Max Politics: Recent Episodes
Max Politics
Gotham Gazette is a pioneering nonpartisan New York City-based online watchdog publication that covers city and state government, and has a rich tradition of reporting on local elections as well as policy that affects everything from the spaces where New Yorkers live and play to police tactics and civil rights. It is published by Citizens Union Foundation.
The co-chairs of the New York City Council Progressive Caucus, Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Sandy Nurse, joined the show to announce the release of the Caucus' legislative agenda for the current term (2026-2029). The 13-bill priority agenda includes bills dealing with public safety and policing, housing, worker protection, and much more. Cabán of Queens and Nurse of Brooklyn are co-chairs of a 23-member Progressive Caucus that is slightly shy of a majority in the 51-seat Council, and they spoke with host Ben Max about the strength of the Caucus, status of several of the bills in the package, and efforts to build support to pass them into law. (Ep 610)
coalition won enough District Leader positions to elect a new county party chair, and that majority announced its intention to back Peña III for the powerful post. He outlined his vision as Brooklyn Democratic Party chair during this wide-ranging conversation. (Ep 609)
housing plan, the city's multi-faceted housing crisis and various strategies to address it, key policies and programs underway and others in development, and more. (Ep 608)
In this special episode, hear members of The New York Editorial Board - a group of veteran journalists that includes Max Politics host Ben Max - discussing Mayor Zohran Mamdani's tenure thus far and broader political and policy trends. Nine of the Board's 11 members participated in a live event hosted by ABNY - the Association for a Better New York - on July 23, 2026 at The Greene Space. The conversation includes several audience questions. (Ep 607)
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss economic development, the city's handling of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak, a pay boost for school aides, a potential ban on horse carriages in the city, and more. (Ep 606)
Assemblymember Micah Lasher joined the show to discuss his win in the Democratic primary for New York's 12th Congressional District (much of the East and West Sides of Manhattan), where he beat a crowded field of competitors to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, as well as Democratic Party unity, political trends in New York, and some of the policy issues he wants to focus on in Congress. (Ep 605)
Strategist Matt Wing joined host Ben Max to analyze Mayor ZohranMamdani's first six months in office, which included staffing up hisadministration, his first state and city budget cycles, attempting tofollow through on major campaign promises, dealing with unexpectedchallenges and key relationships, celebrating a Knicks championship,and getting involved in a series of Democratic primary races. (Ep 602)
New York State Assembly Member Jordan Wright, a Democrat representing Manhattan's 70th Assembly District, based in Harlem, joined the show to discuss his win over a DSA-backed challenger, shifting Uptown and Democratic politics, the results in the overlapping 13th Congressional District (where Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat), and more. (Ep 601)
Arpit Gupta, a member of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) and an associate professor of finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, joined the show to discuss his lone dissenting vote as the RGB approved a rent freeze for rent-stabilized tenants, fulfilling a key campaign promise made in 2025 by Mayor Mamdani. Gupta also discussed a variety of aspects of the city's rent-stabilized housing stock and system, and what comes next for the roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. (Ep 600)
State Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat and democratic socialist, joined the show to discuss the growth of NYC DSA, how democratic socialists work outside and within the Democratic Party, the NY-7 congressional race where she had allies on both sides of the primary, and more. (Ep 599)
Brad Lander joined the show to discuss his win in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District (Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn), where he defeated Rep. Dan Goldman, Democratic Party unity, political trends in New York and nationally, and some of the substantive issues he wants to focus on in Congress. (Ep 598)
Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Party, joined the show to discuss the results of the 2026 state and congressional primaries, preview the general election, assess Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani, and examine Democratic Party division, unity, and policy. (Ep 597)
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the show to discuss the results of the 2026 federal and state primary elections in New York City, the continued rise of Zohran Mamdani and the DSA, the future of the Democratic Party, and more. (Ep 596)
State New York joined the show to discuss New York state legislative primaries to watch in the June 2026 elections. Jeff Coltin, Rebecca Lewis, and Holly Pretsky spoke with host Ben Max about a variety of interesting and competitive Democratic primaries for the State Senate and Assembly, broader themes of these primary elections like Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, and more. (Ep 595)
The co-chairs of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC DSA), Grace Mausser and Gustavio Gordillo, joined the show to discuss the 2026 primary elections, NYC DSA's priority races and electoral strategy, Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, and more. (Ep 594)
Raj Goyle, a candidate in the June 2026 Democratic primary for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign platform, why he believes Comptroller Tom DiNapoli should be replaced as the state's chief fiscal officer, his views on a variety of policy and budget matters, and more. (Ep 593)
Michael Lange - a writer, strategist, and organizer - returned to the show to discuss the major New York City-based congressional primaries to watch in the June 2026 elections, just ahead of the start of early voting (June 13-21) and primary day (June 23). Lange, who writes The Narrative Wars on substack, and host Ben Max discussed Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, DSA's growing electoral efforts, and other interesting themes of the primaries, as well as specifics in the Democratic races in New York's 13th, 7th, 10th, and 12th House districts. They also touched on the State Comptroller primary, and more. (Ep 592)
Host Ben Max is joined by FAQ NYC podcast co-hosts Harry Siegel and Christina Greer to break down the Knicks' historic comeback win in game 4 of the NBA Finals and 3-1 series lead, putting the team and city one win away from the Knicks' first championship since 1973. (Ep 591)
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined the show to discuss his case for reelection, first to be the Democratic nominee via the primary that is taking place in June 2026, where he is facing challenges from Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle. DiNapoli, who has been Comptroller since 2007, is seeking another four-year term as the state's chief fiscal officer, and discussed his record in office, response to the criticism from his challengers, positions on policy and budget matters, and more. (EPp 590)
Drew Warshaw, a candidate in the June 2026 Democratic primary for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign platform, why he believes Comptroller Tom DiNapoli should be replaced as the state's chief fiscal officer, his views on a variety of policy and budget matters, and more. (Ep 589)
housing plan to create and preserve 400,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade, while addressing broader development, tenant protection, homelessness, NYCHA public housing, and more. Gray is executive director of Open New York, a former city government housing and planning official, and was a key figure on Mamdani's transition committee. Armlovich is a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center and Housing Program Officer for the Abundance and Growth Fund at Coefficient Giving. He's also a former member of the city's Rent Guidelines Board. (Ep 588)
This special episode features audio from the Abundance Candidate Forum in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District, held at New York Law School on the morning of May 19, 2026. The forum was moderated by host Ben Max, and features consecutive one-on-one interviews with challenger Brad Lander (former city comptroller), then Rep. Dan Goldman. The forum was co-sponsored by Abundance New York and NYC New Liberals. The conversations focused on a variety of issues, especially key tenets of the abundance agenda like housing, transit, green energy, and faster government delivery of projects. (Ep 587)
State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assembly Member Keith Powers, two Manhattan Democrats and former City Council Members, joined the show to discuss their transition into the State Legislature (they were both elected in February special elections), their first state budget negotiations as legislators, how Mayor Mamdani is doing, and more. Bottcher represents the West Side's 47th Senate District while Powers represents the East Side's 74th Assembly District. (Ep 586)
State New York), and host Ben Max discussed how Mamdani's budgeting approach has shifted, how his top priorities are faring, some of the city's fiscal challenges ahead, and more. (Ep 585)
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democrat and democratic socialist running for Congress in New York's 13th Congressional District, joined the show to discuss her primary campaign against Congressman Adriano Espaillat. The district includes much of Upper Manhattan (East Harlem, Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, etc) and a section of Bronx (Fordham, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, etc) and the primary is in June. (Ep 584)
David Freedlander, a features writer for New York magazine, joined the show to discuss the Democratic primary in New York's 12th Congressional District, which encompasses much of Manhattan's East and West Sides and is currently represented by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. The race, which Freedlander just dissected in-depth in New York, features four leading candidates: Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, Jack Schlossberg, and George Conway. The conversation also touched on other interesting New York and national political trends. (Ep 583)
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, returned to the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations and key issues on the table like aid to New York City, tax rates, and a variety of policy matters that Governor Hochul and the Legislature are negotiating. The state budget, expected to be a massive $260 billion spending and policy package, is a month late, but negotiations are progressing with a lot on the line for New Yorkers and Mayor Mamdani's agenda. (Ep 582)
Jeff Coltin, Editor-in-Chief of City and State New York, joined the show to discuss Mayor Mamdani's endorsements in several 2026 races, key congressional and state races to watch in this year's elections, and more. (Ep 581)
This special edition of the show is a candidate forum in the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, which includes much of Manhattan’s west and east sides. The forum, moderated by host Ben Max, included 7 candidates running in the June primary and trying to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, including: Micah Bergdale, George Conway, Chris Diep, Laura Dunn, Jack Schlossberg, Nina Schwalbe, and Patrick Timmins. Two other candidates - Micah Lasher and Alex Bores - decided not to participate at the last minute after having previously confirmed. The forum was hosted by the American Constitution Society New York Lawyers Chapter along with its Fordham Students Chapter, and the NYC Bar Association and its Election Law Committee. (Ep 580)
State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat and chair of the Senate's New York City Education Committee, joined the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations, major policy items the Governor and Legislature are navigating, state aid to New York City, and several education issues, including potential adjustment of school funding formulas, an extension of mayoral control of city schools, and changes to class size reduction requirements. (Ep 579)
Veteran journalists Sally Goldenberg of The New York Times and Bob Hardt of Spectrum News NY1 joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first 100 days in office, his celebratory rally marking the occasion, the highs and lows of his tenure so far, and what comes next. (Ep 578)
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Westchester Democrat who has led the Senate since 2019, joined the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations as the Senate and Assembly majorities and Governor Hochul work to agree on a spending and policy plan. The state fiscal year began April 1, but the parties have passed budget extenders to pay the state's bills while they negotiate the roughly $265 billion spending plan that will also include a variety of major policy decisions, how much aid the state gives New York City, and much more. (Ep 577)
New York City Council Finance Chair Linda Lee, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss the Council's response to Mayor Mamdani's $127 billion preliminary budget for next fiscal year (FY27, which begins July 1), top Council priorities, how the two sides of City Hall differ on closing the city's budget gap, what the city is asking for from the state, and more. (Ep 576)
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, a Democrat, returned to the show for further discussion of the city's difficult budget picture and how to fill the multi-billion-dollar budget gap that Mayor Mamdani inherited — including on savings, spending, tax policy, state aid to the city, and more — as well as discussion of the importance of economic growth in the city and key pillars to a city economic development strategy. (Ep 375)
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat and chair of the Senate health committee, joined the show to discuss state budget negotiations with under two weeks until the April 1 start of the new fiscal year. The conversation touched on major areas of negotiation among Governor Hochul and the two Democratic majorities of the State Legislature including climate and energy regulations, tax rates, Medicaid and other health policy and budget issues, mayoral control of New York City schools, and more. (Ep 574)
Experts Howard Slatkin and Annemarie Gray joined the show to discuss housing priorities for the Mamdani Administration, the city's overall housing policy and political climate, the push for state-level environmental review reform to speed housing development, and more housing policy specifics. Slatkin, executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council, is a former top official at the NYC Department of City Planning, and Gray, executive director of Open New York, is a former housing and planning official in the NYC Mayor's Office. (Ep 573)
