Max Politics

Mayor Mamdani's charter revision commission — the Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE — has put 5 yes-or-no questions on the 2026 ballot with various proposals for city voters to approve or disapprove. This episode features audio from a live event held at New York Law School where COGE Chair Patrick Gaspard and Executive Director Ann Cheng gave a presentation, then sat with host Ben Max for a conversation, followed by audience Q&A.

Bob Hardt, New York political director for Spectrum News, joined the show to analyze the lone debate between Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, which took place October 13 on Spectrum News. Hardt and host Ben Max discussed key moments in the debate, areas of disagreement between Hochul and Blakeman, how each candidate performed, and the broader state of the gubernatorial race with under three weeks until Election Day (November 3, 2026).

Saritha Komatireddy, the Republican and Conservative parties' nominee for New York Attorney General in this year's election, joined the show to discuss her bid to unseat Letitia James and her vision for becoming the state's chief legal officer. The race is one of many state, federal, and local elections on the ballot this fall, with Election Day on November 3, 2026.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a Democrat who has been the state's chief fiscal officer since 2007, joined the show to discuss his case for reelection, respond to criticism by his Republican opponent, Joseph Hernandez, and assess key elements of how New York is doing.

Joseph Hernandez, the Republican and Conservative parties' nominee for New York State Comptroller in this year's election, joined the show to discuss his bid to unseat Tom DiNapoli and his vision for becoming the state's chief fiscal officer. The Comptroller's race is one of many state, federal, and local races on the ballot this fall, with Election Day on November 3, 2026.

New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan - a Queens Democrat, public school parent, and chair of the Council's oversight and investigations committee - joined the show to discuss a recent hearing he co-chaired on screen time, digital devices, and education technology in New York City Schools. The conversation on this theme also included Krishnan's new policy agenda, recent announcements by the Mamdani administration, and what's next.

Journalists Jeff Coltin and Sophie Krichevsky of City & State New York joined the show to discuss the U.S. House of Representatives races to watch in New York for the 2026 general election. They joined host Ben Max to break down races in several New York districts - including the 3rd, 4th, 17th, 19th, and beyond - as well as broader themes of this election cycle, key dynamics at play including the gubernatorial race at the top of the ticket, the impact of figures like President Trump, Mayor Mamdani, and Rep. AOC, and more.

This special edition of the show is audio of a live event: an expert panel on technology and democracy moderated by host Ben Max that was part of New York Law School's second annual civics summit. The panel includes John Avlon (journalist, author, and chair of good government group Citizens Union); Ryan Hayward (chief of staff at the Offices of the NYS Inspector General); Oscar Romero (chief information officer at the NYC Civic Engagement Commission); and Julie Samuels (founder, president, and CEO of Tech:NYC).

Journalists Nicole Gelinas and Harry Siegel joined the show to discuss the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, how the city has and hasn't changed since, Mayor Mamdani's approach to the anniversary, the rebuilding and growth of Lower Manhattan, and more.

Journalists Grace Ashford of the New York Times and Nick Reisman of Politico joined the show with two months until Election Day 2026 to discuss key races and themes of this year's election in New York. The conversation has a special focus on the race for Governor between Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, but also touches on several races for Congress and key factors like President Donald Trump, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and more.