Free Republic

Andrew Cuomo is staying on the New York City mayoral election ballot — a move that prompted critics to slam the ex-gov as a “spoiler” candidate. Sources confirmed that Cuomo will not decline to run on an independent ballot line, ahead of a Friday deadline to pull his name from the November ticket. Cuomo’s defiant stance comes as he hemorrhages union support after his stunning loss to socialist contender Zohran Mamdani in Tuesday’s Democratic primary – and amid widespread consternation that he’ll give the Queens assemblyman an easier path to Gracie Mansion. “Cuomo’s name in the race is fantastic for...

Socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani refused to sign onto a pair of resolutions recognizing Israel and the holocaust — as the state lawmaker vies to lead a city with the largest concentration of Jewish people outside Israel. Mamdani skipped out on one resolution earlier this week that celebrated the Jewish state on its 77th anniversary. Last year, he declined to sign onto another resolution that denounced the holocaust. Thousands of resolutions are introduced each year and are almost always non-controversial signs of respect to groups or countries. Last month, the assembly honored Fort Drum with a measure when members of...

A former aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul reportedly had her $3.5 million Long Island home raided by the FBI early Tuesday. The feds carried out the pre-dawn search at the five-bedroom property where Linda Sun, one of Hochul’s former deputy chiefs of staff, lives in a gated community in Manhasset, the New York Times reported. The reason for the raid wasn’t immediately clear. Neither Sun, 40, nor her husband, Chris Hu, 41, have been accused of any wrongdoing and no arrests were made, sources told the outlet.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has reportedly been canoodling with a lovely lobbyist, and it’s all the talk in Albany — but he is refusing to comment on her and scoffs at the notion of a conflict of interest. The 56-year-old powerful Dem has been in a romantic relationship with 32-year-old Rebecca Lamorte, a lobbyist and communications coordinator for the union Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust, or LECET, since at least November, according to the outlet NY Focus. Heastie got feisty with reporters when asked about the couple Monday morning, bristling at the suggestion he should discuss...