New York City Council Member Lincoln Restler, a Brooklyn Democrat, joined the show to discuss making city government work, his priorities for the new term, a recent hearing on the city's Streets Plan and the expansion of bus, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure, his bill to create the Department of Community Safety that Mayor Mamdani has promised, and more. (Ep 372)
Julie Won, a Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 7th Congressional District (which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens), joined the show to discuss her campaign to succeed the retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the House of Representatives. Won is a City Council member from Queens running in this June 2026 primary. (EP 571)
Jasmine Gripper and Ana Maria Archila returned to the show to discuss their work leading the New York Working Families Party, progressive politics and efforts to influence state policy-making, Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul, and endorsements in 2026 Democratic primaries including New York's 7th and 10th congressional districts. Gripper and Archila have been co-directors of the NYWFP for the last few years, and Gripper has now become sole state director while Archila just left party leadership to soon join the Mamdani administration as Commissioner of International Affairs. (Ep 570
Claire Valdez, a Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 7th Congressional District (which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens), joined the show to discuss her campaign to succeed the retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the House of Representatives. Valdez is a state Assembly member from Queens and Democratic Socialist running for Congress with the support of NYC-DSA and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The primary is in June 2026. (Ep 569)
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, a Democrat just elected to the citywide position of chief financial officer, joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first budget plan, just after Mamdani released the $127 billion preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (which begins July 1, 2026). Levine discussed the city's fiscal and economic health, his initial reaction to Mamdani's budget plan (which includes a property tax increase unless the city gets more revenue through state-approved tax increases), and the next steps in the budget process. (Ep 568)
Jon Paul Lupo — a political strategist and former Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Mayor Bill de Blasio — joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first state budget testimony in Albany (which occurred Feb. 11, 2026), how mayors prepare for so-called 'Tin Cup Day,' mayor-governor and mayor-legislature relationships, city budget challenges, the mayor's priorities, and more. (Ep 567)
Antonio Reynoso, a Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 7th Congressional District (which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens), joined the show to discuss his campaign to succeed the retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the House of Representatives. Reynoso, the Brooklyn Borough President and a former City Council member, has been endorsed by Velázquez, among others. The primary is in June 2026. (Ep 466)
Andrew Rein, president of nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission, joined the show to discuss the budget challenges Mayor Mamdani faces and how to address them, where Mamdani is right and wrong in his explanation of the city budget (which included a 1/28/26 press conference to blame former Mayor Adams), the new mayor's push for increased taxes on high earners and corporations, and more. (Ep 564)
Dan Garodnick — outgoing Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission — joined the show to reflect on four years of significant progress addressing New York City's housing crisis, key zoning and planning accomplishments of his tenure, what should come next on these fronts, and more. Garodnick, a member of the MTA Board and a former City Council member from Manhattan, was appointed planning chief by Mayor Eric Adams and worked closely with former Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and other top housing, planning, and economic development officials. (Ep 563)
Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat representing New York's 10th Congressional District, joined the show to discuss his bid for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in the district that spans Lower Manhattan and a swathe of Brooklyn. He's facing a challenge in the June 2026 Democratic primary election from former city comptroller Brad Lander. (Ep 562)
Brad Lander, former New York City Comptroller and 2025 mayoral candidate, joined the show to discuss his campaign for Congress in New York's 10th Congressional District, which includes Lower Manhattan and a swathe of Brooklyn. Lander is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman in the June 2026 Democratic primary for one of New York's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. (Ep 561)
Ben Furnas and Sara Lind — leaders of Transportation Alternatives and Open Plans, respectively, and members of Mayor Mamdani's transition committee — joined the show to discuss ideas for creating a more livable city with improvements for how people get around, use outdoor space, and enjoy the city. They discussed ideas and expectations for Mamdani on street safety, open space, traffic, bike lanes, outdoor dining, use of the curb, and much more, and touched on how Mayor Adams did on those issues. (Ep 560)
Diane Savino — recently a senior advisor to Mayor Eric Adams (2023-25) and previously longtime state senator (2005-22) — joined the show to discuss her work in the Adams administration and the former mayor's legacy, the start of Zohran Mamdani's mayoralty, how government works and doesn't, the state-level passage of Medical Aid in Dying legislation that she worked on as a senator, and more. (Ep 559)
Urban historian Thomas Dyja and political strategist Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. joined the show to put Eric Adams' mayoralty and Zohran Mamdani's inauguration into modern historical context. They joined host Ben Max to discuss the meaning of the Eric Adams era and its impact on the city, how Adams fits in the modern pantheon of mayors, and the meaning of Mamdani's election to succeed Adams, including the hopes and questions about his budding mayoralty. Dyja is the author of several books, including New York New York New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess, and Transformation. Smikle Jr. has been involved in many political campaigns in New York, is a former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, and is currently a professor in and director of the master's program in nonprofit management at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies, among other roles in politics and academia. (Ep 558)
– joined the show to consider Adams' tenure and legacy as Mayor of New York City. (Ep 557)
Vijah Ramjattan, Executive Director of the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes in the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, joined the show to discuss the office's efforts to prevent bias-based crimes, what makes the difference in increases and decreases in hate crimes, the importance of education and community-building, and more. (Ep 556)
in New York City, how to really speed up the city's notoriously slow buses, whether free buses is the right goal and how to get there if so, and more. (Ep 555)
Christian Klossner, Executive Director of New York City's Office of Special Enforcement, joined the show to discuss the shifting legal and regulatory landscape around Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms, and his office's education and enforcement work as New York City has sought to eradicate tens of thousands of illegal short-term rental listings while allowing a legal market to flourish. (Ep 554)
Julie Menin, the presumptive next Speaker of the New York City Council, joined host Ben Max and Andrew Rein, president of Citizens Budget Commission, for a conversation at New York Law School on her path to the speakership, her priorities when she takes the position in January, how she plans to work with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and more. The event took place on December 10, 2025 and was hosted by NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law and Citizens Budget Commission. Menin declared victory in the speaker race in late November, and will have to be officially voted into the position by her Council colleagues in early January. (Ep 553)
New York City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss the growth of the NYC-DSA, her exploration of a run for Congress in NY-7, the Council speaker race won by Julie Menin, prospects for Zohran Mamdani's mayoralty, and more. (Ep 552)
From a live event held on November 20 at New York Law School, host Ben Max talks with four experts who have experience across the last several mayoral administrations and transitions: Anthony Crowell (NYLS Dean; former Counselor to the Mayor), Jennifer Jones Austin (FPWA CEO; co-chair of the 2013 mayoral transition), Meera Joshi (President of Green-Wood; former Deputy Mayor of Operations) , and Emma Wolfe (Chief of Staff to the NYU President; former Deputy Mayor for Administration). They spoke about the keys to a successful mayoral transition, how to best organize and run city government, lessons from Mayors Bloomberg, de Blasio, and Adams, advice for Mayor-elect Mamdani, and more. (Ep 551)
City Council Member Crystal Hudson, a Brooklyn Democrat, joined the show to discuss her bid to become the next Speaker of the City Council. She is among five candidates vying for the legislative leadership position, which will be decided upon by the 51 Council members of the new class seated in January. Hudson discussed her accomplishments in the Council thus far, her approach to leadership, her relationship with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and more. (Ep 550)
Harry Siegel — an editor at The City, co-host of FAQ NYC, and Moynihan Fellow at City College — joined the show to discuss the agreement between Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for her to remain in that position in the new administration. Siegel and host Ben Max discuss how this decision came to be, specific areas of policing that they must navigate, potential pitfalls, how it coincides with Mamdani's planned Department of Community Safety, and more. (Ep 549)
Rich Azzopardi, a longtime spokesperson for Andrew Cuomo in government and politics, joined the show to discuss Cuomo's 2025 mayoral campaign, how things shifted from the primary to the general election, and more. Azzopardi was a senior advisor and director of communications in the governor's office under Cuomo and then, after Cuomo resigned in 2021, founded his own public affairs firm, Bulldog Strategies. He led communications on Cuomo's 2025 mayoral campaign. (Ep 548)
On this episode, we break down Zohran Mamdani's victory to become the next Mayor of New York City, what it means for Democrats in New York and beyond, and what comes next for Mamdani as he enters City Hall. First, an interview with Maya Handa, who was Mamdani's general election campaign manager. Then, Rebecca Katz and Morris Katz (no relation) of Fight Agency discuss elements of Mamdani's success that Morris helped craft as his lead media strategist, lessons from Bill de Blasio's tenure he needs to take into City Hall, and much more. (Ep 547)
In our final episode, we talk about the future of New York City under Mayor Elect Zohran Mamdani and who he will surround himself with to help him accomplish his vision. We’re also joined by Patrick Gaspard, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, former key Obama aide and now key advisor to Mamdani, to talk about this historic moment.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 546)
The Election Night results are in: Zohran Mamdani will be New York City’s 111th Mayor. Our hosts react to Mamdani’s big win over Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, with over 1 million votes out of more than 2 million cast, and discuss his rousing, defiant victory speech and what comes next.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 544)
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat and close ally of Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, joined the show to discuss Mamdani's victory and the path ahead for his agenda, especially in Albany, where much power lies. (Ep 545)
expectations for the outcome; 2) Nada Al-Hanooti of Defend and Advance, a Super PAC working to turn out Muslim voters to support Zohran Mamdani; and 3) Republican strategist Chapin Fay with his thoughts on GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa, calls for Sliwa to drop out and endorse Andrew Cuomo, and various related political dynamics. (Ep 543)
Longtime New York journalists and policy analysts Nicole Gelinas and Josh Greenman joined the show to discuss some of the big questions about mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani's big promises, namely his top policy pledges of freezing the rent on rent-stabilized apartments, free buses, and universal child care, as well as increased taxes to pay for his agenda, and more, like a $30 minimum wage and a Department of Community Safety. Gelinas is a Manhattan Institute senior fellow and contributing opinion writer at the New York Times and Greenman is managing editor at Vital City. (EP 542)
Grace Rauh, executive director of government reform group Citizens Union, joined the show to discuss ballot question 6 and whether New York City should move its elections to presidential years. The question is on the 2025 general election ballot, put to city voters to see their preference, but would still require a state constitutional change to actually happen. If city voters approve the measure - placed on the ballot by a Charter Revision Commission - and the state process unfolds (including state legislative passage in two consecutive terms and a statewide ballot referendum being approved), it could be in effect for 2032. Rauh and Citizens Union are in favor of the switch to improve voter participation, but some are worried about local races and issues getting overshadowed by national ones, among other concerns. The one-time shift could also allow the next mayor and other city electeds to hold office for 11 years in sum. (Ep 541)
Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo, the co-chairs of the New York City branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, joined the show to discuss the DSA, the Zohran Mamdani campaign and mayoral election, and what comes next if Mamdani is elected mayor. (Ep 540)
former Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development), who share their thoughts on what the next Mayor should accomplish – and how.Remember: early voting is in full swing. Visit vote.nyc or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC to find your early and election day polling sites — they may be different — and see what will be on your ballot.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound.
