He's number 1.
The livable streets political action committee StreetsPAC recommends that voters put City Comptroller Brad Lander at the top of their ranked-choice voting ballots for mayor, saying his plan for safer streets and better public transit is "by far the most comprehensive blueprint ... we've ever seen from a candidate for any office."
"It outlines a wide-ranging roadmap for getting Vision Zero back on track, improving and enhancing subway and bus service, reimagining the city's curb space, and bringing a newfound degree of safety and order to the city's streets," the group said.
StreetsPAC then filled out its rank-choice ballot with (in descending order): Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Scott Stringer in a three-way tie for third. (The group also noted that it intended to rank state Sen. Jessica Ramos until she went and endorsed Andrew Cuomo — a decision StreetsPAC called "inexplicable," given Cuomo's record. Cuomo did not participate in the group’s endorsement process.)
All of the ranked candidates received warm words in the endorsement posting, written by the group's Executive Director Eric McClure, but Lander got the heaping portion, with praise for his support for: the Streets Master Plan; empowering the Department of Transportation "to implement projects without political interference," restoring year-round outdoor dining; and regulating delivery apps that exploit workers.
Accepting the endorsement outside the David Dinkins Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan, Lander called Cuomo a "liar" before summarizing his approach in one long conclusion:
"Under my administration, we'll have more protected bike lanes than ever before in a real citywide network. We'll implement the original Bus Rapid Transit plan — all 30 of those routes — connecting them between boroughs, making our buses faster. We'll utilize the streetscape dividend from congestion pricing for new busways and bikeways. We'll move toward the North Star of six-minute service on our subways and buses. We'll end street homelessness for people with serious mental illness so our subways are safer for everyone, and we'll protect the New Yorkers, who call this city home and who deserve every day to be safe on our streets."
To read the full endorsement, click here.
In other endorsement news
The group also issued advice to voters for some key down-ballot races:
For Comptroller, the group put Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine first and City Council Member Justin Brannan a distant second.
The knock on Brannan? "[He's] had some success in changing the stubborn car culture in southern Brooklyn [and] been an advocate for delivery cyclists, passing legislation aimed at improving working conditions, ... but on a host of policy issues, like support for congestion pricing, which Council Member Brannan only came to recently, we believe Borough President Levine holds superior positions."
The group didn't deign to even mention the third candidate: pugilistic state Sen. Kevin Parker.
On the race for the open Manhattan Borough President seat, the group ranks Council Member Keith Powers ahead of state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal — though that decision clearly came before Powers moved to reduce e-bike speeds to 15 miles per hour, which Families for Safe Streets President Amy Cohen called a "betrayal" of "Sammy's Law," which Hoylman-Sigal sponsored!
At the Council level, the group offers few surprises, mostly backing existing incumbent Democrats who have done a good job, the group said: Erik Bottcher in Hells Kitchen, Shaun Abreu in Harlem (though StreetsPAC said challenger Edafe Okporo is a strong second), Pierina Sanchez in Tremont, Shekar Krishnan in Jackson Heights, and Lincoln Restler, Crystal Hudson, Alexa Avilés, Shahana Hanif and Rita Joseph in Brooklyn.
But there were a couple of broadsides against incumbents:
- In the First District in Manhattan, whose incumbent Christopher Marte was the only Manhattan Council member to vote against the mayor's City of Yes rezoning plan to build more housing and reduce parking mandates, StreetsPAC strongly endorsed Jess Coleman, a member of the local community board.
- In neighboring District 2, StreetsPAC came out against the return to politics of former Rep. Anthony Weiner and urged voters to rank Sarah Batchu ("a regular straphanger and cyclist") first and give the second slot to Assembly Member Harvey Epstein ("a reliable ally" who should, nonetheless, stay in the Assembly, the group said). It's worth noting that Epstein is that rare Albany pol with name recognition, though it's mostly due to that hilarious John Mulaney sketch about him.
- In the 13th District in the East Bronx, newcomer David Diaz got the nod over incumbent Kristy Marmorato, a Republican opponent of street safety measures, housing and outdoor dining. "Diaz [said] that car-dependency has been normalized in the district because of the failure to invest in better alternative infrastructure. He's committed to fighting to bring Citi Bike to the district, and to defending the area's successful-by-all-metrics e-scooter pilot, which the incumbent Council Member opposes."
- In the 41st District in East New York, StreetsPAC endorsed Dante Arnwine, currently the district manager of Brooklyn Community Board 9, over incumbent Diane Mealy, a politician so ineffective that neighboring lawmaker Chi Ossé took to Twitter this week to attack her as a do-nothing pol.
"Outside of a few lunatic members of the Republican Caucus, Darlene Mealy is the worst member of the New York City Council," he posted. "She does not show up to work, whether City Hall or her district office. She misses nearly every important vote. Perhaps most importantly, she is an abject failure to her constituents. Mealy is so absent as a supposed public servant that not a day goes by in which her constituents don't come to my office, desperate for help because they are unable to reach their own representative. Literally hundreds of District 41 residents have called my office, emailed us, or come straight to our front door explaining that no one helps them at their own Council office — if anyone is even there at all."
On open seats, StreetsPAC endorsed:
- Erycka Montoya for District 21 in Corona.
- Ben Wetzler, a housing policy expert and former Democratic District Leader, ranked one, and Vanessa Aronson, a former U.S. diplomat and New York City public school teacher, ranked second in District 4 in Manhattan.
Confused about what district you're in? Use the Council's widget.
This story was updated to include live quotes from Lander.
