The Reformer

June 2023 - Another primary election has come and gone in New York City, and we are once again shaking our heads over poor voter turnout.

May 2023 - It was wonderful to see so many of you at our recent Civic Conversation. I want to thank Bradley Tusk for joining us for a thought-provoking discourse about his working philosophy of politics, particularly as it relates to mobile voting. Thank you to our board member John Avlon for facilitating an informative and engaging discussion. Also, a special thank you to King & Spalding for hosting and sponsoring the event.

April 2023 - The stalemate over the state budget continued deep into April, with the legislature and the governor deadlocked on several issues, before finally coming to an agreement.  Despite the general dysfunction of Albany, we’ve grown accustomed to having the budget passed on time. This delay will have an impact on the city’s budget process.

March 31, 2023 - March was a busy month in city and state government. In Albany, the state budget season is reaching its finale, and here in New York City, there is much back and forth between the Mayor and the City Council over the city’s budget. Additionally, primary election season has begun with all 51 City Council districts up for grabs. Citizens Union is gearing up for a busy spring.

February 2023 - The first two months of 2023 have flown by! It was wonderful to see so many of you at our first Civic Conversation of the year. I want to thank Kathryn Garcia for joining us to give CU members the lowdown on what’s happening in the Hochul Administration and our board member John Avlon for facilitating an informative and engaging discussion. Also, a special thank you to our friends King & Spalding for hosting and sponsoring the event.

January 2023 - As 2023 begins, we look to the year ahead and all the challenges and opportunities it presents for our city and state. We are proud to announce that we published an extensive report outlining the immense benefits of moving municipal elections to even-numbered years, and we call on New York City to make this change.

December 2022 - As the year comes to a close, I’m reflecting on all that has happened over the past 12 months. From completing the state and city redistricting process to the midterm elections, 2022 was a busy year in New York government and politics.

The Reformer November 2022 - The 2022 midterm election season is officially behind us. Earlier this month, New Yorkers headed to the polls to vote for local, state, and federal races in the midterm elections.

October 2022 - It was wonderful to see so many of you earlier this month at our Gotham Greats Celebration. It was a great evening, and I want to thank everyone who came, including our surprise guest – Mayor Eric Adams!

September 2023 - Labor Day has come and gone, bringing to a close an uncharacteristically busy summer in New York politics. We’ve got a lot planned for the fall as we continue to monitor NYC’s redistricting process and advocate for ethics reform in Albany. We are also looking forward to some exciting events.

July 2022 - I hope you are enjoying your summer. Like many of you, I paid close attention to June’s primary election –the first of two primaries we’ll vote in this summer. While I was pleased to see Citizens Union-preferred candidates – including Governor Kathy Hochul – win their primaries, I was disappointed by the low voter turnout numbers.

June 2022 Reformer

Dear Friends, I hope you had a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. The New Year rang in a new…

    SEPTEMBER 2021   Dear Friend, As the dust settles after former Governor Cuomo’s resignation and we look to turn…

August 25, 2021 - This has been a very sad month for good government in New York State. The independent investigation into now former Governor Cuomo’s conduct found that he sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of both federal and state laws, and that he even retaliated against one of his accusers.

April 28, 2021 - The Reformer

February 2021 - February saw history made in New York City, as we had our first two elections using Ranked Choice Voting.

January 29, 2021- This month, we saw the best and worst of our democracy. On January 6th, insurrectionists, encouraged by our former President, stormed the Capitol building in an effort to reverse the results of the Presidential election.

December 29 - This has been a trying year for so many of us, but as we turn the page on 2020 I’d like to reflect on a few of Citizens Union’s accomplishments amidst these difficult circumstances.

  NOVEMBER 2020   Despite the numerous challenges besieging voters this year—due to the pandemic and systemic voter suppression—this fall’s…

October 2020 - We are now one month away from Election Day. This election season has been unlike anything I’ve experienced in my career working in government. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who has worked so hard under difficult circumstances to ensure that amid an unprecedented global pandemic, every New Yorker has the opportunity to safely cast a ballot.

August/July, 2020 - We’ve also been in touch with the Board of Elections to ensure they are able to properly administer this fall’s elections and will be assisting them in the recruitment of poll workers from local colleges and universities. We’ll also be encouraging voters to request their absentee ballot as early as possible at nycabsentee.com, and take advantage of early voting when poll sites are less busy. 

  Dear Friend, These last months, and specifically the past three weeks, are among the most challenging times that I…

Dear Friend, The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed the lives…

      Dear Friend, We all know that 2020 is a big election year, with New Yorkers heading to…