Alex Armlovich, a member of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) and Senior Housing Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center, joined the show to discuss the work of the RGB, Zohran Mamdani's rent-freeze pledge, how to help struggling rent-stabilized buildings and apartments, and much more. (Ep 539)
Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association and former State Assembly member from the Bronx, joined the show to discuss the challenges in rent-stabilized housing, the perspective of landlords and building managers, the prospects of a Mayor Mamdani and the candidate's promise to freeze stabilized rents for four years, and much more about housing policy. (Ep 538)
In episode five, we debrief the first mayoral debate and preview the second one as Andrew Cuomo struggles to gain ground against frontrunner Zohran Mamdani with wild card Curtis Sliwa also in the mix. Plus, two-time former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton joins to explain why he wouldn't advise Jessica Tisch, or anyone else, to run the NYPD on Mamdani's watch. Remember: early voting begins on Saturday. Visit vote.nyc or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC to find your early and election day polling sites — they may be different — and see what will be on your ballot.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound.
Matt Wing, a political strategist and founder of Wingspan, joined the show to analyze the first of two televised debates in the general election for Mayor of New York City and what comes next. Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa debated on NBC NY on the night of Thursday, October 16, 2025, and this conversation between Wing and host Ben Max was recorded right after. (Ep 535)
In our fourth episode, we discuss the federal indictment of New York Attorney General Tish James, how the mayoral candidates are reacting, and how the next mayor could influence President Trump’s approach to the city. Then, DSA-backed City Council Member Alexa Avilés of Brooklyn, chair of the Council immigration committee, joins us to talk about Trump’s immigration crackdown, her hopes for a Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and her own potential run for Congress.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort. Rachel Lightner engineered this episode. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 534)
New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll, a Brooklyn Democrat, joined the show to discuss his push to ensure that education issues are discussed in the home stretch of the race to be the next Mayor of New York City, the importance of prioritizing literacy instruction, his short list of potential next city school chancellors, mayoral control of city schools, and more. (Ep 533)
In episode three, we talk about the massive infrastructure cuts trickling down from the federal government – one of the many developments that have us holding our breath for what’s to come in our city. We’re also joined by ‘Gridlock’ Sam Schwartz, who gives us the lowdown on the past, present and future of transit in New York.—FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound.
First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro spoke with host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School on the morning of September 30 to discuss Mayor Eric Adams' decision to drop his reelection bid, Adams' legacy, priorities Mastro has spearheaded, and much more. The event was hosted by NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law. (Ep 531)
In our second episode, the hosts debrief about Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to drop his re-election bid. New York Attorney General Tish James also joins us to talk about the cases she and Donald Trump have brought against one another, and her support of Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.---FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming to you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin and Vital City. This week's episode was hosted by Christina Greer, Katie Honan, Ben Max and Harry Siegel. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 530)
In our debut episode, Public Advocate Jumanne Williams joins us to talk about his arrest outside of 26 Federal Plaza, what the mayor and other elected officials can and should be doing in response to President Trump's threats, and why Williams thinks it's time for New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs to step down. ---FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming at you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers.City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin, Vital City, the Charles H. Revson Foundation and P&T Knitwear. This week's episode was hosted by Harry Siegel, Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Ben Max. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 529)
New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos joined the show to discuss the start of the new school year, key education policy initiatives underway like an overhaul of reading instruction, the new statewide student cellphone ban, mayoral control of city schools, and more. (Ep 538)
Post-Labor Day and with under 2 months until Election Day (Nov. 4) the general election for Mayor of New York City is now in full swing, and four new polls out this week (Sept. 8-12) help shed light on the state of the race among Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Eric Adams. Joining the show to discuss the polling, the state of the race, candidates' paths to victory, and what comes next are pollster Adam Carlson of Zenith Research and political analyst and professor JC Polanco. (Ep 527)
State Senator Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, returned to the showto discuss her performance and endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in themayoral primary, her 2026 bid for Senate reelection against a toughprimary challenge, key issues facing her constituents, and more. (Ep 526)
Joe Borelli, Managing Director at Chartwell Strategy Group and formerNew York City Council Minority Leader, joined the show to discuss howPresident Trump is doing so far in his second term and the unfoldingelection for New York City Mayor. The Staten Island Republican spentover a dozen years in elected office, in the State Assembly then CityCouncil, until earlier this year when he left government for theprivate sector. (Ep 525)
New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, a Democrat and formermember of Congress, joined the show to discuss his decision tochallenge Governor Kathy Hochul in the June 2026 primary, how theirrelationship fell apart, key issues facing New York and his platformto address them, and more. (Ep 524)
New York State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss key challenges facing his constituents and New York, his support for Zohran Mamdani for mayor, Asian voters, and much more. (Ep 523)
Jonathan Rosen — CEO of Orchestra, co-founder of BerlinRosen, and a top political advisor to Brad Lander and Bill de Blasio — joined the show to discuss the changing communications and media landscape, Lander's unsuccessful bid for mayor, lessons from de Blasio's 2013 win and tenure, Zohran Mamdani's ascension, and more. (Ep 521)
Kevin Elkins, a senior advisor on former Governor Andrew Cuomo's Democratic primary campaign for mayor and the political director for the New York City carpenters union, joined the show to discuss the Cuomo campaign, the value of endorsements, labor politics, and much more. (Ep 520)
The 2025 New York City Charter Revision Commission just advanced five proposals to the general election ballot dealing with housing, land use, and elections. The chair of the commission, Richard Buery, and its executive director, Alec Shierenbeck, joined the show to discuss the proposals that aim to increase housing growth and voter participation, among other goals, as well as one major reform that the commission did not advance for voters to approve or disapprove. Voters will be able to vote "yes" or "no" on all five on their general election ballots this fall. (Ep 519)
Trip Yang, founder and CEO of Trip Yang Strategies, and Sam Raskin, Senior Vice President at Slingshot Strategies, joined the show to discuss key takeaways from the 2025 Democratic primary for New York City mayor, won by Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, and what those takeaways may mean for the future of New York politics, including the general election for mayor. (Ep 518)
DescriptionAssemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat who represents the 34th Assembly District (Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside), and Eli Valentín, a political analyst and columnist, joined the show to discuss Latino voters and the New York City mayoral race. With host Ben Max, they discussed Zohran Mamdani's surprisingly strong performance among Latino voters, key issues of importance in the race, Mamdani's record in the Assembly, the challenges he could face in implementing his agenda, and more. (Related reading: Valentín's post-primary column on the Latino vote: https://citylimits.org/latino-voters-and-the-political-earthquake-in-new-york/) Ep 516
The hosts of the FAQ NYC podcast - Christina Greer, Harry Siegel, and Katie Honan - joined host Ben Max for a big 2025 New York City mayoral primary election preview at New York Law School on May 29 in front of a live audience. They were joined by 2021 Democratic primary runner-up Kathryn Garcia for the first 30 minutes of the program, then the four hosts talked about the 2025 mayoral race and took a bunch of great questions and comments from some of the 150 New Yorkers in attendance. They talked state of the race, candidate strengths and weaknesses, ranked-choice voting, and much more. (Ep 502)
Howard Wolfson and Amit Singh Bagga — two political strategists, former city government officials, and members of The New York Times' 'The Choice' opinion panel — joined the show to discuss their experience as part of the Times' mayoral race assessment, the state of the race with a week until primary day, their thoughts on individual candidates, and more. (Ep 510)
Brad Lander, the city comptroller running for mayor in the June 2025 Democratic primary, joined the show to discuss his mayoral campaign, cross-endorsement with Zohran Mamdani, and more. (Ep 509)
Harry Siegel — co-host of the FAQ NYC podcast, an editor at The City, and a columnist at The Daily News and Vital City — joined the show to analyze the second televised Democratic mayoral primary debate. Just after the debate among 7 "leading candidates" that aired on NY1 TV and WNYC radio, Siegel joined host Ben Max to discuss how the candidates performed, the most interesting moments, and how the debate fits into the state of the primary with under two weeks until primary day, June 24. (Ep 508)
L Joy Williams — president of the NAACP New York State Conference, a political strategist, and host of Sunday Civics — joined the show to discuss the future of the NAACP in New York, the priorities of Black New Yorkers, the role of Black voters in the 2025 New York City mayoral race, and more. (Ep 507)
Ana Maria Archila, co-director of the New York Working Families Party, joined the show to discuss the WFP's mayoral candidate rankings, the push to elect Zohran Mamdani as mayor, ranked-choice voting strategies, and more. (Ep 506)
Scott Stringer, a former New York City Comptroller and Democratic candidate for Mayor in the June 2025 primary, joined the show to discuss his campaign for Mayor and the state of the race with just over two weeks until primary day, June 24. (Ep 505)
Bob Hardt of Spectrum News NY1 joined the show to analyze the first of two official televised debates in the Democratic primary for mayor. Hardt, the New York political director for Spectrum News, and host Ben Max talked right after the 9 qualifying Democratic candidates left the stage in the Wednesday June 4 2025 debate that was hosted by NBC, Telemundo, Politico, and other partners. (Ep 504)
A debate among the three Democratic candidates for Manhattan Borough President: Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Keith Powers, and Calvin Sun. The debate was hosted on June 3 — exactly three weeks to primary day — at New York Law School by its Center for New York City and State Law, and moderated by Max Politics host Ben Max, who is also the Center's program director. (Ep 503)
Kathy Wylde, the longtime President and CEO of business group The Partnership for New York City, joined the show to discuss how New York City is doing, challenges around city and federal governance, the 2025 race to be the next Mayor, her recent retirement announcement (effective June 2026), and more. (Ep 501)
Political strategists Tyrone Stevens and Jon Paul Lupo joined the show to discuss the state of the race for Mayor of New York City with one month until primary day, which is June 24. With host Ben Max, they assess the Democratic primary for mayor, variables that could shift the race down the home stretch, potential strategies to help candidates break out, and more. Both guests have extensive experience in New York City government, politics, and campaigns, including on major mayoral campaigns in the 2021 Democratic primary. (Ep 500)
In part two of our miniseries on Andrew Cuomo's record as Governor of New York, we examine his policy record over his ten-and-a-half-year tenure (January 2011-August 2021). Jon Campbell, a longtime state politics reporter now with WNYC/Gothamist, joined the show to recount and examine Cuomo's policy record over the course of his nearly three terms as the state's chief executive and put it into the context of Cuomo's 2025 bid to become Mayor of New York City. This is the second in a series of Max Politics episodes that will examine Cuomo's record as Governor and bid to become Mayor — the first episode focused on Cuomo's leadership and governance style. Cuomo has been invited to appear on the show himself but has yet to accept the invitation. Stay tuned for other episodes in this series and additional conversations on the 2025 NYC elections. (Ep 499)
Longtime journalists Bill Hammond and Nick Reisman joined the show to discuss Andrew Cuomo's record as Governor of New York, with a focus on Cuomo's leadership style. Cuomo, leading the polls in the 2025 Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City, was Governor from January 2011 to August 2021. Hammond - formerly of the New York Daily News and now at the Empire Center - and Reisman, formerly of Capitol Tonight/State of Politics and now at Politico New York - have both covered Cuomo for many years and, in this discussion, help host Ben Max recap Cuomo's decade in power. This is the first in a series of Max Politics episodes that will examine Cuomo's record as Governor and bid to become Mayor. Cuomo has been invited to appear on the show himself but has yet to accept the invitation. Stay tuned for other episodes in this series. (Ep 498)
Join Max Politics and FAQ NYC for a live double-podcast, primary election preview event on Thursday May 29, 5:30-7:30pm, at New York Law School! Hosts Ben Max, Christina Greer, Katie Honan, and Harry Siegel will provide the latest analysis of the race to be the next Mayor of New York City and highlight other key races to watch ahead of June's primaries. There will be special guests and plenty of audience participation, refreshments and more. Join us! RSVP at this link: https://nyls.wufoo.com/forms/qxmjtbs0nexll7/
