Jessica Lappin

So there may be a little less at stake now for the officials girding for the opportunity to succeed Upper East Side-based Representative Carolyn Maloney. That unofficial mini-contest, of course, was contingent on Hillary Clinton having a chance of becoming president, and on Maloney having a chance of taking Clinton's place in the Senate.  read more »

With construction safety serving as the favorite punching bag for legislators of late, the City Council is putting together a torrent of new proposed regulations of the construction industry, with a hearing scheduled tomorrow for 12 bills.

Numerous members of the City Council have called for new steps to ensure safety at construction sites amid the building boom, citing the rising number of construction-related fatalities (13 so far this year, compared with 12 in all of last year), as evidence of need of reforms.  read more »

Assemblyman Michael Gianiaris, who is running for reelection to the Assembly in 2008, says in this week's City Hall News that he is "going to seriously consider" running for City Council in 2009 and seeking the speakership.

The same article also quotes an unnamed aide to Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell, the former chairman of the state Democratic Party, saying he won't run for speaker of the City Council if h  read more »

On March 8, The New York Times published a survey of where some of the City Council's 51 members stood on congestion pricing. At the time, 20 were against, 12 were for, and 19 were either undecided or did not respond to the survey.  read more »

Here is a one-minute interview with Assemblyman-elect Micah Kellner circa 11 p.m. last night after giving his victory speech to supporters at a bar on Second Avenue. He says it’s great to be a 28-year-old heading into public office, hopes to vote for a gay marriage bill, and wants to block development of a waste transfer station on East 91st Street.

Among the people celebrating Kellner's victory last night were his old boss, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council members Dan Gardonick, Jessica Lappin, and Vinny Gentile, to name a few. Not there was one of his key consultants, Evan Stavisky, who spent most of his day overseeing the election of several candidates in local New Jersey primaries.

Not that Assembly candidate Micah Kellner needs it, but he's having a fund-raiser later this month for that East Side Assembly race on June 21 5.

There was, at one point, a crowded field. Then, the Democrats cleared out. And the Republican challengers never really showed up.

So, you could consider it sort of like an early victory party, but one that guests have to pay a lot of money to get into.

The fund-raiser is taking place at the Princeton Club and the price of admission is $250. (Or $2000, if you want to be listed as a "co-chair.)

It's being hosted by newly shaven City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Council member Jessica Lappin and Steve Nislick.

More details are after the jump.  read more »

City Hall News has a wrap-up of the East Side Assembly race I, and you, have been obsessing over.

Among the names the paper adds to the mix is former City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, who "would have a free ride to the Democratic nomination if he wanted it, has not closed the door entirely." On the Republican Side, City Hall News floats the names of Nick Viest, who ran for City Council there and lost; and Joel Zinberg, the doctor with a law degree who lost his Council race to Jessica Lappin.

But most interesting is the line the departing Assemblyman Pete Grannis, who said he doesn't think his own chief of staff, Tony Morenzi, will enter the race.

"For his part, Grannis said he will probably back a candidate eventually, and--though he believes Morenzi will pass on the race--would probably back his chief of staff in the race."

-- Azi Paybarah

Tonight, Tom Suozzi will hold a town hall meeting at a Knights of Columbus in Queens to answer questions about his candidacy and his plans for New York.

Tomorrow, the Lexington Democratic Club host Jessica Lappin and Scott Stringer at their monthly meeting at Brown Gardens.

The Women's National Republican Club hosts a summer BBQ.

A benefit to save Washington Square Park will be held at St. Mark's Church. A peace rally will take place at the U.N. —Nicole Brydson

On Dec.  read more »

On Dec.  read more »

I look at the migration of political power to, of all places, the West Side of Manhattan, while Jason profiles one of the new Manhattan players, Jessica Lappin.

Lizzy Ratner has an undeniable piece on the whiteness of magazines.  read more »

Richard Brookhiser writes on life after Ariel Sharon.

And Joe Conason warns us not to forget the Sago mine tragedy.

An addendum to Jess's piece this week on how Republicans on the East Side hide their party label, while Democrats run away from their nominee, Freddy:

It's a piece of mail from a Democratic candidate for City Council, Jessica Lappin, that pulls a quote from Republican Robert Hornack off the local GOP community blog, Urban Elephants. In the quote, Hornack grumbles that her opponent, Joel Zinberg, is doing "us all a disservice" by hiding his party affiliation.  read more »

Meanwhile, on the front of the piece, a venture into surrealism: Even the elephants are disappointed.

We've been deluged with news from a busy night at Manhattan's political clubs last night, the bottom line being that Carolyn Maloney, while she may not look it, is a street-fighter. The inside favorites -- Giff, Stringer, Jessica Lappin and Dan Garodnick for City Council, and Eve Rachel Markewich for Surrogate -- all won handily at the Lexington Democratic Club, as Maloney and Jonathan Bing put down a little revolt in what's become a really riotous corner of city politics.  read more »