The embattled legislator had already lost his coveted housing committee and Brooklyn Democratic Party chairmanships this summer when news broke of allegations that he sexually harassed four female staff members.

To read the full article, please visit cityandstateny.com.

Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is now claiming he asked Assemblyman Vito Lopez to step down following accusations against him of sexual harassment in the workplace. These claims follow evidence in recent weeks Silver agreed to pay $100,000 to settle workplace harassment claims made against Lopez. Silver also stripped Lopez of his Assembly chairmanship, reports Gothamist. 

As criticism was leveled against Silver, he responded he had originally asked Lopez to resign, but the 71-year-old Lopez was not happy to hear it. Silver told the New York Times he no longer believed Lopez would be able to fulfill his duties, but seemed to avoid the subject of the allegations altogether.

“He won’t be a committee chair anymore,” Silver told the Times, “and his ability will be impaired significantly as a legislator.” Silver, reportedly, was not able to convince Lopez to step down.

Lopez also formerly paid $32,000 to the two staffers making accusations against him, reports Gothamist. Other female staffers have also come forward, many anonymously, to report inappropriate advances made by Lopez against them.

Gloria Steinem via Wiki Commons.

2013 Mayoral Race

Gloria Steinem is pressuring Christine Quinn on the paid sick leave bill.

Bill de Blasio took in heavy donations from the taxi industry, which he has supported.

And Quinn took in quite a bit from a developer that was exempted from the living wage bill.

Manhattan

Voting machines in the Espaillat/Rangel primary didn’t count hundreds of votes.

The WFP is backing Adriano Espaillat’s Senate bid – after first backing Rangel over Espaillat in their congressional race.

Brooklyn

An anti-Vito Lopez faction of the Satmar community held a victory party for Nydia Velazquez.

Andrew Goundardes has $155K on hand for his challenge to Marty Golden.

Staten Island

Michael Grimm was cleared of charges by the House Office of Congressional Ethics.

State Senate

Mark Grisanti is already spending big on his re-election bid.

Elsewhere

The NYC Board of Elections will change its flawed vote-counting procedure.

To read more from City & State click here.

City & State: Was the outcome surprising or did you think this was always an uphill battle?
Erik Dilan: I honestly have to say that I thought I would compete better in areas where I wasn’t known, like lower Manhattan and South Brooklyn. I knew those areas would be a challenge because I was less known, but I expected to make a better effort there. If we would have done things differently in the campaign maybe we would have had a better result but it still would have been an uphill battle.

CS: What are the positives from your campaign?
ED: It was basically a four-month campaign effort and we raised close to $300,000. For four months, it wasn’t easy to get known the way I would have liked to, I do feel like my name got out and I did get known. They chose to stick with the current officeholder. Those are the positives I take out. I don’t regret my decision to run. Anytime you can get any incumbent to go out and talk to their constituents when they normally otherwise wouldn’t have, that’s a win as well.

CS: Did Assemblyman Vito Lopez say anything to you about the race?
ED: I haven’t spoken with him much. I imagine well all sit down and share our analysis. The numbers clearly showed that areas where I was known we competed, and even won. North Brooklyn I won. But in areas I wasn’t known we didn’t compete. That was the difference in the margin being so lopsided.

CS: You don’t think Vito had a role in the outcome of this race?
ED: Several people made Vito the central figure. In areas I wasn’t known it may have, but I don’t think it was a factor at all. I don’t know how much of a negative impact it was. I can’t say specifically they didn’t go for me because I was supported by Vito Lopez. There could have been tons of reasons why they didn’t support me.

CS: Have you heard anything from Velazquez?
ED: No, I don’t have her phone number. We’ve never spoken. I don’t think that would change.

CS: What’s your next move?
ED: I ‘m going to give it two weeks, and then I’ll re-evaluate things. I’ll continue to serve as councilmember. On the political front, the next thing is to make sure my state senator [Martin Dilan] and assemblyman get elected, and I have a female district leader candidate, Paula Melendez, a first-time candidate.