New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber spoke with host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School for Law Day, May 1, hosted by NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law. Strauber spoke about the important role DOI plays in ensuring ethical and effective government, DOI's role in the indictment of Mayor Eric Adams and her take on the dismissal of those charges, and much more. (Ep 497)url: nyc-doi-jocelyn-strauber-corruption
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joined the show to discuss his 2025 State of the Borough address and agenda, major issues and opportunities facing Queens and the city, and the unfolding mayoral race. (Ep 496)
Political strategists Rebecca Katz and Jason Ortiz joined the show to discuss the state of the mayoral race and much more with two months to go until primary day, which is June 24, 2025. Katz, a co-founder of Fight agency, and Ortiz, a co-founder of Moonshot Strategies, are both veteran political strategists in New York and beyond. They joined the show to analyze the Democratic primary field for mayor, the city's political mood, lessons from past mayoral races that apply in 2025, and much more. (Ep 495)
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss his 2025 State of the Borough address and agenda, major issues facing Brooklyn and the city, and the 2025 city elections. (Ep 494)
Six of the Democratic candidates for Mayor of New York City participated in a candidate forum on the evening of April 8, 2025 at New York Law School. The event featured candidates Adrienne Adams, Michael Blake, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, and Scott Stringer, all vying for the Democratic nomination in June's primary election. The forum was moderated by Max Politics host Ben Max, who runs NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law, which co-hosted the forum with New Yorkers for Parks and its large Fair Play for Parks coalition. (Ep 493)
The once-a-decade Census population count is immensely important to determine federal funding to states and cities, representation in the federal government, electoral college votes, and more. We just passed the halfway mark between the 2020 and 2030 Census counts, and New York leaders are starting to sound the alarm about the need for good planning to execute a complete count of all New York residents. Assemblymember Landon Dais, a Bronx Democrat, and Census expert Jeff Wice, a professor at New York Law School where he runs the NY Elections, Census, and Redistricting Institute, joined the show to discuss why the Census is important and steps New York can take at the state and city levels to get moving on 2030 Census planning. (Ep 492)
Ryder Kessler and Catherine Vaughan, co-founders of Abundance New York, joined the show to discuss the "abundance" wave washing over the national political discourse (in part inspired by the new book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson), what their vision for abundance in New York is, how to achieve it, NIMBYism vs YIMBYism, and much more. Their group is a relatively new nonprofit group (501c4) creating a new political community and working to influence politics and policy to increase the supply of housing, transit, public space, and clean energy. (Ep 491)
With just 3 months to primary day in New York City's 2025 elections, Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. joined the show to discuss the state of the mayoral race, the candidate field, the mood of the city electorate, and more. Smikle is a longtime political strategist, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, and currently a professor at Columbia University, where he runs the nonprofit management master's program. (Ep 490)
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss the state of the Bronx, her policy agenda, key issues facing the borough and the city, her reelection bid, and more. (Ep 489)
Two of the leading Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller - City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine - in this year's election joined New York Law School (NYLS) and Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) for a debate in front of a live audience at NYLS. The debate was moderated by Max Politics host Ben Max, who is also the program director at NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law, and CBC President Andrew Rein. The candidates are competing, along with others, in the Democratic primary set for June in the race to become the city's next chief fiscal and accountability officer. (In order to qualify for the March 18 debate, candidates had to raise $125,000 by February 15.) - Ep 488
Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), joined the show to discuss current concerns and priorities for the city's teachers, major education issues being debated at the city and state levels, the UFT's endorsement process for the 2025 mayoral race, and more. (Ep 487)
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the show to discuss the state of city government leadership, the unfolding race for mayor, his reelection bid, and more. (Ep 486)
Sally Goldenberg, a veteran New York journalist and senior New York editor at Politico, joined the show to discuss the state of the race for Mayor of New York City with four months until primary day. With just four months until primary day — June 24, 2025 — both former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams are considering soon entering the already-crowded Democratic primary field, which includes Mayor Eric Adams, eyeing a second term, and a number of other candidates.(Ep 485)
Teresa Gonzalez and Yvette Buckner, co-chairs of New Majority NYC, joined the show to discuss the group's efforts to elect and reelect women to the New York City Council. Through the 2021 elections, the Council saw its first-ever women majority, in part thanks to New Majority NYC's efforts. The organization is now starting to roll out endorsements in the 2025 elections, with primaries set for June. (Ep 484)
Mark Treyger — CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and a former New York City Council member — joined the show to discuss combating increased anti-Semitism, Jewish community relations, Jewish voters in the 2025 NYC elections, and more. (Ep 483)
New York Working Families Party Co-Chairs Jasmine Gripper and Ana Maria Archila returned to the show to discuss how the progressive group is approaching the 2025 New York City mayoral race, lessons learned from 2021, ranked-choice voting, and more. (Ep 482)
With just 5 months until primary day 2025 in New York City, political strategist Neal Kwatra - founder and CEO of Metropolitan Strategies - joined the show to discuss the city's political mood, important dynamics at play in the developing race for mayor, the field of candidates, and more. (Ep 481)
City Council Member Alexa Avilés, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's immigration committee, joined the show to discuss how New York City is preparing for Donald Trump's second presidential term with regard to immigrant communities, sanctuary city policies, and more. Avilés discusses the oversight hearing she chaired on January 16, 2025 examining the Adams administration's efforts to protect immigrant communities and relevant city and state policies. (Ep 480)
Political strategists Shontell Smith and Chris Coffey joined the show to preview 2025 in New York politics, including analysis of Mayor Eric Adams' 2025 State of the City agenda, the mayor's overall standing and the 2025 mayoral race about to unfold, Governor Kathy Hochul's standing and agenda, dynamics at play in state government as the Albany session begins, and much more. Coffey, a longtime New York political veteran, is the CEO and a Partner of Tusk Strategies and Smith, former counsel and chief of staff to the State Senate majority leader, is also a Partner at Tusk Strategies and head of its New York practice. (Ep 479)
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber joined the show to discuss the launch of congestion pricing, the future of mass transit in New York City, and more. (Ep 478)
Micah Lasher, a long-time New York politico, is heading to the State Legislature after winning election to the Assembly representing the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The former policy director for Governor Kathy Hochul, among many other roles in New York City and State politics, joined the show to discuss his priorities for Albany and many challenges facing New York, his experience in government, Hochul's political prospects, and more. (Ep 477)
On Thursday December 5, 2024 the New York City Council passed a modified version of the Adams Administration's 'City of Yes for Housing Opportunity' zoning reform proposal, which will be paired with other elements in the Council's 'City for All' housing plan that includes $5 billion in housing investments from the City and State. City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, chair of the Council housing committee, and Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York, joined the show to discuss what it all means and how it will impact housing in New York in the years to come. (Ep 476)
Evan Roth Smith, a political consultant from Slingshot Strategies, joined the show to discuss his work as the lead pollster for Democrats' 'Blueprint 2024' project that sought to understand the 2024 electorate, the results of the elections, and what comes next for the Democratic Party. (Ep 475)
Jasmine Gripper and Ana Maria Archila, the co-directors of the New York Working Families Party, joined the show to discuss the 2024 elections in New York, the WFP's bid to get enough votes for Harris/Walz to keep its ballot line, and much more. (Ep 470)
State Senator Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss key dynamics and outcomes of the 2024 elections, including the significant increase in Latino support for Donald Trump and his better-than-expected performance in New York City, as well as the early phases of her 2025 campaign for New York City Mayor, and more. (Ep 472)
Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition and its political arm, NYIC Action, joined the show to discuss immigration and the 2024 elections, from border policy to the 'migrant crisis' in New York City, Trump vs. Harris, and more. (Ep 471)
Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Party, joined the show to discuss how Democrats are working to win races across the state, especially in House battleground districts, how the presidential race will impact down-ballot races, and more. (Episode 469)
NYC Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi joined the show to discuss the efforts she's leading to win federal infrastructure grants through two major laws: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Joshi created the city's Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force with a novel approach and helped secure $2.3 billion and counting from the two programs, as detailed in a new report now out: Funding the Future: New York City's Collaborate Approach to Maximize Federal Infrastructure Funding. https://climate.cityofnewyork.us/reports/funding-the-future/ (Ep 468)
Joe Borelli - a Staten Island Republican, longtime Donald Trump supporter, and New York City Council Minority Leader - joined the show to discuss Trumpism, the 2024 presidential race, New York swing House races, his potential run for Mayor, and more. (Ep 467)
Gabby Seay, co-director for Battleground New York, joined the show to discuss how the coalition of labor and activist groups is working toward Democratic wins in New York's swing U.S. House of Representatives districts, key electoral dynamics in those districts, and more. Battleground New York launched in 2023 and includes coalition members such as 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the Communications Workers of America, Indivisible, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, the Working Families Party, AFSCME, 32BJ SEIU, the NYS Nurses Association, and the Democracy Alliance. (Ep 466)Release date:17 October 2024
Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman, two authors of Politico's New York Playbook, joined the show to discuss the races to watch in New York in the 2024 elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. New York is home to 26 House seats, seven of which are considered swing congressional districts that will again help determine the balance of power in the House, either allowing Republicans to keep a narrow majority or helping Democrats take control of the chamber and potentially make Brooklyn's Hakeem Jeffries the next Speaker. (Ep 465)
Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission, joined host Ben Max at New York Law School to discuss the Adams Administration's "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" zoning reform proposal to help build more housing across the city. The proposal has entered the final stage of public review with consideration by and negotiations with the Council Council, and a Council vote by the end of the year. (Ep 464)
On the day that Mayor Eric Adams faced a multi-count federal indictment, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn joined the show to give their reactions to the allegations, the mayor's defiance and claims of innocence, and what comes next. (Ep 463)
Bradley Tusk joined host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School to discuss Tusk's new book, "Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy." (Ep 462)
Phil Walzak, a political and communications consultant who served in top roles in Bill de Blasio's campaigns and City Hall, joined the show to discuss the challenges facing Mayor Eric Adams and his administration, while also touching on his experience in the NYPD and previewing the 2025 mayoral race. (Ep 461)
Liz Glazer and Josh Greenman — the founder and managing editor, respectively, of the policy journal Vital City — joined the show to discuss New York City crime and public safety trends. That includes how crime in New York City compares to pre-pandemic levels, gains and challenges of recent years, public concerns about safety and order, policy solutions, and more. (Ep 460)
Mohamed Attia, Managing Director of the Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, and City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, a Bronx Democrat, joined the show to discuss efforts to reform street vendor permitting, laws, and rules in New York City. That includes a package of bills currently proposed in the City Council and a push to award thousands of street vendor permits created by a 2021 law. (Ep 459)
City Council Member Julie Menin, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss her proposed legislation to require hotel licensing, her law to create health care cost transparency and accountability, the relationship between the Council and Mayor Adams, and more. (Ep 438)
Political strategists Jason Ortiz and Jon Paul Lupo, veterans of many New York political campaigns, joined the show to reset the 2025 mayoral race with under 11 months until the all-important June 2025 Democratic primary. Ortiz is a co-founder and CEO of Moonshot Strategies and Lupo is Founder and President of Arete Public Affairs. (Episode 457)
