By Gideon Resnick 6/17 5:37pm

Predictions

Michael Mulgrew. (Photo: Amanda Cohen)

Mayor Bloomberg Says UFT’s Endorsement Is a ‘Kiss of Death’

The battle between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the powerful teachers’ union entered a ghoulish new phase on Monday, as the mayor equated the union’s coveted endorsement to the “kiss of death,” and the union slammed a nod from Mr. Bloomberg as worse than a zombie attack.

The Democratic candidates for mayor have been courting the United Federation of Teachers and the union’s president, Michael Mulgrew, for months, but Mr. Bloomberg said this afternoon he thinks they’re making a grave electoral mistake.

“It’s almost a kiss of death,” the mayor said of the union’s coveted endorsement, which Mr. Mulgrew believes will be decisive in the race. “I don’t know what goes through voters’ minds, but maybe they understand if the UFT wants it, it ain’t good and you don’t want that person.” Read More

By Jill Colvin 6/17 11:36am

Labor Day

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Christine Quinn Snags Teamsters Unions’ Endorsement

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has snagged the endorsement of the 120,000-member strong Teamsters Joint Council 16.

“We are proud to support Christine Quinn for mayor, an unmatched advocate of working families in New York,” George Miranda, president of Joint Council 16, which represents 29 local union chapters, said in a statement. “Christine Quinn has laid out an ideas-driven agenda, backed up by a real record of delivering, and her plans for New York are rooted in her middle class background and a vision for New York where working families can continue to live and work here.” Read More

By Jill Colvin 6/13 4:02pm

Fightin' Irish

Mayor Bloomberg, Christine Quinn and the Lord Mayor of Belfast. (Photo: nycmayorsoffice)

Belfast’s Lord Mayor Máirtin Ó Muilleoir Endorses Christine Quinn

Northern Ireland’s Lord Mayor of Belfast offered an enthusiastic endorsement of a certain Irish-American mayoral candidate Thursday morning during a visit to Gracie Mansion.

“We think that every city needs an Irish mayor. And New York has had a series of wonderful mayors and we think it would be wonderful in the days ahead, in the short time ahead, if New York had an Irish-American mayor again,” Lord Mayor Máirtin Ó Muilleoir told Politicker this morning, as he posed for photographs with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn by his side. Read More

By Jill Colvin 6/06 4:48pm

awkward

Councilman Stephen Levin. (Photo: Facebook)

Vito Lopez Protegé Gets Prickly Reception at Anti-Lopez Club

Vito Lopez protegé and City Councilman Stephen Levin walked into the lion’s den last night, facing the virulently anti-Lopez New Kings Democratic club for the first time.

Mr. Levin, Mr. Lopez’s former chief of staff, was invited to a club candidate forum in a Williamsburg basement decorated with musical instruments, old video games and a pile of stuffed Care Bears, where members sipped beers and passed around pizza slices as candidates spoke. Members described the appearance as “an historic event for a very small group of people.” Read More

By Jill Colvin 6/04 7:58pm

Schoolhouse Rock

Michael Mulgrew. (Illustration: Steve Brodner)

Class Warfare: Teachers’ Union Boss Michael Mulgrew Claims He Can Crown the Next Mayor

It was just after Hurricane Sandy struck the city when the president of the New York City teachers’ union started getting calls from the prospective mayoral candidates. His home had been destroyed by floodwaters, and an estimated 10,000 of his members lived in evacuation zones, many trapped without power or transportation.

City Council Speaker Christine Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/28 2:10pm

robo-calls

Ruben Diaz Jr. is endorsing Robert Jackson for Manhattan borough president. (Photo: Flickr/Ruben Diaz, Jr.)

Ruben Diaz, Jr. to Robo-Call for Robert Jackson

Likely Manhattan voters will begin receiving rob0-calls today from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., announcing his endorsement of Councilman Robert Jackson in the Manhattan borough presidents race.

Mr. Jackson is facing a trio of well-known challengers in his race to replace Scott Stringer: former Lower Manhattan Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin, Upper West Side Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Upper East Side Councilwoman Jessica Lappin. As the only African-American candidate, Mr. Jackson is focusing on solidifying black and Latino support in Upper Manhattan, which he’s represented in the Council for more than a decade. Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/26 4:57pm

Imperfect Messenger

Anthony Weiner at Memorial Day ceremony in Co-Op City. (Photo: Jill Colvin)

Anthony Weiner Hits Mayor Bloomberg on Teacher Contracts

Anthony Weiner took one of his strongest shots yet against Mayor Michael Bloomberg Sunday afternoon, criticizing the mayor’s attitude dealing with teachers and the teachers’ union.

“Would any business treat its employees—meaning teachers—as badly as their boss is treating them?” the ex-congressman said following a Memorial Day service in Co-op City in the Bronx. Read More

By Jill Colvin and Colin Campbell 5/21 3:56pm

alarms

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony. (Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Helen Marshall Didn’t Know John Liu Was Running for Mayor

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall holds one of the most prominent elected offices in Queens. But the 83-year-old lawmaker was apparently unaware until yesterday that John Liu was running for mayor.

During the Queens Democratic Party’s endorsement event Monday, a reporter for a Chinese-language newspaper asked Ms. Marshall if she was disappointed the county hadn’t backed Mr. Liu, who lives in the borough and used to represent it on the City Council. (They backed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn instead.) Read More

By Jill Colvin 5/21 10:42am

Uptown guys

The Barack Obama Democrat Club of Upper Manhattan. (Photo: www.obamadems.org)

Upper Manhattan’s Barack Obama Democratic Club Endorses Bill de Blasio

Upper Manhattan’s Barack Obama Democratic Club voted last night on its endorsements, and the list might surprise you. The home club of City Councilman Robert Jackson and City Council candidate Mark Levine, a long-time ally of State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, gave its nods to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio for mayor and City Councilwoman Letitia James for public advocate.

It also voted to endorse Mr. Jackson for Manhattan borough president and–unsurprisingly–Mr. Levine for the 7th District council seat, currently held by the term-limited Mr. Jackson. Read More