They’re both young Republicans from the outer boroughs. One is half Cubana and the other is Dominicano. Both are running for citywide office. But one is a GOP loyalist who didn’t vote for the Donald, while the other voted for Trump and is reluctant to criticize the offender in chief.
The divide between Nicole Malliotakis and J.C. Polanco is at an “irreparable level,” according to a bochinchero, who noted that they didn’t march together in the recent Dominican Day Parade. “They avoided each other. Nicole didn’t want to be photographed with him,” said the bochinchero, who spoke to both of them on the day of the celebration in Manhattan. Further inquiries found that the Republican public advocate wannabe, who also has the Reform Party line for the November general election, “doesn’t trust Nicole.” Word among some insiders is that Nicole is getting GOP donations in large part because she’s not dumping on Trump like J.C. is doing. “What really pissed off Polanco was that Nicole stole his plan for health care and presented it as her own this past week,” said the bochinchero, referring to the plan Malliotakis dubbed the “Treatment B4 Crisis” solution to the current flawed de Blasio mental health policy. In the meantime, the rift between both will likely widen and we’re hearing J.C. may wind up campaigning against Nicole in the general election. ¡Que bochinche!
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Blaming MMV
The absence of a female candidate in the all-hombres race for the next speaker of the New York City Council has tongues beginning to let loose. “Melissa didn’t do anything to develop or encourage one of us to have a shot at being the next speaker,” said one City Council insider bochinchera. We reminded the bochinchera that New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland was long spoken of as the one favored by Mayor Bill de Blasio for the post. “Not talking about Bill. We’re holding Melissa responsible," argued the frustrated insider who is also upset about the likely diminishing number of mujeres in next year’s council. Asked if there would be a critique of Mark-Viverito on the record: “What good would that do? She’s already irrelevant.” Ouch!
Trump undoing Republican downstate strategy
Young Republicans in New York, including some of the ones that have been moderates for a long time, are beginning to sense the unraveling of their hopes for increasing the vote tally in this year’s New York City mayoral election. The original strategy was focused on voter registration efforts in the five boroughs coupled with leveraging the fairly good vote tally racked up by Rob Astorino in 2014 gubernatorial race against Andrew Cuomo. “Trump has messed it up for us,” said a frustrated bochinchero. There’s that … and also the fact that it doesn’t appear that the GOP mayoral candidate is gaining any traction for the general election.