Be careful what you ask for!
“We did the damn thing!” declared New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn). “We shook up the world!”
He wanted to be lieutenant governor and ran a race tighter than expected against incumbent Kathy Hochul.
In a 733,591 to 641,631—53.3 percent to 46.7 percent—election night outcome, Williams, called a “rock star” by some in the media, is facing the political conundrum of “now what?” Some have already placed him in the middle of a multicandidate race for public advocate, because fellow Democrat/Working Families Party candidate, current Public Advocate Letitia James, beat out her competitors in the Democratic primary for attorney general (recently vacated by scandal-riddled Eric Schneiderman).
Public Advocate Williams? “Are you going to run for the job?” the Amsterdam News asked.
He replied, “That option was not in my mind. I had prepared to either win the election or lose the election. I didn’t prepare to win/lose, which is apparently what happened that night. I didn’t prepare for the numbers to look so great that this option would even be there.”
Other names mentioned include Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, City Council members Ydanis Rodriguez and Ritchie Torres, former City Council speakers Christine Quinn and Melissa Mark-Viverto and Minister Kirsten John Foy, the National Action Network’s Northeast regional director.
“We are in the midst of conversations,” Borough President Eric Adams told the Amsterdam News when asked if he was thinking about what might amount to a crowded field of eager candidates.
Foy said, “Haven’t made the decision just yet. But I will either run or set the agenda and vision for the office from the community.”
Should James win and become the attorney general Jan. 1, 2019, vacating her position of public advocate, what would amount to a battle of interesting New York personalities would require a special election. It would probablytake place in March 2019.
In this brand-new era of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez democratic socialist-style upheaval, anything is possible. Can the revolution indeed be televised?
Although the city sat up and took notice as Gov. Andrew Cuomo soundly defeated his challenger, actress Cynthia Nixon, other tremors were felt as six Independent Democratic Conference incumbents lost their shirts and seats to newcomers. Alessandra Biaggi, John Liu, Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, Robert Jackson and Rachel May stunned the incumbents: Queens Senators Jeffrey D. Klein, Tony Avella and Jose Peralta; Brooklyn Senator Jesse Hamilton; Manhattan Senator Marisol Alcántara; and Senator David Valesky in Syracuse.
Only two of the eight members kept their seats Thursday, Sept. 13, election night.
After he thanked the Amsterdam News for endorsing him, Williams said, “We took on the New York political machine while running on pure activist energy and small-dollar contributions. We saw 640,000 New Yorkers come to the polls and vote for our shared vision for bringing an advocate for the people into Albany. Progressive, activist energy is at an all-time high. We reshaped the political landscape in New York. We decimated the IDC, and our new true blue senators will bring real change to Albany. Andrew Cuomo has nowhere left to hide. Everyone is watching him.”
Born in the Brooklyn and of Grenadian descent, New York City Council Member Williams has represented Brooklyn’s 45th District (including East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park and Midwood) since 2010. A founding member of the Progressive Caucus, he is also deputy leader in the City Council, chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings and co-chair of the Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, and he is a member of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus.
“We shattered turnout records and expectations and we won New York City by more than all mayoral candidates combined in the 2013 elections,” Williams said just after his almost lieutenant governor win.
“We also received more votes than any person of more color ever in a statewide primary. And we very nearly won!”
Although he won downstate, Williams did not fare so well in the upstate regions. His results showed the great divide between the two areas.
“The results were amazing, kind of awe-inspiring,” Williams told the Amsterdam News Tuesday, in his first media interview. “We got the boroughs we wanted to get. We won New York City. It was impressive. We were looking heavily at Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.”
He did not carry Queens.
“We went against the Cuomo machine,” he said. “We went up against every county. We went up against almost every elected official. I am proud of what we accomplished.”
Will he still continue to run for lieutenant governor on the Working Families Party line?
“Those conversations are still happening, [compounded with] making sure that the Working Family Party still very much exists,” he said. “It is critically important. So, I think it is important that they are there as a check. And we have to make sure that we don’t assist in helping the Republicans.”
Reflecting on his own record, Williams said, “My career goal was to cause as much good trouble as possible, and make transformational change. I think in the past decade we’ve got some good things done. I am proud of that. We’ve had some leading voices in some critical times.”
Although some question Williams’ record, saying he has “flip-flopped” on some major issues, successes he claims include tackling police brutality and supporting the Cure Violence initiatives.
“I am most proud of what we have done with gun violence and the whole discussion that is changing the framework of what public safety is, and getting the funding to some of the community groups on the ground and looking at it as a whole public health approach, and cure violence as the model,” he said. “Of course what we did with policing is good for me as well, and my voice in the affordable housing crisis. And also the summer youth program.”
Asked if he really thinks that police and community relations have improved that much at all, he said, “I believe that there have been some dramatic changes from the last administration to this one. At the same two buckets which need significant attention and have not changed—and have some gone backward—are accountability and transparency. So that is my hope that it is time to get as much transformational change in those two buckets, as we have in other areas.”
“I think the numbers that Jumaane got—over a half a million votes—show that there is a new voting public that consists of up and coming activists, the boots-on-the-ground types, who represent people who are going to speak not as politicians, but as members of their community,” said Cure Violence activist Andre T. Mitchell, founder and executive director of Man Up! Inc. “Jumaane knew he had an uphill battle going against an incumbent. However, he stayed the course this time, and I am extremely proud of him. The results show that people are looking out for him. The majority of the votes came from the New York City. He knew that Queens and Bronx would be tough. He was going against the governor, and that’s why Cuomo tried to become the ‘Puerto Rican Governor,’ as he lobbied for the Bronx vote.”
Mitchell concluded, “Jumaane should build on his momentum and continue to attract young voters to the polls, and consider his options and not leave anything out.”
Speaking of his part in this apparently new wave of mainstream upstart activism on an elected political level, Williams said, “I am proud to be a part of that, to inspire people to be involved, to have faith in some candidates again.”
Although Williams said his raison d’etre is to “empower people,” he noted that he is “really humbled by all this urging” of him to run.
So, again. Public advocate run or no?
“I am humbled by everybody speaking about it, but I haven’t really gone through the machinations of thinking about it,” he said. “Everyone is talking about the votes that we got in the city, which I am excited about. But, you don’t automatically assume that they are transferable in another election. Is it something I want to do? I have to think about it.”