Winners & Losers 9/25/15

Countless members of Congress called it "an honor." Cuomo called it a "tremendous honor." De Blasio said "it is an inspiring moment." Of course we are talking about making our weekly winners ... oh... sorry, that was about the Pope coming to New York. Anyway, here's this week's Winners & Losers. 

WINNERS

Ed Cox - So much for that “challenge.” State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox won unanimous reelection to a two-year term on Monday, fending off Onondaga County GOP Chairman Thomas Dadey, who threatened to put up a challenge. Although we alluded to Dadey putting up a “House of Cards”-style coup in last week's list, Cox ended up being more of the Francis Underwood in this situation by eliminating his enemies well before they actually posed any threat to him.

Paul Dyster – The Cataract City’s mayor hung on to his party’s line for the upcoming general election, but only by the skin of his teeth. Dyster, a Democrat who is running for a third term as the mayor of Niagara Falls, beat out Councilman Glenn Choolokian by 65 votes after absentee ballots were counted. The close race surely put a scare into him, given that Choolokian nearly pulled off the upset despite Dyster’s fundraising advantage and support from high-profile Democrats like Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Perhaps he’ll take his next opponent, Republican businessman John Accardo, a bit more seriously.

Ron Kim – Forget a policy agenda, we know what this assemblyman should campaign on next year. In case you missed it, the Queens Democrat made some headlines last weekend when he took down an attempted robber and held him until the police arrived. Talk about delivering for your constituents!

Sandra Lee -  The Food Network star and partner of Gov. Andrew Cuomo can finally breathe easy this week after finding out that doctors have determined her to be cancer free after having a double mastectomy earlier this year. Not only is this splendid news for Lee and her loved ones, but the field of cancer research got a boost as well, since she agreed to be an ambassador for the nonprofit Stand Up To Cancer. 

Michael Westerfield – Dart Container Corporation's director of recycling notched a victory when the single-use food container company was successful in dumping New York City’s plastic foam ban. The slog started two years ago when the company met with former City Councilman Robert Jackson, who joined the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus in lobbying to require the sanitation commissioner to study whether recycling foam could be cost effective. Dart Container and its counterparts also started the Restaurant Action Alliance to promote its position in Albany. But it turns out Albany wasn’t needed. A judge struck down the ban this week, contending the city could in fact recycle the plastic foam.

LOSERS

Maggie Brooks – Last place. According to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office, the Monroe County executive is at the helm of the state’s most fiscally stressed municipality. To be fair, the county counts itself amongst the many, as 44 local governments fall under the category in the annual report. Still, there’s no denying that even second to last would be so much better.

Carl Heastie and Marcos Crespo – The Bronx is up... up at the top of political gossip posts. Heastie, the head of the Bronx Democratic Party until recently, and his successor, Crespo, have been hammered in the press after Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson's announcement that he plans to ditch his post and pursue a judgeship days after winning the primary. Such a maneuver just so happens to pave the way for the Bronx Dems to handpick the next DA. And it comes after Johnson insisted he was serious about another term as district attorney.  

Alain Kaloyeros – The president and CEO of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute doesn’t often find himself on our losers list, seeing as how he’s the highest paid SUNY official and good buddies with the governor – which now may have come back to haunt him. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is reportedly investigating the research institute as part of a probe into Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” economic development plan. It’s never a good week if the public finds out you’ve caught Bharara’s attention. Just ask Shelly or Skelos – or the growing number of ex-lawmakers now behind bars or awaiting trial.

Raymond Ribeiro - Being a New York City Housing Authority VP probably doesn't seem like much fun. It's like holding a very, very hot potato and then having to endure withering criticism from all sides while your hands are burning up. Take Ribeiro, who is tasked with addressing billions of dollars' worth of repairs at NYCHA buildings while people from all sides take shots at him. This week, it came to light that the city Department of Investigation is probing Ribeiro's work, and he is suspended (with pay) while it happens. Whether or not he did anything wrong, when he tells the Daily News he is not talking to reporters at the advice of his attorney, it doesn't look good in the public's eye.  

Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand - For the would-be Senate Leader and potential presidential candidate (down the road), decreasing poll numbers is never good for future ambitions. Both Schumer and Gillibrand saw their approval numbers drop to 54 percent and 49 percent, respectively. Schumer’s numbers in particular were the worst he’s had in 15 years, and Gillibrand’s were the worst since 2012, and while this may be more the fault of Barack Obama’s presidency than anything the Senators have done, it doesn’t look to good for New York’s highest representatives in D.C.