Errol Louis — Spectrum News NY1 Political Anchor and host of Inside City Hall, The Big Deal with Errol Louis, and the You Decide podcast — joined the show to discuss shake-ups in the presidential race, national and New York political trends, and how the mayor is doing. (Episode 456)
Mara Gay, a member of the New York Times Editorial Board, returned to the show to discuss key themes in national and New York politics, including President Biden's status and the presidential election, leadership from Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, and more. (Episode 455)
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss her top accomplishments and priorities, close alliance with Mayor Eric Adams, exploration of a run for NYC Comptroller, and more. (Episode 454)
Bradley Tusk — a political strategist, venture capitalist, and philanthropist — joined the show to discuss lessons in how politics works, how Mayor Adams is doing, past and upcoming mayoral races, his push for mobile voting, and more. Tusk has been, among other roles, a communications director for Senator Chuck Schumer, 2009 campaign manager for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and advisor to Uber. (Episode 453)
State Senator Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat and chair of the Senate finance committee, joined the show to discuss her opposition to Governor Hochul's pause on congestion pricing implementation, what could become of MTA finances, and more. (Episode 452)
Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat representing New York's 10th congressional district covering parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, joined the show to discuss issues facing his district and New York, divided government in Washington, opposing Trumpism, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and more. (Ep 451)
From a live event at New York Law School, hear author and columnist Frank Barry talk with host Ben Max about Barry's new book Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey Into the Heart of American Democracy, including reflections on New York's role in our national identity, challenges, and fundamental values. (Ep 450)
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams returned to the show to discuss his 2024 'State of the People' address, his policy agenda and a variety of challenges facing the city, his latest assessment of Mayor Eric Adams' job performance, and more. (Ep 449)
New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan, chair of the Council's Parks Committee, and Adam Ganser, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks, joined the show to discuss the push for more funding for city parks, pools, beaches, playgrounds, and other public recreational places. (Ep 448)
Margaux Knee, Chief Administrative Officer for LinkNYC, joined the show to discuss the LinkNYC network of public wi-fi kiosks that replaced payphones around the city and the newer "5G smartpoles," public information technology, closing the 'digital divide,' public-private partnerships, and more. (Ep 447)
Andrew Kimball, President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, joined the show to discuss how the Adams Administration and NYC EDC are advancing economic development initiatives, especially the 'harbor of the future' plan, the city's overall economic health, and more. (Ep 446)
New York State Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat and lead sponsor of 'Good Cause Eviction' legislation, joined the show to discuss the 'good cause' compromise passed in the new state budget, how the deal got done and how it fits into the larger housing policy package, and what comes next in terms of implementing and assessing the policy. (Episode 445)
New York State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas joined the show to discuss the major housing policy deal reached in the new state budget, what it means for New York City and State, and what comes next. (Episode 444)
New York City Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer joined host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School's Center for New York City Law to discuss the Adams Administration's housing agenda, particularly the policies the City wants from the State. (Episode 443)
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat and chair of the Senate health committee, joined the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations, including around major health issues, housing policy, and more. (Ep 442)
New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, an Upstate Republican, joined the show to discuss state budget negotiations, the GOP's priorities and warning, housing policy, and more. (Episode 441)
Julie Samuels, President and CEO of Tech:NYC, joined the show to discuss Governor Hochul's 'Empire AI' proposal to create a new artificial intelligence hub in Buffalo and related policies.
Gersh Kuntzman, editor in chief of Streetsblog NYC and longtime city journalist, joined the show to discuss the long arc of congestion pricing approval, the 3/27/24 final MTA Board passage of the program, its planned June implementation, potential benefits, pitfalls, and unknowns — and more. (Episode 439)
Assembly Members Catalina Cruz of Queens and Brian Cunningham of Brooklyn joined the show to discuss their top legislative and budget priorities and the status of state budget negotiations with a deal due by April 1, including on the major issue of housing policy. Cruz also discussed her focus on immigrant communities and the asylum-seeker crisis, while Cunningham discussed the controversy over the future of SUNY Downstate medical center, among other topics they each addressed. (Ep 438)
News of the Week: Jeff Coltin of Politico joins the show to discuss City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' 2024 State of the City address and policy agenda, and the relationship between the Speaker and Mayor Eric Adams; then Emma Whitford of City Limits joins to discuss the three housing policy plans at the state level from Governor Kathy Hochul and the two majority conferences of the State Legislature. (Ep 437)
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss what comes next in New York's redistricting saga, the development of the Senate Democratic majority's one-house state budget resolution, housing policy negotiations, and more. (Ep 436)
Grace Rauh, executive director of the 5Boro Institute, joined the show to discuss the think tank's new child care policy report and key steps to ensure affordable child care for all New Yorkers, as well as other issues the Institute has been working on including city government staffing challenges, and more. (Ep 435)
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang joined the show to discuss her approach to the office and efforts to root out corruption, fraud, and waste in state government. She discussed other priorities and focus areas including prison oversight, covid fraud, gambling integrity, and more. (Ep 434)
State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat and chair of the Senate's New York City education committee, joined the show to discuss the major education issues on the table in the 2024 state legislative session, his other top priorities, housing policy, and more. (Ep 433)
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan joined the show to discuss how the Adams Administration is taking on the threats of social media on youth, studying long covid, working to increase life expectancy, and more. (Ep 432)
Dr. Christina Greer and Harry Siegel, co-hosts of the FAQ NYC podcast, joined the show to discuss Mayor Adams' 2024 State of the City address, Adams' broader agenda, performance, and standing, the developing 2025 race for mayor, and other New York political dynamics. (Episode 431)
Assemblymember Alex Bores, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss his efforts legislating artificial intelligence opportunities and challenges, judicial reform to ensure better functioning courts, housing policy, and more. As a computer scientist and data engineer, he also discussed how government can better use data to inform decision-making. (Ep 430)
Political consultants and longtime Albany experts Shontell Smith and Liz Benjamin joined the show to analyze Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State address, the governor's policy agenda, state government dynamics, and more. Smith, a former top official for the State Senate Democratic Conference, and Benjamin, a longtime journalist, dissect the governor-legislature relationship and much more. (Episode 429)
State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Senate elections committee, joined the show to preview the 2024 legislative session in Albany and discuss his top priorities, whether the Legislature will do anything significant on housing policy, and much more. He also touched on questions about whether he might run for Mayor in 2025. (Episode 428)
New York State Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to preview the 2024 budget and legislative session in Albany, especially what may happen around housing policy negotiations. She also discussed her other top priorities and major areas of concern that the state will deal with. (Episode 427)
Professor Jeff Wice, director of the Census and Redistricting Institute at New York Law School, joined the show to discuss the latest in the ongoing saga of congressional redistricting in New York. In mid-December, New York's highest court ordered a new round of map-making from the Independent Redistricting Commission, likely to lead to another new set of congressional district lines for the consequential 2024 elections in New York, where party control of the U.S. House of Representatives will again hang in the balance. (Ep 426)
New York City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan returned to the show to discuss how the Council is pushing back against Mayor Eric Adams' budget cuts and other fiscal choices. Brannan spoke with Max Politics the day after chairing an oversight hearing on the Mayor's November budget modification to the city budget, which included $1.7 billion in savings, including many program cuts. Topics include debate over revenue projections, city personnel policies and removal of budget vacancies, specific funding cuts to programs, fiscal management of the migrant crisis, and more. (Episode 425)
Citizens Budget Commission leaders Andrew Rein and Ana Champeny joined the show to help break down what New Yorkers need to know about the New York City budget, the city's fiscal health as of December 2023, and debates over saving, cutting, and spending. They help illuminate challenges facing Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council as they determine city spending priorities discuss spending on the migrant crisis, federal pandemic funding "cliffs," and much more. (Episode 424)
Matt Wing, former communications director under Governor Andrew Cuomo, joined the show to discuss crisis communications, governing while under investigation, and more. In light of the federal investigation involving Mayor Eric Adams' campaign and administration, Wing discussed his experience in the governor's office amid a federal investigation into the Cuomo administration's handling of the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, how he thinks Adams and his team are handling the current situation, and much more. In addition to the Cuomo administration and campaign, Wing has also advised or worked for Kathryn Garica, Uber, Bill de Blasio, and others. (Episode 423)
Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. — a political strategist, Director of the Public Policy Program at Hunter College, and former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party – joined the show to discuss the upcoming 2024 elections, particularly how Democrats should approach key House races in New York and the presidential contest, as well as other political themes. (Ep #422)
Howard Slatkin, executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council and a longtime official at the NYC Department of City Planning, joined the show to explain zoning's role in how New York City got into its current housing crisis and how zoning reform is essential - but not enough - to get the city out, as well as other key pieces of housing policy to increase supply and affordability. (Episode #421)
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined the show to discuss several major challenges facing the city, her top legislative priorities, her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams, and more (Episode #420)
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined the show for a wide-ranging conversation on the work of his office, city contracting and oversight, the migrant crisis, budget challenges, the affordable housing crisis, and much more. (Ep #419)
The most-watched City Council race in the 2023 general election is between two sitting City Council Members, Democrat Justin Brannan and Republican Ari Kagan, who are facing each other in the new 47th Council District of Southern Brooklyn after fallout from the redistricting process. The district includes Coney Island, Bay Ridge, and Bath Beach. Council Members Kagan and Brannan joined the show for a lively debate with under a month to go until Election Day: November 7, 2023. (Ep 418)
There's a push for "rails and trails" in Queens via the QueensLink proposal to reactivate a portion of an old rail line to connect the M and A trains for additional mass transit while also adding new park space. Two leaders of the QueensLink, Andrew Lynch and Mike Scala, joined the show to discuss the proposal and its competitor, QueensWay, which would only create parkspace. (ep 417)
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss the release of his Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn, which covers a lot of ground on health, housing, transit, climate, and more. Reynoso explained his enthusiasm for doing comprehensive planning and what he hopes will come from the release of this document. The conversation largely focused on housing growth and how the comprehensive plan will impact how Reynoso tries to influence adding new housing across the borough. (Ep 416)
Dan Garodnick, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning, joined the show to discuss the Adams Administration's plan to rezone the city and pursue more housing everywhere. It's the "City of Yes" zoning proposal for "housing opportunity" and will ultimately need City Council approval at the end of the lengthy public review process set to launch soon. (ep 415)
Checking in on the halting progress on NYC's ambitious Streets Plan law, which mandates a major buildout of bus lanes, bike lanes, and pedestrian space. Guests: New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, chair of the transportation and infrastructure committee, and leading advocates Danny Harris of Transportation Alternatives and Danny Pearlstein of Riders Alliance. (Episode 414)
City Council Member Rita Joseph, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's Education Committee, joined the show to discuss what she's most focused on ahead of the start of the 2023-2024 school year, a variety of pressing education-related issues, and more.
