This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

It looks like the Westchester attorney has earned the distinction of being the first gay Black man to win election to the House of Representatives. While some were skeptical that he could prevail in a six-way race to succeed retiring Rep. Nita Lowey, Jones had no such doubts. Victory in his ongoing quest to transform the northern New York City ’burbs into bastions of progressive politics isn’t going to come easily in his freshman term – assuming a Republican doesn’t win the solid-blue district in November – but at least Jones can bask in this victory ... as another another gay Black man gets ready to join him in the winners circle. 

After primary night, Mitaynes was down more than 7 percentage points on longtime Assembly Member Félix Ortiz, and most counted her out. But democratic socialist voters must have learned their lesson after Tiffany Cabán’s narrow loss last year, because the DSA-backed Mitaynes dominated the mail-in vote. With Ortiz’s concession, Albany’s socialist contingent seems likely to grow by one more. 

Rep. Max Rose has his tie-less suits, AOC her jaunty designer blazers, but now, New York’s congressional delegation could get its first lab coat. Nancy Goroff was declared the Democratic nominee in New York’s 1st Congressional District this week, and if elected, she’ll be the first woman in Congress with a science Ph.D. But first, the chemistry professor will have to cook up a winning formula to take down incumbent Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.

It could be his age (77). It could be that his son (Ruben Diaz Jr.) and political protégé (Marcos Crespo) are saying sayonara. Or the New York City Council member could be leaving politics because of his humiliating defeat in a congressional primary that many observers truly expected him to win. But the cowboy-hatted preacher plans to serve out the remainder of his term on the council, so expect more offensive comments in the next 17 months. And that’s What You Should Know.

Four of Hizzoner’s top communications staffers have left or said they’d leave City Hall this week. This exodus follows hundreds of past and present staffers criticizing Bill de Blasio’s actions amid the mass protests against police brutality following the death of George Flyod. With just 17 months left in office and a reputation in the gutter, it’s hard to imagine the mayor will have much luck replacing his former flunkies.

The head of the construction labor company Trade Off was slammed with some heavy penalties this week. State AG Tish James announced a $1.5 million settlement with the company on behalf of 18 former employees – mostly women of color – who faced sexual assault, harassment and workplace retaliation there. On top of that, an outside monitor will be keeping an eye on the firm’s behavior for three years. Hopefully, Trade Off leadership learns that trading off on employee well-being isn't what the company's name ought to represent.