Dispatches from Planet Albany

We're breaking new ground on the podcast and holding our first ever fantasy draft, where we choose elected officials for six different categories. Our teams will be assembled by Dan Clark, author of the Capitol Confidential newsletter for the Times Union, Raga Justin, a Capitol reporter for the Times Union, and David Lombardo, home cook.

After you listen to the podcast, visit The Capitol Pressroom's Twitter account to vote on who drafted the best team.

If you enjoy this podcast format, please suggest other draft formats that could intersect with Planet Albany.

This weekend is one of the biggest celebrations in Planet Albany, as the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators hosts its 54th Annual Conference. We talk about the glitz and glamour, the workshops, overhauling the association's scholarships, and the code of conduct with Charlene Gayle, the organization's executive director.

We also gab about the past week's political headlines with Shontell Smith, head of the New York practice for Tusk Strategies.

Democratic consultant Bradley Honan, president and CEO of the Honan Strategy Group, is making the case that power in state government has become more diffuse (while still acknowledging that the legislative leaders and governor still call the shots).

We also get our first "Delgado Watch" update from Jason Beeferman, author of the Politico New York Playbook PM, who tracked down Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado this week to discuss his relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul.

On this bonus episode, we're joined by Democratic political operative Bradley Honan, CEO & President of the Honan Strategy Group.

Up first, we discuss the potential fallout for Democrats in New York if they adjust the election calendar to extend the vacancy of a GOP congressional seat. Then we learn why Honan is polling the New York City Democratic mayoral primary and consider how candidates should be strategizing for a ranked-choice election.

Politico New York reporter Marie French explains the latest delays in implementing cap-and-invest, considers the ramifications of the governor's likely pick to lead the DEC, and reveals the New Zealand snack that fueled her budget hearing consumption.

And we also check in with Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Smith, who gabs about "widely attended events" and her disappointment with the Democratic response to the new Trump administration.

Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Smith is back on the podcast to answer a listener question about her favorite lobbyist, explain how she digests the budget (compared to her time in the Senate), and address the challenges standing in the way of a final budget deal this year.

Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered a State of the State address that was emblematic of her policy priorities and rhetorical style, as she offered homespun pearls of wisdoms and western New York anecdotes to pitch her affordability and safety agenda to policymakers, interested stakeholders, and the press.

We break down the big day and what could happen next with Dan Clark, author of the Times Union's Capitol Confidential newsletter.

And a reminder that we're soliciting questions to use in a future episode for Shontell Smith. Leave a voicemail (that we might play on the air) at (518) 650-1463 or write to [email protected] with your question (which can remain anonymous) and she'll try to answer.

This past week marked the return to Albany by state lawmakers, staff, and lobbyists, as both houses had their opening days of session. And amid the pomp and free food, there was also some news, with legislative leaders (vaguely) identifying their session priorities and tapping committee chairs.

We're exploring what to expect from the people's house in 2025 and the significance of the new committee leaders with the help of former Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, who now works for Brown & Weinraub.

And a reminder that we're also soliciting questions for Shontell Smith for a future episode. Leave a voicemail (that we might play on the air) at (518) 650-1463 or write to [email protected] with your question (which can remain anonymous) and we'll do our best to provide answers.

For the season three premiere of Dispatches from Planet Albany we're checking in with Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Smith to discuss Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado's flirtation with a gubernatorial run, the legislative ramifications of violent murders captured on video, the likelihood of changes to school aid distribution, and whether Gov. Kathy Hochul will be able to deliver on her promise of "Inflation Refund" checks.

We are also soliciting questions for Shontell and host David Lombardo to answer in a future episode. Is there something you want to know about Planet Albany? Want us to weigh in on pop culture? Curious about our personal lives? Leave a voicemail (that we might play on the air) at (518) 650-1463 or write to [email protected] with your question and we'll do our best to provide answers.

The 2024 elections were a mixed bag for New York Democrats, who reversed the 2022 gains Republicans made in the state's congressional delegation, but also saw their traditional electorate shrink.

To make sense of the results, as well as the polls leading up to Election Day and where Democrats in the Empire State go from here, we spoke with Loren Amor, a senior vice president with BerlinRosen.