Live updates from Somos 2024

Before the election, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards quipped that this year’s Somos conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico “is either going to be a funeral or a party.” The results are in folks. For New York’s Democratic establishment, en route to San Juan now in their linen suits, it’s going to be a mournful affair. Some are opting to skip it altogether, including state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, who told reporters on election night, “I got my plane ticket, but I just don't think it's the right thing for me to do right now.”

How to describe the typical energy at Somos? Before the election, mayoral candidate Scott Stringer said the atmosphere at the conference has “a healthy craziness.” But everyone we talked to seemed to agree the conference would be particularly wild this year. A pivotal presidential election with six New York swing seats in the balance, a mayor facing federal charges, multiple mayoral challengers circling, several 2025 City Council seats up for grabs. Last year, news broke that the FBI had confiscated Mayor Eric Adams’ phones while everyone was at Somos – sending all of the two thousand politicos who had gathered in San Juan into a frenzy. In the intervening year, we’ve seen that truly anything can happen in New York politics, and it feels like things often really do start in the lobby of the El Caribe Hilton in San Juan. City & State will be bringing live updates to everyone experiencing Somos FOMO – though that emotion now seems unlikely.

Wednesday 

11:30 a.m. – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and several of his top officials attempted to project calm and stability in wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, promising to fight for the rights of New Yorkers and to work with the incoming administration. “We know New Yorkers that woke up this morning with very strong feelings about the election,” First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, adding that the city has been preparing for the various potential outcomes.

Adams congratulated Trump on the win (and said he plans to do so personally), adding that City Hall will “work with the incoming administration for the good of all New Yorkers” – including on the migrant crisis. The mayor has been critical of the Biden administration’s approach, particularly as he pushed for the federal government to fast track work authorizations for asylum-seekers. Adams said his administration “will work with the new administration in Congress to develop a realistic and compassionate national strategy for our immigration system,” and on work authorizations specifically. But to Adams, that’s just business as usual.

“The elections are over, and it’s about governing now, and it’s about not taking this posture of, ‘We’re not going to communicate with Washington, D.C.’ –  just the opposite,” the mayor said. “We’re going to communicate with Washington, D.C., just as we attempted to communicate with the previous administration on our 10 trips to Washington to talk about the impact of migrants and asylum seekers … I’ve been very consistent on these working people issues that impact our cities, and I’m going to continue to do that. It’s not going to change.” 

Manuel Castro, commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, cautioned against adding to people’s anxiety, but declined to provide specifics on what the Adams administration will do to protect immigrant New Yorkers from mass deportations promised by Trump. “We want to take a step back and wait to see what will come in the next couple of months,” he said. – Sahalie Donaldson and Sophie Krichevsky

10:30 a.m. – Despite Donald Trump winning Nassau County, Democratic Assembly Member Michaelle Solages still felt there was reason for celebration on the island. She pointed to the victories of Laura Gillen – who flipped NY-4 – and Rep. Tom Suozzi, who held onto his seat. She wasn’t entirely surprised by the presidential outcome. “Ronald Reagan once said, ‘If a Republican died and went to heaven, it would look like Nassau County,” Solages said. She’s looking forward to having conversations at Somos about how to win back Latino voters who are flipped Republican, and planning how to deal with a second Trump administration. “I’m not depressed – we survived four years of Trump and I think that as New York, we’ll survive another four years of his administration,” Solages said. “I’m not one to encourage any sort of libations, but if people want to meet me by the beach and strategize, I'm open to that.” – Rebecca C. Lewis

10 a.m. – Neither Gov. Kathy Hochul nor Mayor Eric Adams are en route to San Juan yet – both are holding separate press conferences in Manhattan today responding to the election results. Adams’ briefing is at 11 a.m. while Hochul, who will be joined by Attorney General Letitia James, will speak to reporters at 1 p.m. – Annie McDonough

9 a.m. Rep. Ritchie Torres, spotted in line for his flight at JFK, said he’s “as depressed about the results as I can be” and he’s “shocked but not surprised.” He noted Trump’s inroads in his Bronx district. – Holly Pretsky

8:30 a.m. Before the election, mayoral candidates state Sens. Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and former Comptroller Scott Stringer were all planning to come to Somos. And New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he’d try to make it as well. All these candidates are starting to staff up their 2025 campaigns. Read the details here. – Story by Annie McDonough

8:00 a.m. What are we watching for at Somos this year? Mayoral jockeying, the contours of a New York City Council speaker race, how Gov. Kathy Hochul emerges from this month’s election and more. Read more here. – Story by Rebecca C. Lewis and Eric Holmberg