Welcome back to Mamdani Bulletin’s weekly newsletter.
Early voting is now open, and this week showed why the governor’s race matters. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul expanded free child care to 10,000 more families, and he’s backing her re-election. Their partnership helps fund his agenda, so the result will shape the city’s next few years.
Since October 19, the Mamdani administration:
… released 40,000 more 9/11 documents. The release shows that the Bloomberg administration avoided declaring downtown buildings contaminated to dodge lawsuits, leaving New Yorkers exposed to dust now linked to cancer.
… expanded free child care for two-year-olds. With support from Governor Kathy Hochul, 10,000 more seats will be added in fall 2027 — in addition to the 2,000 launched last month.
… launched a team to help New Yorkers keep Medicaid. Up to 900,000 New Yorkers could lose coverage when the Trump administration’s new rules take effect in January.
… backed a bill giving nonprofits first dibs on buying run-down buildings. Supporters say the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act will make homes more affordable. It’s passed the Council, and Mayor Mamdani plans to sign it.
… taught immigrants their rights in Spanish. His 90-second video walks viewers through what to do if they encounter ICE agents.
… sued CarGurus for allegedly deceiving New Yorkers. The city says the company hid thousands of dollars in fees from customers, including through a deceptive AI chatbot.
… expanded a community-based violence prevention program. The Crisis Management System trains local residents to defuse conflicts, without police — and it has cut shootings by 21% in target areas since 2012.
… reopened a public housing senior center closed for over 20 years. It's part of an $8M renovation that also restored a community center and daycare.
Independent media
Soft Power Vote dropped its midterm voter guide, a cheat sheet for every New York race from governor down to judges. The volunteer-run guide marks the candidates it backs for a fairer city, and its full spreadsheet has the receipts on each one.
Smear of the Week
The claim: Mayor Mamdani is spending his time “on his TikTok profile” instead of “actually governing the city,” proven by him signing just one bill in ten months. (New York Post)
The reality: In New York City, any bill the mayor doesn’t veto becomes law automatically after 30 days, signature or not. That’s how dozens of bills became law this year, including heat-wave wellness checks for older New Yorkers, an expansion of free child care, and a new rent-assistance program.
https://substack.com/@pinkprism/note/c-373086192?r=3juiuz