Michael Blake, Jumaane Williams Announce Intent to Run for Office of NYC Public Advocate

Over the past week NYS Assembly Member Michael Blake and NYC Council Member Jumaane Williams publicly  announced their intent to run for the office of NYC Public Advocate, in the event City's current Public Advocate and Democratic Nominee for NYS Attorney General Letitia "Tish" James wins the NY attorney general competition in the November 2018 general election. If James does in fact win, Mayor Bill de Blasio would be required to call a special election to fill the vacancy, which would likely take place in mid-February 2019. Other high profile individuals, mainly current and former elected officials, have also expressed interest in the position and it is expected to be a crowded field of candidates.

Next Week's City Council Hearings

Next week, the New York City Council will meet on Wednesday to introduce and consider legislation at a full stated meeting. The Council will also hold several key committee hearings throughout the week, including an oversight hearing to discuss the New York City Housing Authority's Development and Privatization in the Committee on Public Housing. The Committee on Health will meet to discuss several pieces of legislation pertaining to water tanks and drinking water in response to recent cases of Legionnaire's Disease contracted throughout the city. A full calendar of next week's council hearings can be found here.

Upcoming Beltway Briefing Podcast

On Wednesday, October 31st,  Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Blake Rutherford from Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies will host a Beltway Briefing podcast to discuss the latest developments on "The Road to the 2018 Midterm Elections." The Beltway Briefing is an ongoing series of discussions to update listeners on the ever-changing landscape in Washington, DC and to provide key analysis on important issues facing the nation. Please click here for more information on the Beltway Briefing, including a calendar of upcoming podcasts and instructions on how to participate.