Part 2 with City Council Republican Leader Joe Borelli of Staten Island, discussing the most competitive fall general elections for City Council and several pressing New York City issues. (Ep 412)
In part one of a two-part interview, City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, a Staten Island Republican, joined the show to discuss major issues facing the city, how Mayor Adams is doing, and more. (And stay tuned for part two on races to watch in the fall City Council general election and more.) (Ep 411)
The new leaders of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) - CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Board Chair Jamie Rubin - joined the show to discuss the present and future of public housing in New York City. Home to more than 500,000 New Yorkers, many NYCHA properties are in deep disrepair, but there are a number of efforts in motion to address at least some of the $78 billion in physical needs at the authority.
City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr., a Bronx Democrat who chairs the Council's powerful land use committee, joined the show to discuss how he approaches committee leadership, the push for more housing in New York City, zoning changes afoot, public safety and the new NYPD commissioner, the new city budget, and more. (Ep 409)
City Council Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Shahana Hanif & Lincoln Restler, both Brooklyn Democrats, joined the show to discuss the Caucus' top priorities, their votes against the new city budget, their criticisms of Mayor Adams, and more. (Ep 408)
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams on the New City Budget, Longstanding Crises, & His Political Future
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss what's happening in his county, suburban politics north of New York City, differences between Westchester and Long Island, and more.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander joined the show to discuss city budget negotiations, the items he's most focused on as Mayor Adams and the City Council craft the new budget, the city's economic and fiscal health, and more.
State Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat and democratic socialist, joined the show to discuss state housing policy negotiations, the Legislature's failure to pass a housing plan, and her ongoing push for Good Cause Eviction legislation.
State Senator Brian Kavanagh, a Manhattan Democrat and chair of the Senate housing committee, joined the show to discuss the lack of a state housing policy deal during the 2023 legislative session and what comes next. (Episode 403)
City Council Member Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's Finance Committee, joined the show to discuss city budget negotiations with under a month until a new spending plan is due. (Episode 402)
Pete Sikora, climate campaigns director for New York Communities for Change, joined the show to discuss implementation of New York City's "Green New Deal" — particularly Local Law 97 that deals with building emissions — and more. (Episode 400)
At the annual NYSAFAH affordable housing conference in Manhattan, host Ben Max moderated a discussion with New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz and New York State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas about the state budget failure on housing and what comes next at the state and city levels. (Episode 401)
Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans, joined the show to discuss the group's vision for a more livable New York City, including specific programs, like Open Streets and Open Restaurants, state and city legislative and budget priorities, and more. (Episode 399)
Basha Gerhards, senior vice president of planning at REBNY, joined the show to discuss housing policy at the city and state levels, disappointment in the recent state budget agreement, and more. (Episode 398)
City Council Member Linda Lee, a Queens Democrat and chair of the Council's mental health committee, joined the show to discuss the CIty Council's mental health roadmap, specific legislation that's part of it, a recent Council hearing on the package, and more.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat and chair of the Senate health committee, joined the show to discuss the newly-passed $229 billion state budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which began April 1. (Episode 396)
Cea Weaver, campaign coordinator for Housing Justice for All, joined the show to discuss state budget negotiations, the apparent demise of negotiations over housing policy, and the left-wing perspective on the issue and key components of the debate, including Good Cause Eviction, the governor's Housing Compact, and more.
State Senator Leroy Comrie, a Queens Democrat who chairs the Senate's committee with MTA oversight, joined the show to discuss how the MTA is factoring into state budget negotiations, his preferred plan for funding the transit authority, whether the state budget will advantage subway and bus riders, the future of Penn Station area redevelopment plans, and more.
As New York state budget negotiations continue, there are major transit and climate issues being decided. Betsy Plum of Riders Alliance and Julie Tighe of League of Conservation Voters joined the show to break down the most pressing topics on transit and climate and what to watch for as a state budget deal is finalized by Albany leaders.
Liz Benjamin & Ken Lovett, two veteran Albany journalists now in public affairs consulting, joined the show to discuss New York state budget negotiations, the power dynamics at play in the capital, key issues being negotiated among Governor Hochul and the Legislature, and more.
New York State Housing Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas joined the show to discuss Governor Kathy Hochul's New York Housing Compact proposal, negotiations with the Legislature, meetings around the state to discuss the plan, and more.
State Senator Liz Krueger, chair of the Senate finance committee, joined the show to discuss state budget negotiations with under two weeks before the April 1 deadline for a new spending plan.
Newly-elected New York State Republican Party Chair Ed Cox, who previously held the role for 10 years, joined the show to discuss his plans for leading the state party, how to protect and build on Republican successes in 2022, and more.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson joined the show to discuss her first State of the Borough address and her agenda for the Bronx, including economic and housing development, major infrastructure projects, and more.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), joined the show to discuss his union's contract negotiations with the city, the governor's charter school expansion proposal, and other key issues facing teachers and schools.
Manhattan Democratic Party Leader Keith Wright, a former Assemblymember and longtime New York political player, joined the show to discuss Black political power in New York — past, present, and future.
On this episode, a deep dive into what is happening around the tens of thousands of mostly Latin American asylum-seekers who have arrived in New York City over the last year, the federal laws at play, New York City's response, and more. Joining the show to break it all down: Felipe De La Hoz, a journalist who co-writes the Border Lines newsletter and contributes to the Daily News editorial Board, among other roles, and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, a reporter for Documented.
Eric Goldwyn, a professor who has led a team at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management, joined the show to discuss his team's research on building transit and why it costs so much more in New York than other places around the world. The Transit Costs Project just released its New York Case examining the exorbitant, late, and over-budget first phase of the Second Avenue Subway as well as its Final Report.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine joined the show to discuss his new State of the Borough speech and agenda, and to discuss other topics important to Manhattan and the city.
NY1 political anchor Errol Louis, host of Inside City Hall, joined the show to analyze Mayor Eric Adams' 2023 State of the City speech and discuss how the mayor is doing a little over one year into his tenure.
oberto Ramírez, a former Assemblymember and current political strategist, joined the show to discuss the campaign to confirm Hector LaSalle as the next Chief Judge of New York, Latino representation at the highest levels of government, and more.
Peter F. Martin, a lead organizer with The Court New York Deserves coalition, joined the show to discuss the push for a progressive next Chief Judge of New York, the Hector LaSalle confirmation battle, and what comes next.
State Senator Jessica Ramos - a Queens Democrat, labor committee chair, and member of the judiciary committee - joined the show to discuss her vote against confirming Hector LaSalle to be the next Chief Judge, her efforts to increase the minimum wage, and more.
Annemarie Gray, a city planner and housing expert who is now Executive Director of pro-housing group Open New York, joined the show to discuss the group's 2023 housing agenda, the Governor's sweeping 'Housing Compact' proposals, what Mayor Adams should do next on housing, and more.
Borough President Antonio Reynoso joined the show to discuss his new State of the Borough agenda and vision for the city's most populous borough.
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins joined the show to discuss her 2023 priorities, the new Senate Democratic supermajority, her conference's relationships with Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, lessons of the 2022 elections, and more.
Sally Goldenberg, City Hall bureau chief for Politico NY, joined the show to discuss Eric Adams' first year as mayor and what to watch in 2023.
The Co-Chairs of New York's Climate Action Council -- Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris -- joined the show to discuss the newly-passed NYS Climate Action Council Scoping Plan, "which outlines recommended policies and actions to help meet the goals and requirements of the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act."
Congressman-elect Dan Goldman (D, NY-10) joined the show to discuss his transition period and priorities for his first term in Congress as he prepares to join the House of Representatives in January, becoming part of the narrow Democratic House minority under Leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn. Goldman will represent the new 10th congressional district of New York, including Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss his new plan to 'Fix the MTA,' the upcoming state budget and legislative session, and more.
Dan Doctoroff, former deputy mayor and now co-chair of the 'New' New York panel assembled by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, joined the show to discuss the extensive action plan put forward by the task force, governor, and mayor.
City Council Member Shekar Krishnan, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss his work as chair of the Council's parks committee, his vision for the future of NYC parks and public open spaces, housing policy, and more.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joined the show to discuss recent developments in Queens, working with Mayor Adams, his top priorities, and what's ahead in 2023.
Queens Assemblymember Ron Kim, fresh off a narrow reelection win, joined the show to discuss how Democrats can win back Asian voters who have been moving toward Republicans in recent election cycles, what's wrong with the Democratic Party in New York, and more.
L. Joy Williams, a Democratic strategist and president of the Brooklyn NAACP, joined the show to break down the 2022 election results and discuss what's next for the New York State Democratic Party, New York Democrats, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other prominent party leaders, and more.
Republican Joe Borelli, City Council minority leader and a major booster of Lee Zeldin, joined the show to discuss the New York GOP's strong showing in the 2022 elections — how it happened, what it means, and what comes next.
Chris Walsh, campaign manager for Pat Ryan's two Hudson Valley congressional wins this year and Brad Lander's 2021 NYC Comptroller win, joined the show to discuss how campaigns work, how to win tough races, Democratic messaging, the specifics of Ryan's wins, and more.
Alexis Grenell, a Democratic strategist and writer on politics with a focus on gender, joined the show to discuss New York's 2022 elections, including the election of the state's first female governor and more.
Dr. Basil Smikle Jr., former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party and currently a professor at Hunter College, joined the show to break down the results of New York's 2022 general election.
New York State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt joined the show to discuss Republicans' hopes for a big election night in retaking seats won by Democrats in recent election cycles.
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, the Chair of the New York Democratic Senate Committee, joined the show to discuss the State Senate battleground races and Democrats' hopes for keeping their supermajority.
Bruce Gyory, a political scientist and strategist, joined the show to lay out key numbers of the race for Governor; break down racial, ethnic, regional, and other demographic trends; and explain paths to victory for Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin.
Sochie Nnaemeka, director of the New York Working Families Party, joined the show to discuss the WFP's campaign to keep its automatic ballot line, key races it is focused on in the 2022 election, its relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, and more.
After Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin debated Tuesday night in the race for Governor, two experts joined host Ben Max to analyze the debate and the final two weeks of the race: Dr. Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University and Casey Seiler, editor of the Albany Times Union.
Paul Rodriguez, the Republican nominee for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign, vision for the office, and argument for choosing him over incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the Democratic incumbent who has held the office since 2007, joined the show to discuss his reelection campaign, how he has fulfilled the responsibilities of the office, and his case for choosing him over Republican opponent Paul Rodriguez.
New York City voters can approve or disapprove three proposed City Charter amendments on the 2022 general election ballot. Questions 2-4 on the ballot for city voters (Question 1 is on the statewide Environmental Bond Act) are proposals from the NYC Racial Justice Commission. Jennifer Jones Austin, Chair of the Racial Justice Commission, joined the show to discuss the three proposals and broader themes of social, economic, and racial justice in New York City.
