Max & Murphy

Political strategists Rebecca Katz and Jason Ortiz joined the show to discuss the state of the mayoral race and much more with two months to go until primary day, which is June 24, 2025. Katz, a co-founder of Fight agency, and Ortiz, a co-founder of Moonshot Strategies, are both veteran political strategists in New York and beyond. They joined the show to analyze the Democratic primary field for mayor, the city's political mood, lessons from past mayoral races that apply in 2025, and much more. (Ep 495)

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss his 2025 State of the Borough address and agenda, major issues facing Brooklyn and the city, and the 2025 city elections. (Ep 494)

Six of the Democratic candidates for Mayor of New York City participated in a candidate forum on the evening of April 8, 2025 at New York Law School. The event featured candidates Adrienne Adams, Michael Blake, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, and Scott Stringer, all vying for the Democratic nomination in June's primary election. The forum was moderated by Max Politics host Ben Max, who runs NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law, which co-hosted the forum with New Yorkers for Parks and its large Fair Play for Parks coalition. (Ep 493)

The once-a-decade Census population count is immensely important to determine federal funding to states and cities, representation in the federal government, electoral college votes, and more. We just passed the halfway mark between the 2020 and 2030 Census counts, and New York leaders are starting to sound the alarm about the need for good planning to execute a complete count of all New York residents. Assemblymember Landon Dais, a Bronx Democrat, and Census expert Jeff Wice, a professor at New York Law School where he runs the NY Elections, Census, and Redistricting Institute, joined the show to discuss why the Census is important and steps New York can take at the state and city levels to get moving on 2030 Census planning. (Ep 492)

Ryder Kessler and Catherine Vaughan, co-founders of Abundance New York, joined the show to discuss the "abundance" wave washing over the national political discourse (in part inspired by the new book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson), what their vision for abundance in New York is, how to achieve it, NIMBYism vs YIMBYism, and much more. Their group is a relatively new nonprofit group (501c4) creating a new political community and working to influence politics and policy to increase the supply of housing, transit, public space, and clean energy. (Ep 491)

With just 3 months to primary day in New York City's 2025 elections, Dr. Basil Smikle Jr. joined the show to discuss the state of the mayoral race, the candidate field, the mood of the city electorate, and more. Smikle is a longtime political strategist, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, and currently a professor at Columbia University, where he runs the nonprofit management master's program. (Ep 490)

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, a Democrat, joined the show to discuss the state of the Bronx, her policy agenda, key issues facing the borough and the city, her reelection bid, and more. (Ep 489)

Two of the leading Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller - City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine - in this year's election joined New York Law School (NYLS) and Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) for a debate in front of a live audience at NYLS. The debate was moderated by Max Politics host Ben Max, who is also the program director at NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law, and CBC President Andrew Rein. The candidates are competing, along with others, in the Democratic primary set for June in the race to become the city's next chief fiscal and accountability officer. (In order to qualify for the March 18 debate, candidates had to raise $125,000 by February 15.) - Ep 488

Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), joined the show to discuss current concerns and priorities for the city's teachers, major education issues being debated at the city and state levels, the UFT's endorsement process for the 2025 mayoral race, and more. (Ep 487)

NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined the show to discuss the state of city government leadership, the unfolding race for mayor, his reelection bid, and more. (Ep 486)

Sally Goldenberg, a veteran New York journalist and senior New York editor at Politico, joined the show to discuss the state of the race for Mayor of New York City with four months until primary day. With just four months until primary day — June 24, 2025 — both former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams are considering soon entering the already-crowded Democratic primary field, which includes Mayor Eric Adams, eyeing a second term, and a number of other candidates.(Ep 485)

Teresa Gonzalez and Yvette Buckner, co-chairs of New Majority NYC, joined the show to discuss the group's efforts to elect and reelect women to the New York City Council. Through the 2021 elections, the Council saw its first-ever women majority, in part thanks to New Majority NYC's efforts. The organization is now starting to roll out endorsements in the 2025 elections, with primaries set for June. (Ep 484)

Mark Treyger — CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and a former New York City Council member — joined the show to discuss combating increased anti-Semitism, Jewish community relations, Jewish voters in the 2025 NYC elections, and more. (Ep 483)

New York Working Families Party Co-Chairs Jasmine Gripper and Ana Maria Archila returned to the show to discuss how the progressive group is approaching the 2025 New York City mayoral race, lessons learned from 2021, ranked-choice voting, and more. (Ep 482)

With just 5 months until primary day 2025 in New York City, political strategist Neal Kwatra - founder and CEO of Metropolitan Strategies - joined the show to discuss the city's political mood, important dynamics at play in the developing race for mayor, the field of candidates, and more. (Ep 481)

City Council Member Alexa Avilés, a Brooklyn Democrat and chair of the Council's immigration committee, joined the show to discuss how New York City is preparing for Donald Trump's second presidential term with regard to immigrant communities, sanctuary city policies, and more. Avilés discusses the oversight hearing she chaired on January 16, 2025 examining the Adams administration's efforts to protect immigrant communities and relevant city and state policies. (Ep 480)

Political strategists Shontell Smith and Chris Coffey joined the show to preview 2025 in New York politics, including analysis of Mayor Eric Adams' 2025 State of the City agenda, the mayor's overall standing and the 2025 mayoral race about to unfold, Governor Kathy Hochul's standing and agenda, dynamics at play in state government as the Albany session begins, and much more. Coffey, a longtime New York political veteran, is the CEO and a Partner of Tusk Strategies and Smith, former counsel and chief of staff to the State Senate majority leader, is also a Partner at Tusk Strategies and head of its New York practice. (Ep 479)

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber joined the show to discuss the launch of congestion pricing, the future of mass transit in New York City, and more. (Ep 478)

Micah Lasher, a long-time New York politico, is heading to the State Legislature after winning election to the Assembly representing the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The former policy director for Governor Kathy Hochul, among many other roles in New York City and State politics, joined the show to discuss his priorities for Albany and many challenges facing New York, his experience in government, Hochul's political prospects, and more. (Ep 477)

On Thursday December 5, 2024 the New York City Council passed a modified version of the Adams Administration's 'City of Yes for Housing Opportunity' zoning reform proposal, which will be paired with other elements in the Council's 'City for All' housing plan that includes $5 billion in housing investments from the City and State. City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, chair of the Council housing committee, and Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York, joined the show to discuss what it all means and how it will impact housing in New York in the years to come. (Ep 476)