CS: Won’t your father’s race be more competitive?
ED: Every time someone steps up and runs we take it seriously. I don’t know my father’s opponent. If he were standing in front of me, I wouldn’t know who he is. Half the district at this juncture feels that way.

CS: Will you run for congress again?
ED: I haven’t ruled it out. If it makes no sense to run, I’ll consider that, but if it makes sense to try things differently I haven’t closed my juncture to that.

To read the full interview at City & State click here.

Lopez-backed candidate, Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, falls short

by Alan Krawitz

The 2012 Democratic primary in the newly created 7th District. which includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Lower East Side, was billed by many to be one of the toughest challenges of Rep. Nydia Velázquez’s 10 terms in office.

But, that storyline fell short as Velázquez easily won re-nomination as the Democratic candidate by nearly a two-to-one margin over her most serious threat, City Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, who was backed by Brooklyn Democratic Chair and longtime political rival Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

The race, in which Velázquez captured roughly 58 percent of the vote to Dilan’s 31 percent, was plagued by very low voter turnout across the city and state. Total turnout was between 12 and 14 percent, which is possibly due to the unusual primary date of June 26. The primary is usually held in September, but a federal judge changed the date earlier this year to allow military voters to get their ballots in with enough time for the general elections in November.

Velázquez, who will now face off against conservative candidate James Murray in November, was pleased with the primary win.

“I’m honored the working families of New York have placed their confidence in me again,” said Velázquez in an emailed statement. “Together, we can continue our work to make housing more affordable, strengthen local small businesses and create jobs throughout our city.

Sean Sweeney, director of the SoHo Alliance and a member of Downtown Independent Democrats (DID), saw the win as a rejection of local party politics.

“The people’s choice vetoed Vito’s choice,” Sweeney said, referring to Lopez’s backing of Dilan.

Jeanne Wilcke, president of the DID, offered an even more pointed assessment of Lopez’ support for Dilan.

“A vigorous political advocate and organizer is one thing. A bully is another,” Wilcke said. “Vito Lopez has a PR problem. Perception is that he is the bully and it is pay-to-play politics in his circle.”

In response to his defeat, Dilan said in an emailed statement, “While it wasn’t a personal win, it was a victory for the communities of the 7th Congressional District, including my home of Bushwick. For the first time in decades, there were real discussions about the issues our communities face. It was enlightening to take part in a race with candidates from all walks of life with great ideas for how we as a community and country can move forward.”

With regard to his future plans, Dilan added, “As far as where I go from here, for now I am committed to completing my time in the City Council. However, I will continue serving my community and will always look to the best means by which to do so.”

Libertarian-leaning challenger economist Dan O’Connor, who placed third in the race with about 8.2 percent of the vote, lamented that the city’s political apparatus is inhospitable to outside candidates.

“The political machine in New York City is so tightly knit, making it impossible for a non-establishment candidate,” O’Connor said.

Moreover, O’Connor believes political cronyism is a persistent problem. “There are so many favors going on and backscratching that they collectively block off outsiders…I raised almost $75,000 and shook countless hands; the political machine in New York City, by its very nature, rejects non-establishment candidates for office,” he said.

While O’Connor said that he has no immediate plans to run for future office, he reiterated his call to reform the system.

“The political system is broken and needs to be fixed,” he said. “I will certainly be engaged in trying to influence the political system, in one way or another.”

George Martinez, Occupy Wall Street/hip-hop activist and proponent of the “Bum Rush the Vote” style of do-it-yourself campaigning said he was pleased with the outcome of the race, despite his last-place finish that garnered about 3 percent of the vote.

“It was a privilege and honor to be part of the democratic process,” Martinez said.

He also noted that getting almost 3 percent of the vote was “remarkable” given the small amount of funds they raised—just under $10,000—and the relatively short duration of the campaign, only about three months.

“We accomplished showing people that the Occupy model can work. The ‘Bum Rush’ campaign style of getting people into politics and money out will continue,” he said. “Our do-it-yourself style of democracy will continue.

