Off Topic/On Politics

Zohran Mamdani is now the Democratic nominee for mayor, riding a wave of post-primary momentum that includes major endorsements from the teachers union and key political figures. Will the rest of the party — and the city — fall in line? NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry unpack the evolving dynamics of the Mamdani campaign, including recent...

Continuing his stunning political rise, Zohran Mamdani officially won the Democratic primary for mayor on Tuesday. After the Board of Elections conducted its ranked-choice voting tabulations, Mamdani ended up with 56 percent of the vote — compared to Andrew Cuomo's 44 percent. Now, it's on to November. NY1's investigative reporter Courtney Gross, and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry,...

Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is poised to win the Democratic mayoral primary — easily outperforming Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander and eight other candidates . NY1's investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and political director Bob Hardt break down the results of primary day and discuss what this may mean for the November general election when incumbent Eric Adams is...

Political history was made in New York City on June 24, and once NY1's live TV coverage wrapped early Wednesday morning, NY1's Errol Louis, Courtney Gross and Bobby Cuza broke down the surprise results of the Democratic primary in this special crossover episode of Off Topic/On Politics and You Decide. Queens Assemblyman and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, 33, pulled off an upset over former G...

A new Marist University poll shows former Gov. Andrew Cuomo holding his lead in the Democratic primary for mayor, but the race is tightening. Could Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani have enough time to close the gap? Meanwhile, the shocking arrest of mayoral hopeful and City Comptroller Brad Lander at an immigration court made headlines this week. Will the high-profile incident give his campaign a...

With early voting about to begin and the Democratic mayoral primary heating up, NY1 hosted the final debate in the race and it didn't disappoint. The heated debate, moderated by NY1's Errol Louis, Katie Honan of THE CITY and WNYC's Brian Lehrer saw seven candidates take the stage, but the spotlight was on former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who are currently polling first and...

Mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos, once a critic of Andrew Cuomo, has endorsed his candidacy, emphasizing experience over 'performative politics.' The announcement was held at a union rally, stirring the political landscape. In this special bonus episode of "Off Topic/On Politics," NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry, dive into Ramos' previou...

Nine candidates for mayor faced off in a two-hour debate on WNBC, co-sponsored by Telemundo and Politco this week. The debate marked the first time Andrew Cuomo was on the stage with his fellow candidates. The mayoral frontrunner withstood the bulk of attacks from his rivals. On the heels of the debate came Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's endorsements for the mayoral race. NY1 investigative reporter Co...

For the last several months, "Off Topic/On Politics" has been discussing the top Democratic candidates for mayor, looking at their policies, platforms and political challenges. This week, their focus is on Andrew Cuomo. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry examine the legacy, controversies and promises of Cuomo's candidacy, just as a new poll in...

Andrew Cuomo is under criminal investigation. The Justice Department is examining whether the former governor - and current mayoral frontrunner - made false statements to Congress regarding the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and statehouse reporter Bernadette Hogan break down whether this development propels or ha...

This week, a federal judge ordered the city to hand over the operations of its troubled jails on Rikers Island to an outside manager. Lawyers for detainees on Rikers Island have argued in court that the practices, violence and mismanagement in city jails violate the constitutional rights of the people awaiting trial there. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, and political reporters Bobby Cu...

With the June primary about seven weeks away, the campaign trail in the race for mayor is heating up with new ads and policy proposals. Andrew Cuomo released his mental health plan and announced plans to run on a third-party ballot line this November, while Zohran Mamdani rallied with hundreds of supporters in Brooklyn and Brad Lander released his first campaign ad of the cycle. NY1 investigative...

Gov. Kathy Hochul this week announced there's finally a deal on a state budget — albeit a month late. The $254 billion plan includes much more than fiscal policy, also encompassing everything from criminal justice reforms to a school cellphone ban. Meanwhile, the ballot has been set in the June Democratic mayoral primary race with Zohran Mamdani getting top placement. But does the location of a ca...

The mayor's race got a jolt this week when three unions and the New York State Attorney General backed Adrienne Adams for mayor. Unions for municipal and hospitality workers endorsed the City Council Speaker, whose campaign had failed to gain momentum so far. The endorsements come as Andrew Cuomo has continued to lay low, perhaps resting on his lead in the polls. NY1 investigative reporter Courtne...

This week, mayoral candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had some highs — and some lows. He was once again confirmed to be a frontrunner in a new Siena College poll, but he was also denied millions of dollars in public matching funds because of a so-called technical glitch. Meanwhile, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is the first mayoral candidate to max out on public matching funds. Mamdani, al...

This week,  Mayor Eric Adams appeared before the New York City press corps wearing a casual t-shirt bearing the phrase, "In God We Trust." Adams said the outfit was about bringing attention to the faith he relied on during his federal investigation and indictment — which was dropped earlier this month. Adams is now looking to win a second term in office running as an independent candidate. NY1 inv...

Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday he's skipping the June Democratic primary and instead running for reelection as an independent candidate. In a campaign video, Adams said his legal troubles had prevented him from mounting a legitimate Democratic primary campaign. The announcement comes a day after a Manhattan judge dismissed the federal corruption case against the mayor. NY1 investigative repor...

A new poll this week shows that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to be the frontrunner in this year's crowded Democratic mayoral primary. Since announcing his candidacy, Cuomo has remained at the top of the pack while continuing to deploy a rose garden strategy. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has finally begun to confront this tough political reality by taking on the former governor in his most poin...

As the June primary in the mayor's race gets closer, there was a pivotal campaign finance deadline for the candidates this week. Andrew Cuomo, not surprisingly, pulled in $1.5 million in less than two weeks. But filings showed that Mayor Eric Adams only raisied about $19,000 in the last two months. Meanwhile, Adams is flirting with the idea of running on an independent line in the general election...

Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead protests at Columbia University last year, was detained by immigration authorities Saturday and is now in an immigration jail in Louisiana. The arrest of Khalil, along with the Trump administration's plans to deport the 30-year-old graduate student, has sparked outrage from many high-ranking New York officials, with the notable exception of Mayor Eric Adams. NY1 pol...

Andrew Cuomo finally made it official: he's running for mayor. The former governor jumped into the race and instantly became the frontrunner. A Quinnipiac poll found him with a double-digit lead over his closest rival – incumbent Eric Adams. Another new entrant, however, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, could shake things up a bit. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby...

While Mayor Adams says he's running for reelection, his already-crowded field of rivals may be getting bigger — with both former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and political director Bob Hardt weigh in on the mayor's reelection chances, while also discussing the political strengths and weaknesses o...

After meeting with top Democrats this week about the future of Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to set up new restrictions on Adams but emphasized that it was "not a power grab." NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, statehouse reporter Bernadette Hogan and political reporter Dan Rivoli break down Hochul's proposals, which include giving City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams,...

This week, Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York to drop the  corruption  charges against Mayor Eric Adams .  But she refused and stepped down. Elected leaders across New York have cast doubt on whether Adams can govern impartially now, saying the charges could resurface at any point, which could compel him to cooperate with Trump...

It was another week of palace intrigue for the mayor. A day after testifying in Albany about the city's needs, the mayor revealed to the press corps that he underwent anesthesia for a colonoscopy last month. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Kelly Mena weigh in on Adams' mystery illness and his trip to the capital. After that, the Trump administratio...