Capitol Confidential

Going into primary night this summer, Gareth Rhodes was coming on the strong in the race for the Democratic nomination in the 19th Congressional District.

He had picked up an endorsement from the New York Times and was rolling out support from major labor unions.

When the ballots were tallied, though, his 6,890 votes were only enough for third place.

The first-time candidate and veteran of the Cuomo administration joined the podcast to talk about his experience on the campaign trail in the Hudson Valley. The conversation explored the decision to run, what it took to start a campaign, the story behind his infamous RV and the secret of his toupee (it's not a toupee).

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Twenty years ago, Chuck Schumer was facing an uphill battle to get into the U.S. Senate.

Then a New York City congressman, he joined a crowded field pursuing the Democratic nomination to take on incumbent Republican Sen. Al D'Amato. Schumer handily won his primary and went on to win the senate seat by 10 points in November.

Howard Wolfson, the communications director for Schumer's 1998 race, joined the podcast to talk about how they came from behind in the primary against former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, played tough in the general and flipped the seat from red to blue.

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It wouldn't be New York if there wasn't a recurring controversy surrounding political contributions.

The current gubernatorial campaign has been marred by the federal probe into Crystal Run Healthcare, a politically influential Orange County firm that is responsible for $400,000 in contributions to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo re-election effort. 

Times Union reporter Chris Bragg has been tracking the developments in this ongoing saga, including the civil trial, federal subpoenas and role of a Hudson Valley congressman. He joined the show to expand on his reporting, explain the scope of the drama and contemplated where the story will go next.

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Suing the president, investigating police related homicides and leading multi-state actions against the federal government.

Today's state attorney general job is unrecognizable from the position four decades ago, with new powers and a broader scope of office assumed in the subsequent years. The post has been shaped and reshaped by the officeholders and the times we have lived through.

To shed light on the job, the Capitol Confidential podcast turned to former attorneys general Robert Abrams and Dennis Vacco. The former officeholders pealed back the curtain on their experiences, explained the different powers they exerted and reflected on how things have changed.

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Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon sparred over corruption, their tax disclosures and a handful of progressive issues during the lone Democratic gubernatorial debate on Wednesday.

The hour-long, one-on-one matchup at Hofstra University on Long Island was a contentious affair that often devolved into personal attacks, allegations of lying and canned one-liners. Nixon sought to score a knockout punch that would elevate her outsider campaign and Cuomo played defense from a position of strength in the polls. Both candidates expressed support, at least in principle, for a liberal wish list in New York that includes legalized marijuana, single-payer health and campaign finance reform.

Times Union columnist Chris Churchill joined the podcast to assess what the debate means for the race, weighed in on whether you're still a person if you filed taxes as a corporation and lamented the lack of love for upstate New York from the moderators.

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The delivery of health care in New York has been in flux for more than a decade, but the current landscape was largely shaped by the Berger Commission.

Created in 2005 under Gov. George Pataki, the commission was tasked with overhauling the delivery of care to New Yorkers. A year and half later, a final report was produced that recommended closing and merging hospitals all over the state.

Mark Ustin, former general counsel to the commission, joined the podcast to explain the circumstances that led to the formation of the commission, how they crafted their prescription for New York and the ramifications of their work.

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Cynthia Nixon and two-term incumbent Andrew Cuomo will meet once in a head-to-head primary debate before the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The matchup shares similarities with the 1982 primary debates that launched Mario Cuomo into the governor's mansion, although Nixon's road to an upset is littered with more roadblocks.

Democratic consultant Bruce Gyory, former AP reporter Marc Humbert and George Pataki former adviser Bob Bellafiore joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to handicap the upcoming primary debate, offered advice to the candidates and explored the possible ramifications.

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The state's chief elections enforcement officer either had her wings clipped this week or reasonable oversight authority was finally put in place.

Your opinion of the actions taken by the state Board of Elections commissioners could depend on how you view the work of Risa Sugarman, New York's election law watchdog for the last four years.

Her work is now subject to new reporting requirements and the bipartisan board will have more say in the subpoenas she issues for investigations.

Jennifer Wilson, the legislative director for the League of Women Voters of New York, joined the podcast to talk about Sugarman's time in office, weighed in on the new regulations for her office and contemplated what it all means for election law scofflaws moving forward.

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The state's regulator of public utilities brought the hammer down on your cable company, assuming you haven't cut the cord and live in upstate New York.

The controversy has been brewing for years and it came to head at a special meeting of the Public Service Commission, which gave Charter Communications 60 days to come up with a plan to give up its internet, cable and phone business in New York. The communications giant has indicated it won't go down without a fight.

Times Union business reporter Larry Rulison, who has been covering this issue since Charter acquired Time Warner Cable two years ago, explored every facet of the latest developments, including allegations of gaslighting, the prospect of New York owning a broadband company and the origin of the problem.

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In the most meta episode yet, Times Union Editor Rex Smith discusses the evolution of Capitol Confidential from a print product to a blog and now as a podcast.

The interview explores the changing media landscape and what that means for the Capitol Confidential brand, which could exist on other platforms in the future, such as video.

The conversation is also a trip down memory lane, as Rex talks about the people that have made Capitol Confidential special and helped establish its current identity.

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