“Our campaign was all about getting people involved in the political process. I think we did that and we will keep doing it going forward.”

Adriano Espaillat, phtoo courtesy of wiki commons.

Manhattan

As Rep. Charlie Rangel’s margin of victory narrows, he and Adriano Espaillat are going to court today.

A Dominic-American group is demanding the Department of Justice monitor the vote-counting process.

Marty Connor is leading Espaillat’s legal efforts.

Brooklyn

The degree to which the two Satmar sects played a role in Nydia Velaquez’s victory is in dispute.

The faction that opposes Vito Lopez claimed credit for Velazquez’s win.

Hakeem Jeffries was tapped for an important Democratic Party fundraising position.

Staten Island

Mark Murphy is touting an internal poll showing him down 15 points to Michael Grimm.

State Senate

David Carlucci’s Republican opponent won’t get the Conservative line because she supports gay marriage. (And she happens to herself be a married lesbian.)

Elsewhere

Harry Giannoulis of the Parkside Group and Hank Sheinkopf got into a bitter email exchange.

To read more from City & State click here.

She was barely soaking in her victory — having addressed the crowd at Williamsburg’s East River Bar shortly before 11 p.m. — and was piling her plate with meatballs, roast chicken, fried fish, pasta salad, rice and some kind of lasagna at a buffet set up in the bar’s backyard.

“We beat him in his own district! In his base! Cypress Hills!” she said. “The question was turnout and how well we would do in the Hasidic community. But I’m going to work and represent the entire community.”

Her campaign manager, Anthony Thomas, said the keys to victory were decisive wins in Brownstone Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, and keeping pace with Dilan in Hasidic Williamsburg, where Velazquez picked up about 40 percent of the vote.

Turnout had indeed been low throughout the district.

Poll watcher Dorothy Siegel said that voter turnout in Brooklyn Heights was the lowest she had ever seen. And voters were slow to get to the polls in parts of southside Williamsburg and Bushwick.

Councilwoman Diana Reyna, who herself enjoyed a raucous primary night three years ago after defeating a Vito Lopez-backed candidate, said that she believed the Brooklyn Democratic chairman had been counting on a low turnout to help Dilan, but that even he thought Nydia was going to win.

“Vito approached a volunteer at my polling site and said, ‘Of course she’s going to win, she had eight pieces of mail and three negative pieces in the final days of the campaign,’” said Reyna.

Just after midnight, City Comptroller John Liu stopped by to congratulate Nydia and pose for a half-dozen photographs.

“I’ve been on the campaign trail with a lot of people and it’s really hard to keep up with Nydia,” he said. “Congratulations to Nydia and congrats to all of us. This is Nydialand!”

To read more from City & State click here.

WINNERS

Andrew Cuomo — Smooth as ever, showing off the Albany nanotech center, helping influence President Obama’s change-of-heart on gay marriage, not taking credit for it, et cetera. The governor may have a peculiar habit of describing his actions as historic but this week he really deserved to spike the football, as Obama admitted New York’s vote on the marriage bill was part of his decision to come out in favor of it. The governor really made it look effortless this week, and as he nears the end of his second session as governor, he’s riding so high he’s out of the gubernatorial atmospheric level on a perma-path to presidential contender.

Adriano Espaillat – The state senator is still taking on a political icon, but a number of things are going his way in his effort to oust longtime Congressman Charlie Rangel from office: Freddy Ferrer’s endorsement provided a key boost from an influential Puerto Rican voice that could broaden the Dominican candidate’s appeal with other Latinos, a PAC signed on to support Espaillat’s campaign, and various key figures – the mayor, the governor, the president, other representatives in Congress – are not exactly tripping over each other to support the incumbent.

