Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down this week?
In another world, the sometimes-vegan, smoothie-loving Mayor Eric Adams might have used a doctor’s order for a colonoscopy as a preemptive PSA about the importance of regular colon health checks. But in the funhouse-mirror world of City Hall, where information about the mayor is held with a vise grip, Adams and his press team opted instead for a series of obfuscating and convoluted disclosures that, under repeated questioning, eventually revealed that Adams went under sedation for a colonoscopy on Jan. 3. In the end, we’re left with little new information about Adams’ time MIA last week, more questions about information coming from the mayor’s office and that one Ramones song pounding in our heads.
Marc Molinaro -
When one door closes, a window opens, and former Rep. Marc Molinaro is jumping headfirst out that window to the Federal Transit Administration. He’s already got the backing of the nation’s largest transit union, as well as the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House. Molinaro is a noted congestion pricing opponent, and while the FTA was not the agency that granted New York the authority to start the tolling program, it still has sway over transit projects that could benefit New York.
Shelley Mayer & Karines Reyes -
Unfortunately, the arc of history does not always bend towards the side of justice. Sometimes, it bends backwards, and you get charged with crimes for providing people health care. That's what happened to Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a Poughkeepsie doctor who was indicted by a Louisiana state grand jury for allegedly prescribing abortion medicine to a woman in the state. Thankfully, Gov. Kathy Hochul has now signed legislation from Sen. Shelley Mayer and Assembly Member Karines Reyes to shield the identities of doctors like Carpenter.
Blake Gendebien -
He’s got a tough race ahead of him, but North Country farmer Blake Gendebien cleared the first hurdle for getting to Congress after Democratic leaders tapped him as their candidate to run in an expected special election in the 21st District. Republicans are still deciding on their own candidate to run and continue Rep. Elise Stefanik’s legacy after she is confirmed as U.N. ambassador. So Gendebien is going to have to draw on his background and really farm for those votes if he wants to win.
Richard Snyder & Louis P. Violanti -
Move over Jim Carrey, two upstate judges really are dumb and dumber. Richard Snyder, a Petersburgh town judge, resigned after getting out of jury duty in 2023 by saying he believes all defendants are guilty and then repeating the unconstitutional comments when later questioned by state investigators. Louis Violanti, an associate Lackawanna city judge, just resigned for the second time, due to a 2013 fake hearing he conducted. Violanti, who was somehow reappointed to the judgeship last year, has now been permanently banned from the bench.
David Carr -
With Republicans making up just one-tenth of the New York City Council, being Council minority leader is, admittedly, small potatoes (save for the bigger office and car it comes with). But just imagine winning the election for this position, only for the council parliamentarian to shoot it down on a technicality. Those small potatoes aren’t even YOUR small potatoes anymore. Well, Council Member David Carr did not have to imagine it this week. Oh, how far the not-so-mighty have fallen.
Tim Rudd -
Syracuse mayoral hopeful Tim Rudd is having a strange week. First, the former Democrat had to fight off accusations from local Republicans that he wasn’t actually a member of their party. To make things worse, he then compared one of his Black opponents to a “slave mother.” Republicans opted not to go with him as the nominee. At least you can’t say he’s a Republican in Name Only; according to local GOP leaders, he doesn’t even deserve that honor.