Andrew Cuomo launched his mayoral campaign in a union headquarters. Zohran Mamdani marked his victory over Cuomo in another.
On Wednesday, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council’s headquarters was full of members of the union, as well as 32BJ SEIU and the New York State Nurses Association. Each of those trade groups had endorsed Cuomo’s bid for mayor, but quickly dropped the former governor after Mamdani’s primary win.
HTC President Richard Maroko explained that two key principles led the unions to coalesce around Mamdani: His emphasis on affordability, and their belief that he will be a strong ally in contract negotiations.
“He has made crystal clear that whenever there is a struggle, whenever there is a dispute between labor and management, he will be on our side,” he said. “He will always be on the side of working people before corporations and the billionaires that own it.”
Throughout the event, members joined in on call-and-response chants: “When we fight/we win” and “I say you union, you say power. Union/Power!” They held up signs, some reading “Zohran– A champion for working people,” “Hotel Workers for Zohran” and “Hold Bad Landlords Accountable.”
After the leaders of the three unions, as well as the chief of staff of the New York Central Labor Council AFL-CIO, Mamdani took the podium. He criticized the reconciliation bill being debated by Congress, calling it a “betrayal of working class Americans,” and criticized the Adams administration for working with Trump. He also mentioned the Rent Guidelines Board’s vote to increase rents on stabilized apartments by 3 percent this week.
“As I stand here alongside our ever expanding coalition, I am confident of not only winning a City Hall that puts working people first, but finally bringing an end to the chapter in our city led by our current mayor, who raised rents on those same New Yorkers, to price those same New Yorkers out of this city, and to do all of those things while collaborating with the Trump administration that is seeking to attack the very fabric of this city,” he said.
Hanging over the event was a question of whether other major unions — more specifically, the city’s construction unions — will also join team Mamdani. Cuomo held his campaign launch and his election watch party at the headquarters of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. The carpenters, along with the Mason Tenders’ District Council, the District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and the Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed Cuomo, but haven’t yet gone public with who they will back in the general election.
Cuomo hasn’t said whether he will actively campaign ahead of November. His presence on the ballot could siphon voters away from Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent.
What we’re thinking about: Are you going to Marc Holliday’s fundraiser for Adams? Send a note to kathryn@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: The Brooklyn Public Library has a free exhibit through Sept. 30 dedicated to Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson. The exhibit, “Tove Jansson and the Moomins: The Door Is Always Open,” traces the origins of Jansson’s beloved characters and also features some of her early work.
Elsewhere in New York…
— Thirty years after it was designated a superfund site, a former aviation facility on Long Island is ready for redevelopment, Gothamist reports. A solar farm and Long Island Rail Road rail yard are planned for the site, where Lawrence Aviation Industries once manufactured titanium sheet metal.
— At least a dozen people were injured when three buses crashed on one of the Port Authority Bus Terminal’s entrance ramps, CBS News reports. Most of those injured were treated for minor injuries, but one person with moderate injuries was transported to the hospital. The express land bus ramp was closed for several hours after the crash.
— Rep. Ritchie Torres says he will not challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary next year, City & State reports. “I feel like the assault that we’ve seen on the social safety net in the Bronx is so unprecedented,” Torres said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “It’s so overwhelming that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.” Torres previously indicated that he would not run for governor if Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor.
Closing
Residential: The top residential deal recorded Wednesday was $11 million for two penthouse units at 257 West 17th Street in Chelsea. The combined units have 5,040 square feet.
Commercial: The top commercial deal recorded was $143.9 million for the 399-room Hilton Garden Inn at 237 West 54th Street in Times Square North. The Real Deal reported on The Moinian Group’s auction in June.
New to the Market: The highest price for a residential property hitting the market was $5.9 million for a 1,830-square-foot townhouse at 226 East 79th Street on the Upper East Side. Klevis Metani and Ben Barel of Keller Williams have the listing.
— Matthew Elo