Vito Lopez – A battle for summer camp permits might seem like kid stuff, but when the antagonists are Zalman and Aaron Teitelbaum, the Cain and Abel of the Satmar Hasidic sect, the stakes are high. Both sides brought out their biggest guns, with Nydia Velazquez repping the Aaronites in the dispute and Vito Lopez going so far as to meet personally with Ulster County Executive Michael Hein to press the Zalmanites’ case. When Hein granted the permits to Zalman this week, he didn’t just roast Aaron’s marshmellows, he also firmed up Vito’s control over the commanding bloc of votes he controls in Williamsburg courtesy of his favorite camp counselor.

Bill Thompson –Two weeks ago, Bill Thompson was headlining a hot-tub party in Williamsburg, and now he’s number two among the Dems in a 2013 mayoral Quinnipiac poll, quit his job at Battery Park Authority to focus full time on Gracie Mansion, and shoring up support with Orthodox Jewish voters. We were wondering when Bill Thompson was really going to show up for the mayoral race, still many months away but being run in earnest by a wide field of serious candidates. Looks like the fellow we all remember from 2009 for his heated pursuit of Mayor Bloomberg is back.

Preet Bharara — In a week when Bharara was named as a rising star in the New York Times’ “Powers of New York” list, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District proved beyond of a shadow of a doubt why he deserves the honor. Last Friday, he got Hiram Monserrate to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and mail fraud and on Wednesday, he locked away former Brookdale University Hospital CEO David Rosen for three years, as part of the same investigation in which Bharara brought down Carl Kruger and lobbyist Richard Lipsky. Is there anyone in Albany who doesn’t fear this man?

LOSERS

Ed Cox— The New York State Republican Party chairman can’t find a Republican to run for mayor of New York City. It’s just as plain as that. In this week’s Q-poll, New Yorkers said they liked Mr. Kelly as Police Commissioner, not as mayor, and the only other semi-willing body is John Catsimatidis, the supermarket magnate who would really much rather Ray Kelly ran. It’s just slim pickings out there.

Douglas Durst – With its redesigned mast, not only does it appear that Durst’s Freedom Tower won’t reach the symbolic height of 1,776 feet, 1 World Trade Center will now likely end up as only the third tallest building in the U.S., trumped by, well, a Trump building and the Willis (formerly Sears) tower. Looks like NYC will have to keep bowing to Chicago as the country’s skyscraper capital for the foreseeable future.

Jim Alesi – Maybe he could have been re-elected if the only thing he had to explain to voters was his vote for same-sex marriage, a challenge that the other three Republican state senators to back the measure may yet overcome. But an ill-advised lawsuit, which he filed against his own constituents after injuring himself while trespassing on their property, was boneheaded enough to be basically unforgettable, and has sealed, for now, the end of his Senate career. He announced this week that he won’t be running for re-election.  

To read the full list of this week’s political Winners and Losers, and to vote for the ultimate Winner and Loser click here.

Steve Levin

In Brooklyn, peace between rival factions of the county Democratic party is hard to come by.

Levin alleges that Restler, a persistent critic of Brooklyn Democratic chairman Vito Lopez, agreed not to challenge Levin for his Council seat in 2013, if Levin and Lopez ended their attempts to challenge Restler in his race for re-election this year.

“This year’s district leader race, and the possibility of him running against me in next year’s City Council race, were subjects we discussed,” Levin said. “[Restler] said that either he has zero races, or he has two races.”

“We did not come out of it with any reconciliation,” Levin added.

“I was hopeful there might be an opportunity for the Councilman to establish his independence from Vito Lopez, but given his ongoing and aggressive intervention in my District Leader race – clearly that is not going to happen,” Restler said.

Rather than accept the deal, Levin is actively supporting Christopher Olechowski, who recently formed a campaign committee to raise money for a run against Restler.

Lincoln Restler

Restler asked Levin for a beer summit to talk about rumors that Levin was aggressively seeking out challengers to run against him for district leader – including North Brooklyn Development Corporation President Rich Mazur, Greenpoint Gazette Publisher Jeff Mann, Community Board 1 District Manager Gerry Esposito, former district leader Steve Cohn and his son Warren Cohn, all of whom declined. Levin was also mulling a shot at running against Restler himself, sources said.

To read the full article at City & State click here.