Proposal 1 on the 2022 general election ballot is a statewide referendum on the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. Julie Tighe of New York League of Conservation Voters and Amy Chester of Rebuild by Design joined the show to discuss the bond act and other major New York climate issues.
Republican Mike Lawler joined the show to discuss his campaign for Congress in the new NY-17, a Hudson Valley district where he is seeking to not only flip a seat blue to red but unseat Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair.
Amy Loprest, retiring after 16 years running the New York City Campaign Finance Board, joined the show to reflect on campaign finance reform in the city over the last two decades and how the city's public matching system has improved local democracy.
Bob Hardt, New York Political Director for Spectrum News, joined the show to discuss where the 2022 race for New York Governor stands with under six weeks until Election Day.
Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, joined the show to discuss the influx of asylum seekers to New York City, how government has responded, ongoing City Council redistricting, and other issues of concern to New York's immigrant communities.
Mark Cannizzaro, president of the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, joined the show to discuss how principals and other school leaders are navigating the new school year, budget cuts to many schools, and other challenges.
Alex Zimmerman, reporter at Chalkbeat New York, joined the show to discuss the start of the new school year, the controversy around school budget cuts, and more education news.
Kristen Gonzalez, a democratic socialist, won her August Democratic primary election for a new State Senate seat covering parts of western Queens and Brooklyn as well as a slice of the East Side of Manhattan, and is all but certain to win the general election and become a State Senator in January. She joined the show to discuss her winning campaign, policy priorities, state government dynamics, and more.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx joined the show to discuss winning his Democratic primary despite a well-organized, well-funded attempt to unseat him.
Dennis Walcott, Chair of the New York City Districting Commission, joined the show to discuss the commission's ongoing work to draw new City Council districts, as mandated after each U.S. Census.
Jeff Coltin of City and State New York joined the show to discuss the outcomes of the 2022 State Senate primaries in New York City.
Mara Gay of The New York Times Editorial Board joined the show to discuss the outcomes of the 2022 New York congressional primaries and the Board's endorsements.
New York City criminal justice system veterans Elizabeth Glazer and Vincent Schiraldi joined the show to discuss their experience working in city government, the crisis at Rikers Island jails and what do about it and other problems plaguing the city's larger safety ecosystem.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat representing the current 12th Congressional District of New York, joined the show to discuss her campaign in the August primary for the new 12th Congressional District, a race that also includes Rep. Jerry Nadler and attorney Suraj Patel.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined the show to discuss state and MTA finances, the New York economy, economic development deals including a new Bills stadium and Penn Station area redevelopment, and more.
Jackson Chabot, Director of Public Space Advocacy at nonprofit Open Plans, joined the show to discuss rethinking the use of public space in New York City, including the organization's 'reimagine the curb' plan, the push for an Office of Public Space Management, and more.
Suraj Patel, a Democratic candidate in New York's new 12th Congressional District, joined the show to discuss his race against Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and the arguments he's making for why Manhattan voters should choose him in the August primary.
Elizabeth Holtzman -- former member of Congress, Brooklyn District Attorney, and NYC Comptroller -- joined the show to discuss her campaign for Congress in the new 10th District of New York, which includes much of Lower Manhattan and a large stretch of Brooklyn.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, the city's chief financial officer, joined the show to discuss the city's economic and fiscal outlook, the school budget cut controversy and what to do about it, and much more.
Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss her campaign in the new 10th Congressional District of New York, which includes a large section of Lower Manhattan and a wide swathe of Brooklyn.
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss the 2022 state legislative session in Albany, the recent special session, and the upcoming State Senate elections.
Jo Anne Simon, Assemblymember for Brooklyn's 52nd district, joined the show to discuss her campaign for Congress in the new 10th Congressional District of New York, which includes parts of Lower Manhattan and a significant chunk of Brooklyn.
Daniel Goldman, lead counsel for the first impeachment of President Donald Trump and former Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, joined the show to discuss his campaign in the Democratic primary for the new 10th Congressional District of New York. That new district includes large portions of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the crowded primary will be decided August 23.
Jeff Coltin, senior reporter at City & State NY, joined the show to break down the results of the June 2022 New York primary elections for statewide and Assembly races.
Episode 327: Harry Wilson's Closing Argument In The Republican Primary For Governor by Max Politics
Episode 326: Jumaane Williams' Closing Argument In Democratic Primary For Governor by Max Politics
Jay Martin, executive director of CHIP, The Community Housing Improvement Program, which represents 4,000 owners and managers of over 400,000 rent-stabilized rental properties in New York City, joined the show to discuss what his members want to see from the NYC Rent Guidelines Board and policy-makers.
City Council Member Carlina Rivera, a Manhattan Democrat, joined the show to discuss the launch of her campaign for Congress in the new 10th Congressional District of New York. Rivera discussed her vision for representing the district that now includes much of Downtown Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, her priority issues, and what separates her from the rest of the crowded field.
Former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Lucia Gomez, the political director of the New York City Central Labor Council, joined host Eli Valentin on this episode of the Latino Vote podcast to share insights on the recently-completed redistricting process in New York.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, joined the show to discuss major issues being negotiated as the end of this year's state legislative session nears. Gounardes discussed speed camera legislation, mayoral control of New York City schools, the 421-a real estate/affordable housing tax program, Mayor Adams' relationship with the State Legislature, and more.
Jon Orcutt, Advocacy Director at Bike New York and a former NYC Department of Transportation official, joined the show to discuss the current state of biking in New York City and how to make it a truly bike-friendly city.
Congressman Tom Suozzi joined the show to discuss his run for Governor, in which he's first attempting to win the Democratic primary against Gov. Kathy Hochul and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, a business association of the city's largest employers and business leaders, joined the show to discuss economic and workplace trends, the future of work, the health of the city's office sector and central businesses districts, and more.
Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York and former City Council member, joined the show to discuss the future of Lower Manhattan, including the area's evolution over time, office occupancy, tourism, affordable housing, and more. That includes the work of The Downtown Alliance, which manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, publishes research, provides services, and advocates on behalf of the businesses and residents of Lower Manhattan.
Assembly Member Karines Reyes, a registered nurse who represents the Bronx’s 87th District in the State Assembly, joined the show to discuss the potential Supreme Court nullification of Roe v. Wade reproductive rights, New York's abortion laws, and what state elected officials may do in the coming weeks and months to further solidify and expand reproductive health care.
Rafael Cestero, CEO of the Community Preservation Corporation and former Commissioner of the NYC Housing Department, and Kirk Goodrich, President of Monadnock Development and chair of the NYS Association for Affordable Housing, joined the show to discuss New York City's 'Housing Problem,' which is also the name of their podcast miniseries, and how to solve it.
City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, a Bronx Democrat and chair of the Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings, joined the show to discuss her priorities in solving the city's affordable housing crisis.
City Council Member Crystal Hudson, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn, joined the show to discuss her work chairing the Council's Committee on Aging, city budget priorities, housing policy, and more.
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, and Daniel Zarrilli is the Special Advisor on Climate & Sustainability at Columbia University and former New York City Chief Climate Policy Advisor, joined the show to discuss New York policy during Earth Week 2022.
Episode 308: City Council Progressive Chairs Shahana Hanif & Lincoln Restler by Max Politics
Episode 307: Bob Hardt On The Subway Shooting And Lieutenant Governor's Resignation by Max Politics
Episode 306: Senators Julia Salazar & Jabari Brisport on the New State Budget by Max Politics
City Council Member Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's finance committee, joined the show to discuss the Council's response to Mayor Adams' preliminary budget.
José Serrano-McClain, Co-Executive Director of NYC Speaks and Partner at HR&A Advisors, joined the show to discuss the NYC Speaks public policy survey that received over 62,000 responses from New Yorkers and what comes next in the public engagement process that is being done in coordination with the administration of Mayor Eric Adams to inform the city's policies and priorities.
Episode 301: Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt On State Budget Priorities by Max Politics
With a new New York state budget due by the April 1 start of the next fiscal year, two top Albany journalists -- Susan Arbetter of Spectrum News and Luis Ferré-Sadurní of the New York Times -- joined the show to break down the key issues being negotiated among Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislarture in the home stretch.
Peter Warren, research director at the Empire Center for Public Policy, joined the show to discuss the vision for New York's fiscal policies, what's broken in state government, and more.
Dr. Dave Chokshi on Recent Covid Policy Decisions and His Tenure as NYC Health Commissioner
James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, joined the show to discuss the growth of the charter school sector and what comes next.
Episode 294: Comptroller Brad Lander On The City Budget & Improving Nonprofit Contracting by Max Politics
Lule Demmissie, CEO of eToro USA, and Eric Soufer, head of the crypto and fintech practice at Tusk Strategies
Harvey Rosenthal, CEO of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, joined the show to discuss the crisis of untreated severe mental illness among New Yorkers.
Episode 291: The Future of NYC Trash, with City Council Sanitation Chair Sandy Nurse by Max Politics
Episode 290: The New City Council Chairs for Public Health and Hospitals by Max Politics
Doreen Harris, President & CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, joined the show to discuss the state's clean energy plans
Guests: Bernadette Hogan, Albany bureau chief for the New York Post, and Anna Gronewold, Politico New York Playbook writer and Albany correspondent
Episode 287: Senator Liz Krueger On Assessing The Governor's Budget And Other 2022 Priorities by Max Politics
Episode 286: Vicki Been On De Blasio Era Housing Policy, Neighborhood Rezonings, & More by Max Politics
Episode 285: Senator Jessica Ramos on Rethinking Child Care Policy & Other 2022 Priorities by Max Politics
Guests are Sally Goldenberg of Politico, Dr. Christina Greer of Fordham University, & Harry Siegel of the Daily News
Episode 283: Rep. Jamaal Bowman on 'Build Back Better,' Democratic Compromise, & More by Max Politics
Episode 282: Commissioner Steve Banks on the De Blasio Administration's Social Services Record by Max Politics
Guests: Rachel Fee, Executive Director of New York Housing Conference, and John Sanchez, Board Member of Open New York
Episode 278: UFT President Mulgrew on Pandemic Schooling, Class Sizes, & Mayor-Elect Adams by Max Politics
Episode 276: City Council Member Diana Ayala On Mental Health Oversight, Running For Speaker, & More by Max Politics
Episode 275: City Council Member Francisco Moya On Zoning Battles, Running For Speaker, & More by Max Politics
Episode 274: Gale Brewer On Her Tenure As BP, Running For City Council Speaker, & More by Max Politics
Episode 273: Jumaane Williams On Being Reelected Public Advocate & Exploring A Run For Governor by Max Politics
Bob Hardt, New York Political Director for Spectrum News, including NY1, joined the show to analyze Eric Adams' victory in the mayoral race and what comes next for the mayor-elect, other results of the 2021 New York City elections, and additional political themes.
City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez joined the show to discuss his support for Eric Adams' mayoral campaign, what he did to help Adams win the mayoralty, and what comes next.
