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ALBANY 100
CityAndStateNY.com June 1, 2020 9 100 ALBANY POWER THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC has shaken up the power structure in Albany. For some New York politicians, their influence has grown dramatically – especially for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the commissioners, advisers and allies he has entrusted to shape the response to the deadly public health emergency and the alarming economic fallout. But other perennial power players’ abilities have been diminished – perhaps most notably among members of the state Legislature, who have ceded significant powers to the governor.
The 2020 Albany Power 100 details these ebbs and flows in political influence, with a newly reordered ranking that reflects the ways the crisis has reshaped responsibility in the state capital. And with so many Albany operatives and insiders retiring or resigning from their posts, fully one-quarter of the list is new this year. Read on to see where the new faces and the mainstays are ranked – and why they made the cut.
ANDREW CUOMO Governor
The governor has won plenty of political victories during his three terms, but it has hurt his popularity at times. Then the coronavirus pandemic began, and his approval numbers soared into the stratosphere. His daily briefings have mobilized public support behind him to an extent that was unimaginable a few months ago. It’s the rare type of political weapon that can counter such threats as a presidential tweet.
DONALD TRUMP President
The one person who can stymie Gov. Andrew Cuomo is President Donald Trump. Whether it’s blocking federal bailout funds, stalling the Gateway Tunnel or capping state and local tax deductions, the president often gets the best of the governor. Yet in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Cuomo has found ways to pressure or persuade Trump to provide assistance – or to push the president out of his way.
MELISSA DEROSA Secretary to the Governor
As Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide, it’s no surprise that Melissa DeRosa is a regular fixture at his daily coronavirus press briefings. She’s fielded questions about the state’s strained unemployment benefit system and is leading a maternity task force to help pregnant women during the pandemic. “As much as you try to anticipate, there’s really no
Andrew Cuomo’s popularity has soared during the pandemic.
way to predict what will arise,” she told Elle in an April profile.
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ROBERT MUJICA Director
State Division of the Budget
The state’s fiscal czar now manages the money for the Second Floor, but he learned his fiscal wizardry during nearly 20 years with the state Senate Finance Committee. This includes playing a role in the formation of an alliance between the Republican majority and a renegade band of Democrats. Nowadays, he has to balance the state’s books – and decide what to cut as the economy crashes.
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CHARLES SCHUMER U.S. Senate Minority Leader
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer has had a rough time of it during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, and not even the coronavirus pandemic has improved relations between the White House and New York’s senior senator. While there’s bipartisan support in New York for billions of dollars in aid to bail out
In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Cuomo has found ways to persuade Trump – or to push the president out of his way.
states and cities, Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are opposed.
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HOWARD ZUCKER Commissioner
State Department of Health
Howard Zucker is by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s side during must-see briefings on the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, making him “the most important person in New York who most New Yorkers never heard of,” as Newsday put it. With a background in global public health and infectious disease, he has the credentials for the job – which includes dealing with hospital staffing policies, reopening the economy and ongoing medical developments.
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LETITIA JAMES State Attorney General
In 2018, Letitia James became the first woman and first African American to be elected attorney general in New York. In the year that followed, she made headlines for filing 20 lawsuits against the Trump administration. More recently, the former New York City public advocate has taken on debt collectors, banning private companies from attempting to seize New Yorkers’ $1,200 stimulus checks to pay off debt.
TRANSIT WORKERS DESERVE HAZARD PAY!
MORE THAN 120 DEDICATED TRANSIT WORKERS — MOST OF THEM MEMBERS OF TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION LOCAL100 — HAVE NOW PERISHED OF THE CORONAVIRUS PLAGUE.
Thousands more have been infected and quarantined. Despite the risks to personal health and safety, these brave men and women continue to report for duty, every day, 24 hours a day to get all essential workers to the front lines in this war for survival.
We’re keeping this city moving — and fighting.
We have a message for the MTA. Elected officials at all levels of government have stated clearly that transit workers deserve hazard pay.
Transit workers are doing their part. It’s time for the MTA to get this done!
