Max Politics

Strategist Matt Wing joined host Ben Max to analyze Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first six months in office, which included staffing up his administration, his first state and city budget cycles, attempting to follow through on major campaign promises, dealing with unexpected challenges and key relationships, celebrating a Knicks championship, and getting involved in a series of Democratic primary races...

New York State Assembly Member Jordan Wright, a Democrat representing Manhattan's 70th Assembly District, based in Harlem, joined the show to discuss his win over a DSA-backed challenger, shifting Uptown and Democratic politics, the results in the overlapping 13th Congressional District (where Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat), and more. (Ep 601)

Arpit Gupta, a member of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) and an associate professor of finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, joined the show to discuss his lone dissenting vote as the RGB approved a rent freeze for rent-stabilized tenants, fulfilling a key campaign promise made in 2025 by Mayor Mamdani. Gupta also discussed a variety of aspects of the city's rent-stabilized hous...

State Senator Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat and democratic socialist, joined the show to discuss the growth of NYC DSA, how democratic socialists work outside and within the Democratic Party, the NY-7 congressional race where she had allies on both sides of the primary, and more. (Ep 599)

Brad Lander joined the show to discuss his win in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District (Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn), where he defeated Rep. Dan Goldman, Democratic Party unity, political trends in New York and nationally, and some of the substantive issues he wants to focus on in Congress. (Ep 598)

Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Party, joined the show to discuss the results of the 2026 state and congressional primaries, preview the general election, assess Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani, and examine Democratic Party division, unity, and policy. (Ep 597)

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the show to discuss the results of the 2026 federal and state primary elections in New York City, the continued rise of Zohran Mamdani and the DSA, the future of the Democratic Party, and more. (Ep 596)

Three journalists from City & State New York joined the show to discuss New York state legislative primaries to watch in the June 2026 elections. Jeff Coltin, Rebecca Lewis, and Holly Pretsky spoke with host Ben Max about a variety of interesting and competitive Democratic primaries for the State Senate and Assembly, broader themes of these primary elections like Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, and...

The co-chairs of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC DSA), Grace Mausser and Gustavio Gordillo, joined the show to discuss the 2026 primary elections, NYC DSA's priority races and electoral strategy, Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, and more. (Ep 594)

Raj Goyle, a candidate in the June 2026 Democratic primary for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign platform, why he believes Comptroller Tom DiNapoli should be replaced as the state's chief fiscal officer, his views on a variety of policy and budget matters, and more. (Ep 593)

Michael Lange - a writer, strategist, and organizer - returned to the show to discuss the major New York City-based congressional primaries to watch in the June 2026 elections, just ahead of the start of early voting (June 13-21) and primary day (June 23). Lange, who writes The Narrative Wars on substack, and host Ben Max discussed Mayor Mamdani's endorsements, DSA's growing electoral efforts, and...

Host Ben Max is joined by FAQ NYC podcast co-hosts Harry Siegel and Christina Greer to break down the Knicks' historic comeback win in game 4 of the NBA Finals and 3-1 series lead, putting the team and city one win away from the Knicks' first championship since 1973. (Ep 591)

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joined the show to discuss his case for reelection, first to be the Democratic nominee via the primary that is taking place in June 2026, where he is facing challenges from Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle. DiNapoli, who has been Comptroller since 2007, is seeking another four-year term as the state's chief fiscal officer, and discussed his record in office, respo...

Drew Warshaw, a candidate in the June 2026 Democratic primary for New York State Comptroller, joined the show to discuss his campaign platform, why he believes Comptroller Tom DiNapoli should be replaced as the state's chief fiscal officer, his views on a variety of policy and budget matters, and more. (Ep 589)

Chris Herring and Jonathan Fishner joined the show to discuss the Knicks and their run to the 2026 NBA Finals, New York as a basketball city, echoes of the '90s Knicks in this team, this Knicks-Spurs finals matchup, and more. Herring is an NBA reporter and author of the book "Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks," and Fishner is a former Knicks writer and lifelong...

Housing experts Annemarie Gray and Alex Armlovich joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's new "Block by Block" housing plan to create and preserve 400,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade, while addressing broader development, tenant protection, homelessness, NYCHA public housing, and more. Gray is executive director of Open New York, a former city government housing and...

This special episode features audio from the Abundance Candidate Forum in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional District, held at New York Law School on the morning of May 19, 2026. The forum was moderated by host Ben Max, and features consecutive one-on-one interviews with challenger Brad Lander (former city comptroller), then Rep. Dan Goldman. The forum was co-sponsored by Abu...

State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assembly Member Keith Powers, two Manhattan Democrats and former City Council Members, joined the show to discuss their transition into the State Legislature (they were both elected in February special elections), their first state budget negotiations as legislators, how Mayor Mamdani is doing, and more. Bottcher represents the West Side's 47th Senate District while...

Journalists Nick Garber and Annie McDonough joined the show to discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani's $124.7 billion Executive Budget, released on May 12, 2026, that took a very different approach than his prior budget plan, in part thanks to a lot of help from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature. Garber (of New York Focus), McDonough (of City & State New York), and host Ben Max discussed how Mamdan...

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democrat and democratic socialist running for Congress in New York's 13th Congressional District, joined the show to discuss her primary campaign against Congressman Adriano Espaillat. The district includes much of Upper Manhattan (East Harlem, Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, etc) and a section of Bronx (Fordham, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, etc) and the primary is i...

David Freedlander, a features writer for New York magazine, joined the show to discuss the Democratic primary in New York's 12th Congressional District, which encompasses much of Manhattan's East and West Sides and is currently represented by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. The race, which Freedlander just dissected in-depth in New York, features four leading candidates: Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, Jack...

State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, returned to the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations and key issues on the table like aid to New York City, tax rates, and a variety of policy matters that Governor Hochul and the Legislature are negotiating. The state budget, expected to be a massive $260 billion spending and policy package, is a month late, but ne...

Jeff Coltin, Editor-in-Chief of City and State New York, joined the show to discuss Mayor Mamdani's endorsements in several 2026 races, key congressional and state races to watch in this year's elections, and more. (Ep 581)

This special edition of the show is a candidate forum in the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, which includes much of Manhattan’s west and east sides. The forum, moderated by host Ben Max, included 7 candidates running in the June primary and trying to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, including: Micah Bergdale, George Conway, Chris Diep, Laura Dunn, Jack Schlossberg...

State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat and chair of the Senate's New York City Education Committee, joined the show to discuss the status of state budget negotiations, major policy items the Governor and Legislature are navigating, state aid to New York City, and several education issues, including potential adjustment of school funding formulas, an extension of mayoral control of city schools,...