20th-century peak of just over 100,000 residents.
“I thought I came to another war zone when I came here,” said Hanka Grabovica, who arrived in the Mohawk Valley city in 2001 at age 16, referencing the abundance of boarded-up structures and littered streets. “Utica was pretty bad back then.”
Grabovica was part of a wave of Bosnian refugees who settled in Utica after escaping the vicious war in their home country and its chaotic aftermath following Yugoslavia’s breakup. While exact numbers are difficult to ascertain, it is estimated that around 6,000 Bosnians now reside in Utica, making up nearly 10 percent of the city’s population.
The city’s unexpected rise as a center of Bosnian American culture will likely be most visible today when Bosnia and Herzegovina faces Canada on the second day of the World Cup. This marks Bosnia’s second qualification for the tournament since gaining independence in 1992.
The thrilling and unexpected way in which the team secured its spot in North America—defeating four-time World Cup champion Italy via penalty kicks in a single-match playoff—has fueled excitement among Bosnians from Sarajevo to St. Louis (home to the largest U.S. Bosnian community) to Utica.
“Seeing this national team progress to the World Cup is definitely something amazing,” said Sandro Sehic, secretary of the Bosnian American Community Association of Utica, noting that many ethnic Serbs and Croats in the country still refuse to play for the national team due to lingering war-related tensions. “Bosnia is still struggling politically, socially. There are still so many problems that are still affecting the country.” Read more from Paul Demko in POLITICO
IN OTHER NEWS
— GROCERY EXPANSION: City Council member Jennifer Gutiérrez introduced a bill to expand Mamdani’s city-owned grocery store plan and make it a permanent city government feature. (The City Reporter)
— WHO CALLS THE SHOTS: GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s newly enacted bill mandating vaccinations for children attending summer camp as “un-American.” (Gothamist)
— BUG INVASION: Tick season is underway, with a rare case of Lyme disease detected in New York for the first time. (CBS News)
Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
