The Weekly Watchdog
It’s been a scorching week in New York City — in more ways than one. We saw record heat, flash flooding, and a horrific and heartbreaking Midtown shooting. But the political temperature rose too, as New York looks to prepare itself for a national redistricting fight and the results of a very strange and very close Republican primary race in Brooklyn were certified. Here’s what you need to know:
News Worth Clicking
| The Battle Lines are Drawn In Fight for House, New York may Follow Texas in Redrawing Maps The New York Times by Benjamin Oreskes |
New York Democrats are proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional districts mid‑decade, directly in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in states like Texas. The measure aims to counteract partisan mapmaking elsewhere and restore balance. While intended as a defensive move, critics warn it risks becoming a partisan power play in its own right. Because constitutional amendments in New York require two legislative approvals plus a public referendum, the earliest the lines could be redrawn is 2028. |
| Desi Power Surge in NYC These Voters Were Overlooked. Then They Helped Mamdani Win. Politico by Tanvi Misra |
In the Democratic primary, South Asian voters, particularly Bangladeshi American voters, didn’t just show up for Zohran Mamdani, they flooded the polls in record numbers from reliably left-leaning Astoria in Queens to right-leaning Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. Mamdani’s victory is a sign that South Asians voters, one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in New York City, are becoming more politically engaged and organized and demand to be heard. |
| Cuomo Cash-Cleanse Cuomo returned 60 sketchy donations Politico by Jeff Coltin |
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s comeback campaign immediately flagged and refunded nearly 60 donations back in March that appeared to have come from straw donors. And now, Politico has discovered – thanks to a Freedom of Information Law request – that there’s a “law enforcement investigation” in connection to Cuomo’s campaign. The Campaign Finance Board responded to Politico’s request for communications with the Cuomo campaign and said some records were being withheld because they were “compiled for law enforcement purposes and … if disclosed, would … interfere with law enforcement investigations…” Cuomo’s campaign said it did the right thing when it flagged the shady donations and said it was not aware of any law enforcement review. |
| Horriffic Midtown shooting Gunman with history of mental illness kills 4 in attack at Manhattan office building Politico by Aaron Pellish, Amira McKee, and Jeff Coltin |
On Monday, a gunman strolled into the lobby of 345 Park Avenue and opened fire in the office building owned by Rudin Management that houses the NFL, Blackstone, and other businesses. The shooter, who was from Las Vegas, killed four people, including an NYPD officer, before taking his own life. The horrific incident occurred against the backdrop of this November’s mayoral election and is a painful reminder that even with New York’s strong gun laws, we could not prevent this deadly shooting. |
| Saving TPS NYC joins federal lawsuit to protect Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from 3 countries Gothamist by Samir Ferdowsi |
New York City has joined thirteen other cities to sue the feds to try and save Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua. With more than 60,000 immigrants at risk of losing their legal status and work authorization, Manuel Castro, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said stripping these immigrants of their legal status and work authorization “would not only be cruel, it would destabilize our city.” More than 110,000 migrants have applied for TPS, work authorization, or asylum with the city’s help since 2022. |
| The Dead May not Talk but They can Vote? Board of Elections Certified Dead People’s Votes, Says It Had No Choice The City by Lizzie Walsh |
Wait, what?? The city Board of Elections certified the results of a tightly contested Brooklyn Republican City Council primary — and maintains that it had no choice but to count the ballots cast in the names of multiple dead people and at least one living person who did not vote. The New York City Board of Elections is under scrutiny as the Republican primary race was decided by just 16 votes. The Board of Elections announced last week that it had launched an internal probe and referred the matter to the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, after discovering absentee ballots cast in the names of two deceased individuals and one elderly voter who says he hasn’t voted in a primary in decades. |