Dispatches from Planet Albany

State Senator Jeremy Cooney has wanted to have a kid of his own since he was a kid.

And this spring the Rochester-area Democrat became a dad with the birth of his son, Aidan.

He joined the podcast to talk about becoming an older dad, including his fitness journey, returning to work after parental leave and the multiple layers of significance to his son's full name.

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A grassroots progressive movement in the Hudson Valley will get a big test of their effectiveness this November.

For the Many has gone all in on the effort to flip Senate District 39 from red to blue this fall, so we're talking about their work in the race with the Xaver Kandler, the group's political director. We're also discussing the gubernatorial primary that never materialized, For the Many's relationship to the DSA, and how they're going to approach the 2027 legislative session.

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State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins offers parenting advice for host David Lombardo, who is expecting a daughter any day now.

The Westchester County Democrat prepared a mnemonic device based on D-A-V-E to help him be a successful parent and discusses the role of new grandparents, including the importance of spoiling their grandchild. She also notes all the babies born to senators during her tenure leading the chamber.

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Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli joins the show for an exit interview.

The Syracuse-area Democrat reflects on his low-turnout primary loss in June, his accomplishments in office, and the lack of emphasis on upstate at the Capitol. He also talks about the fallout from a failed coup by a Syracuse colleague in 2000 and reveals the one time he felt powerful as a committee chair.

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Gov. Kathy Hochul may be preparing for another policy battle with the state legislature.

After successfully taking on the trial lawyers in 2026, the Hochul administration may go up against the lawyers and construction unions in 2027 to overhaul New York's Scaffold Law, according to reporting by Capitol Confidential author Dan Clark.

We're joined by Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Plummer to discuss why the governor is picking this fight and whether she will be successful. We also discuss the trend of incumbents ducking debates, the leader of the Brooklyn Democrats trolling her critics on social media, and whether Planet Albany needs a hangout spot.

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Politico New York reporter Bill Mahoney joins the show to discuss two Democratic leaders with very different styles.

State Sen. Rachel May is going up against the Democratic machine in central New York, including backing a successful primary to one of her legislative colleagues, while Jay Jacobs is catering almost exclusively to the party's establishment, as he looks to secure another term running the state party.

Mahoney and host David Lombardo discuss what May is doing in Syracuse and whether Jacobs should worry about a challenge to his leadership.

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After a long summer apart, we've got the return of Bloomberg Government's Raga Justin and Capitol Confidential's Dan Clark.

We catch up on their summer activities, including travel abroad and across America, before discussing Gov. Kathy Hochul's promotional video with Kevin Bacon and considering what should be renamed in New York besides Lake Ontario.

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Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman needs help making up Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul's fundraising advantage, even with his campaign tapping into public financing.

Coming to the rescue is the super PAC "Strong & Safe New York."

We dive into the work of this independent expenditure with the super PAC's spokesman, Chapin Fay, who explains how they're trying to complement the Blakeman campaign. We also discuss the GOP hopeful's message discipline, his reluctance to lean into his pro-choice credentials, and a Republican-aligned poll suggesting Hohcul has a tight race.

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Senate Republican Campaign Committee Chair George Borrello joins the show to talk about the underdog battle he's leading this fall.

The western New York Republican discusses the SRCC's goals for the midterms, peels back the candidate recruitment process, and explores the messaging the GOP hopes will connect with independent voters.

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New York's state lawmakers have room for improvement, according to a scorecard released this summer by Environmental Advocates NY.

We broke down the findings with Katherine Nadeau, the group's deputy executive director, who also discussed the 2026 legislative session overall and how the individual grades were calculated. We also talked about the upcoming legislative session and how environmentalists will lobby on some of their priorities.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money).

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