Episode 270: City Council Member Adrienne Adams On NYPD Oversight & More by Max Politics
Episode 269: Eric Ulrich On His City Council Tenure, The Future Of NYC And Its Republican Party by Max Politics
Episode 268: Chris Coffey On The Yang Mayoral Campaign, Eric Adams & More by Max Politics
Episode 266: City Council Member Carlina Rivera On Hospitals Oversight & More by Max Politics
Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss two state programs to help undocumented immigrants, other work she's doing as chair of the Assembly's Task Force on New Americans, the Assembly judiciary committee's investigation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and more.
Ben Furnas, the director of the mayor's office of climate and sustainability, joined the show to discuss the de Blasio administration's policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable, liveable city.
Episode 263: City Council Member Carlos Menchaca On The Push For Noncitizen Voting & More by Max Politics
Episode 262: City Council Member Justin Brannan On Resiliency Oversight & More by Max Politics
Episode 261: City Council Member Keith Powers On Oversight Of City Jails & More by Max Politics
Episode 260: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins On The New Era In State Government by Max Politics
Three experts joined the show to discuss Hurricane Ida's impact in New York City, climate change, resiliency, policy-making, and where we go next. Guests: Maritza Silva-Farrell of ALIGN, Danny Harris of Transportation Alternatives, & Rob Freudenberg of Regional Plan Association.
Cea Weaver, campaign coordinator at Housing Justice for All, joined the show to discuss the extension of New York's eviction moratorium and the bigger housing policy picture.
John Kaehny, executive director of government reform group Reinvent Albany, joined the show to discuss what ethics, transparency and other reforms Governor Kathy Hochul should prioritize.
with Assemblymember Carmen De La Rosa and Bianca Guerrero, campaign coordinator of the Fund Excluded Workers Coalition
Episode 255: Michael Gianaris on Andrew Cuomo's Resignation and What's Ahead in New York Politics by Max Politics
Episode 250: Governor Cuomo Faces A Series Of Scandals And Investigations by Max Politics
Latino Vote '21 Podcast: Shaun Abreu Pursues A City Council Seat In Manhattan by Max Politics
Latino Vote 21 Podcast: Alexa Avilés Pursues A City Council Seat In Brooklyn by Max Politics
Episode 247: Women Poised To Take Majority In The Next New York City Council by Max Politics
Episode 246: Donovan Richards Seeks Reelection As Queens Borough President by Max Politics
Latino Vote '21 Podcast: Marjorie Velázquez Pursues a City Council Seat in the Bronx by Max Politics
Episode 245: Jumaane Williams On The 2021 Primary Results & What Comes Next by Max Politics
Latino Vote 21: Podcast Pierina Sanchez Pursues A City Council Seat In The Bronx by Max Politics
Episode 236: Why The Race For Manhattan District Attorney Is So Important by Max Politics
Episode 231 What Might The Democratic Electorate Look Like For The June Primary by Max Politics
Episode 230: Resetting the Democratic Mayoral Primary with Under 5 Weeks To Go by Max Politics
Decision NYC: Diana Florence On Her Run For Manhattan District Attorney by Max Politics
Decision NYC: Tahanie Aboushi On Her Run For Manhattan District Attorney by Max Politics
Decision NYC: Tali Farhadian Weinstein On Her Run For Manhattan District Attorney by Max Politics
Episode 290: UFT President Michael Mulgrew On Reopening Schools & Picking The Next Mayor by Max Politics
Episode 289: How the Next Mayor Can Address the Needs of the 'Unheard Third' by Max Politics
Episode 284: New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs On What's Next For Governor Cuomo by Max Politics
Episode 283: State Senator Jessica Ramos Calls For Governor Cuomo's Resignation by Max Politics
Episode 271 What The De Blasio Administration Wants From The Biden Administration by Max Politics
Episode 266: Bill De Blasio's Last Year As Mayor And The Race To Replace Him by Max Politics
Episode 265: State Senator Jamaal Bailey On The Albany Agenda And Leading The Bronx Democrats by Max Politics
Democratic Mayoral Candidates At Housing And Homelessness Forum 12/5/20 by Max Politics
Episode 261: State Senator Liz Krueger On Next Steps In The Covid Fight by Max Politics
Episode 260: City Council Education Chair Mark Treyger On What's Next For City Schools by Max Politics
Episode 253: Ensuring Voting Access By Monitoring Poll Sites, With Perry Grossman Of NYCLU by Max Politics
Episode 252: Borough President Gale Brewer On Manhattan's Future & More by Max Politics
Episode 251: Principals Union President Mark Cannizzaro On Reopening New York City Schools by Max Politics
Episode 245: Lessons For Today From New York City’s 1970s Fiscal Crisis by Max Politics
Episode 244: Lessons From The 2020 Primaries & What To Watch For In 2021, With Dr. Christina Greer by Max Politics
Episode 243: Donovan Richards On Police Reform, Jobs & His Vision For Queens by Max Politics
242: New York City's Leadership Void & The Path To Recovery, With Harry Siegel by Max Politics
241: Democratic Socialists Ascendant, With Senator Julia Salazar & Jabari Brisport by Max Politics
Episode 240: Sochie Nnaemeka On The Working Families Party's Big Wins & Future Challenges by Max Politics
Episode 238: A Devastating Economic Picture In New York & What To Do About It by Max Politics
Episode 234: NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey On Repairing Community Relations by Max Politics
Episode 233: Teachers Union President Michael Mulgrew On Reopening New York City Schools by Max Politics
Episode 232: A Consequential Month For The Police Reform Movement In New York by Max Politics
Episode 228: What's The Right Housing Policy In The COVID - 19 Aftermath by Max Politics
Episode 227: Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez On Prosecuting Protests And Police Misconduct by Max Politics
Episode 226: Jonathan Herzog On His Bid To Unseat Rep. Jerry Nadler In NY - 10 by Max Politics
Episode 225: Lindsey Boylan On Her Bid To Unseat Rep. Jerry Nadler In NY - 10 by Max Politics
Episode 224: State Senator Gustavo Rivera On New York's Health Care Response To COVID - 19 by Max Politics
Episode 223: State Senator Brian Benjamin On Rescuing New York's Finances & More by Max Politics
Episode 221: Lutchi Gayot Runs Again In Brooklyn's 9th Congressional District by Max Politics
Episode 219: Democratic Primary Debate In The Bronx's 15th Congressional District by Max Politics
Episode 218: Rep. Yvette Clarke On Why She Deserves Another Term In Congress by Max Politics
Episode 217: Adem Bunkeddeko Runs Again In Brooklyn's 9th Congressional District by Max Politics
Episode 215: CM Helen Rosenthal On How The City Should Approach Its Massive Budget Gap by Max Politics
Episode 214: New York City's Coronavirus Recession And The Path To Recovery by Max Politics
Episode 213: Dr. Mary Bassett On New York Fights Versus Ebola, Legionnaires' & COVID - 19 by Max Politics
Episode 212: Senator Michael Gianaris On 'Canceling Rent' & State Senate Priorities by Max Politics
Episode 211: City Council Member Carlina Rivera On Hospital Oversight Amid Coronavirus by Max Politics
Episode 210: Senator Jessica Ramos On Coronavirus In Queens & The New State Budget by Max Politics
Episode 209: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza On The City's Shift To Remote Learning by Max Politics
Episode 206: How The City's Public Health Response To Coronavirus Is Developing by Max Politics
Episode 204: Coronavirus' Impact On State Finances, With Comptroller Tom DiNapoli by Max Politics
Episode 203: Breaking Down The Queens Borough President Special Election by Max Politics
Episode 202: Assessing Coronavirus In NYC - Threat, Preparation, & Response by Max Politics
Episode 201: Supporters of Democratic Presidential Candidates Make Their Case by Max Politics
Episode 191: Taking Stock Of City Housing & Neighborhood Development Policies by Max Politics
Episode 190: Cuomo's State Of The State & What's Next, With Senator Liz Krueger by Max Politics
Episode 186: State Campaign Finance Reform Takes Shape, With Threat To Minor Parties by Max Politics
Episode 185: Debating Major Criminal Justice Reforms Set To Take Effect In January by Max Politics
Episode 174: NYPD Anti - Terrorism Chief John Miller On The Anniversary Of 9/11 by Max Politics
Episode 173: Recommendations From The Mayor's School Diversity Task Force & What Comes Next by Max Politics
Episode 168: Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris On Gun Control, Queens Politics & More by Max Politics
Episode 159: Reflecting On The Year In Albany, With Senators Krueger & Myrie by Max Politics
Episode 150: Pressing Immigration Issues, With City Council Member Carlos Menchaca by Max Politics
Episode 139: Support For Marijuana Legalization, With Assemblymember Richard Gottfried by Max Politics
Episode 138: Opposition To Marijuana Legalization, With Nassau County Executive Laura Curran by Max Politics
Episode 137: Criminal Justice Reform, With Tina Luongo Of Legal Aid Society by Max Politics
Episode 127: The Future Of NYCHA With City Council Member Alicka Ampry - Samuel by Max Politics
Max & Murphy Podcast: State Senator Michael Gianaris & Senator-Elect Julia Salazar by Max Politics
Episode 96: Stephanie Miner, Serve America Movement Nominee for Governor by Max Politics
Listen to the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Primary debate between incumbent Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and her challenger, City Council Member Jumaane Williams. The debate was hosted by Manhattan Neighborhood Network and moderated by Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max ahead of the September 13 primary vote.
Episode 90: Intense Queens Senate Primary Centers on Delivering for Immigrant Communities by Max Politics
Democratic candidates Sean Patrick Maloney, Leecia Eve, Tish James and Zephyr Teachout debate how they would address corruption in Albany, stand up to the Trump administration, and fight for the people of New York if elected the next New York Attorney General. The debate, which aired on Manhattan Neighborhood Network and was moderated by Gotham Gazette's Ben Max, was the first televised debate of the race, wherein the four Democrats are seeking the party nomination through the September 13 primary vote.
Episode 86: Queens State Senate Rematch Features Different Kinds Of Democrats by Max Politics
Episode 45: Analyzing the Public Advocate & Comptroller debates with Brigid Bergin by Max Politics
Episode 39: Gifford Miller, former Speaker of the City Council and mayoral candidate by Max Politics
Episode 28: Sal Albanese Says Third Mayoral Try Will be the Charm for his Reform Message by Max Politics
In this interview with Jarrett Murphy of City Limits and Ben Max of Gotham Gazette, the real-estate businessman had harsh words for Mayor d Blasio's approach to the job and vowed a different approach on homelessness and transit.
Max & Murphy: Bob Gangi, Democrat for Mayor, Challenges Mayor's Progressive Credentials
With the presidential campaign in full swing and the national party platforms adopted, Max & Murphy are joined by Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference, to discuss federal housing policy and how it relates to New York
In a special episode, we were joined by two leaders of Coalition for the Homeless, Mary Brosnahan and Shelly Nortz, to discuss a wide range of issues related to city and state homelessness-fighting policies, including problems around state funding and signs of progress with city management
NYCHA's 'Core Challenge' with guest Ritchie Torres, New York City Council member and chair of the public housing committee
Amid fears of gentrification, neighborhood plans move ahead http://www.gothamgazette.com