As we fight to strengthen democracy in our city and state, it’s important we take the time to recognize and honor the leaders whose vision and dedication make our city stronger. And there’s no better place to do that than at our annual Gotham Greats celebration on Oct. 22.
This will be my first year at the Gotham Greats as Citizens Union’s Executive Director, and I am thrilled to continue this time-honored tradition and mark 128 years of good government advocacy with you.
This year, we are grateful to celebrate the following New Yorkers as our 2025 Gotham Greats:
- Eric Gertler, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. News & World Report
- Rose Gill, Principal at Bloomberg Associates, and former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation
- Betsy Gotbaum, former Executive Director of Citizens Union and former New York City Public Advocate
- Dawn L. Smalls, Partner at Jenner & Block, and Member of the New York City Campaign Finance Board
I hope you can join us for this incredible event. Mark your calendars for the Gotham Greats Celebration on Wednesday, October 22. Get your tickets here! I’ll see you there.
Best,
Grace Rauh
Executive Director, Citizens Union/Citizens Union Foundation
5BORO Institute at Citizens Union
POLICY UPDATES
Super PAC Failures: A Citizens Union Report
Campaign finance reforms are working and big money influence is weakening. That’s the main takeaway from our recent report on the record-breaking outside spending we saw in the 2025 NYC primaries.
Despite Super PACs dropping a staggering $46 million to sway outcomes, more than $30 million of that went to losing campaigns. What does that mean? Outside Super PAC spending failed to pay off, while campaigns fueled by grassroots contributions and public matching funds succeeded. That shows the power and importance of a strong public campaign finance system. And it turns out New Yorkers overwhelmingly support such a system – as demonstrated by the results of this recent poll.
Our report got New Yorkers talking. Check out this New York Times exclusive:
On the Frontlines of the Gerrymandering Wars
Across the country, Democrats and Republicans are looking to redraw Congressional districts to favor their party – that’s after Texas Republicans set off a redistricting scramble by moving to redraw their state map to dramatically benefit the GOP. Governor Hochul jumped into the fray, expressing support for abandoning New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission – a pro-democracy reform established to protect electoral mapmaking from politics and foster more competitive elections.
Citizens Union was proud to champion the creation of the Independent Redistricting Commission, which, we should note, voters approved by a decisive margin a decade ago. We deserve a fair, transparent process to protect our state from partisan gerrymandering, because voters deserve to choose their representatives – not the other way around.
Read more: Our Executive Director Grace Rauh defended fair maps in this Gothamist story on the redistricting battle.
One Step Closer to Transforming Voter Turnout in Local Elections
In November, New York City voters have the opportunity to vote on a major election reform to strengthen our democracy: holding local elections at the same time as presidential contests. By shifting the election calendar, we can dramatically boost voter turnout.
Hear more about the importance of this reform in our interview with WBAI’s “City Watch”.
Citizens Union has been leading the way on this effort, and we were gratified that the 2025 Charter Revision Commission chose to put this election reform on the ballot.
New York’s voting rights law requires the Attorney General to review the proposal for its impact on historically disenfranchised groups and we were proud to urge the Attorney General to approve the measure. Extensive research demonstrates that shifting odd-year elections to even years boosts turnout among all groups, but especially for voters of color. We know that changing our election calendar will make it easier for more New Yorkers to vote and will ensure our elections are more representative. And that’s good for democracy.
Read our submission to the Attorney General.
A Conversation on Corruption
Amid the jaw-dropping scandals and indictments engulfing the Adams administration, our Executive Director Grace Rauh joined the NYC Workforce Drop podcast with host Gregory Morris to unpack the news. The two discussed the serious, real-world impacts of public corruption on the functioning of government and the welfare of New Yorkers and the public sector workforce.
The drumbeat of corruption charges also exposes a significant gap in accountability: New York is one of the only large cities in America without a local means to remove a mayor for misconduct. Grace highlighted this vulnerability in her interview and discussed Citizens Union’s proposal for a mayoral removal mechanism – a policy idea that has gained traction.
Listen to the podcast episode.
Read our Mayoral Removal proposal.
Affordable Child Care: An Economic Necessity
Child care isn’t just a family issue — it’s an economic one. New York City lost an estimated $23 billion in 2022 because of child care gaps, with ripple effects for businesses, workers, and the city’s future.
Families are leaving the city because they cannot afford to raise their kids here, creating a huge drain on our workforce. Expanding access to affordable childcare is crucial to the health of our economy, and it’s a primary focus for The 5BORO Institute at Citizens Union.
For a year, 5BORO has engaged with the business community about child care policy, and the central role they must play in the solution. In a recent Crain’s op-ed, Executive Director Grace Rauh called for a broad coalition of leaders to improve our childcare system.
Read the op-ed here.
You’re Invited: View From the Inside on RCV
Ranked choice voting has only been around for two cycles in New York City, but it has already had a transformative impact on our campaigns. So on Tuesday, September 9th, Citizens Union is co-hosting a panel discussion to break down exactly how RCV has changed the game in NYC.
RSVP today to hear from the candidates who competed under the new system, and the good government advocates who fought for it.
Panelists:
- Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller and Former Mayoral Candidate
- Scott Stringer, Former NYC Comptroller, Manhattan BP, and Mayoral Candidate
- Vanessa Aronson, Former NYC Council Candidate
- Andrea Gordillo, Former NYC Council Candidate
Moderator:
- Basil Smikle Jr., PhD, Professor of Practice and Director of MS Program in Nonprofit Management at Columbia University SPS
Speakers/Presenters:
- Susan Lerner, Executive Director, Common Cause/NY and Chair, Rank the Vote NYC
- Rose Pierre-Louis, Executive Director, NYU McSilver Institute and Board Member, Rank the Vote NYC
- Grace Rauh, Executive Director, Citizens Union
- Steven Romalewski, Director, CUNY Mapping Service, Center for Urban Research at CUNY Graduate Center
CITIZENS UNION IN THE NEWS
NYC Workforce Drop Podcast
Mini Episode – Potato Chips, Red Envelopes, and Public Trust
Aug 22, 2025
WBAI 99.5 FM NY
Grace Rauh and Richard Buery join “City Watch” to discuss even year ballot measure
August 18, 2025
New Black Voices
Integrity in Question: Corruption, Morality, and Eric Adams’ Re-Election Campaign
August 13, 2025
Spectrum News The Rush Hour
Citizens Union releases report about mayoral campaign financing
August 5, 2025
Gothamist
Citing Texas, Gov. Hochul says NY should abandon independent redistricting
August 4, 2025
Newsmax
NYC Elites Form Super PACs in Effort to Defeat Mamdani
August 4, 2025
New York Times
The Elite Ramp Up Their Fight Against Mamdani
August 4, 2025
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
City & State NY
Indictment: For home renovations, a TV cameo, catering and cash, Ingrid Lewis-Martin traded her influence
August 21, 2025
THE CITY
Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips
August 20, 2025
City & State
Who will be the next speaker of the New York City Council? Does Zohran care?
August 18, 2025