Winners & Losers 5/13/16

Bartolo Colon hit a low in 2012 when he was suspended 50 games for having a banned substance in his system. But this week the Mets pitcher hit a high point with his first home run – at age 42, no less. Colon didn’t make our Winners & Losers list, but his achievement is a reminder that as bad as things may get, there’s always a chance for a comeback – in sports and politics.

WINNERS

Rob Astorino – Just a few weeks ago, the Westchester county executive looked like a long shot to have another chance at Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Rep. Chris Gibson, a fellow Republican, was getting all the attention. What’s more, Cuomo was looking as strong as ever. But with Gibson officially ruling out a run for governor, and Cuomo getting sidetracked by all those pesky prosecutors, Astorino could have a realistic opportunity come 2018.

Sheri Lederman – One year, Lederman got a 14 out of 20 on her teacher evaluation. The next year, the Great Neck teacher got a 1 out of 20. Both years her students had the same performance on their tests. How does that all add up? The state Department of Education couldn’t figure out the answer to that story problem either, and a judge tossed the results. That’ll teach the DOE a lesson!

Donna Lieberman – After years of trying to win collective bargaining rights for farmworkers, Lieberman and her allies appear to have a path forward. When they filed a lawsuit against the state, the two people with the most power to stand in the way – Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman – agreed with the lawsuit’s stance and said they would work with the NYCLU. While opponents still can challenge the legal action, it must be promising to see any movement after watching legislation die in the Republican-led Senate time and again.

Chris Jacobs – With Assemblyman Sean Ryan announcing he won’t run for the 60th Senate District, Jacobs is the only candidate in the race with strong name recognition and experience as an elected official. The scion of the Delaware North Companies fortune has an extensive fundraising network and plenty of his own money to spend on the race. While the GOP will still have a tough road to victory – Democrats have a 2-to-1 enrollment advantage in the district and are sure to spend heavily – having the popular Ryan out of the way surely makes things easier.

Eric Schneiderman – Schneiderman got Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove to turn over control an investigation into a fatal police shooting of an African-American man in Troy, affirming the power Cuomo gave him to investigate and prosecute deadly encounters between police and civilians. The AG also indicted Steve Croman (see below), and took new steps to combat the opioid epidemic, making for a solid week.

LOSERS

Steve Croman – Croman will have to scrounge for letters attesting to his good character if he ends up convicted in what Attorney General Eric Schneiderman describes as an attempt to take down the Bernie Madoff of landlords. The landlord, who has been dogged by allegations of harassing out rent-stabilized tenants for years, had landed at the top of politicians’ worst landlords lists. One business owner welcomed his arrest by offering free wine to anyone who said “Croman.” Others said they may mark the occasion with a block party.

Andrew Cuomo – Investigators are closing in on Cuomo’s friends, from Joe Percoco to Todd Howe, and the governor hasn’t exactly stood by all of them. One day Cuomo’s omitting Percoco, NYPA’s Gil Quiniones and former EDC spokesman Peter Cutler from a statement of support, even though all three were subpoenaed. The next he’s at a fundraiser for Howe, even as he asserts the two barely knew each other. On top of all that, the PSC and NYSERDA have been subpoenaed by federal investigators, too.

Todd Howe – Todd Howe is not a name most voters have heard of, but every Albany politico now knows it. The Cuomo ally has found himself at the center of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s investigation into the Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion. Not only is he facing potential federal charges, his firm quickly canned him. After the successful prosecutions of Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos, it’s a bad sign if Preet Bharara has your number.

Eva Moskowitz – Is “Success” still the best word to describe Moskowitz’s charter empire? Success Academy’s strict goals may be pushing some teachers to cheat, its political spending may have proven fiscally unwise, and executives are worried about the rapidly growing charter network’s direction, according to internal documents. On top of that, federal officials have signaled they’ll investigate allegations that the network discriminates against disabled kids.

Dean & Adam Skelos – Speaking of men abusing power… the dynamic duo finally got their due. Five years in prison and $500K for Dean who “ignored his moral compass” when he became Senate majority leader. Six and a half years and no fine for Adam, who “appeared to have no moral compass.” And the Skelos crime family continues to grow on Long Island: Dean’s nephew was charged with misdemeanor assault for throwing a Daily News reporter’s phone across the street for having the audacity to ask a question.