The Perez Notes

New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani joins Roberto Perez on The Perez Notes for a wide-ranging conversation about the latest developments across the city and the priorities shaping the DOB.

Commissioner Tigani discusses building safety, agency operations, efficiency, innovation, and the DOB’s responsibility to serve New Yorkers in one of the world’s most dynamic urban landscapes.

Before becoming New York City’s 27th Buildings Commissioner, Tigani served in several senior leadership positions at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, most recently as Acting Commissioner. He also previously served as chief of staff at the DOB and held senior roles in the Mayor’s Office, Manhattan Borough President’s Office, and New York City Council.

Listen for an inside look at the experience, policies, and priorities guiding the New York City Department of Buildings.

Follow The Perez Notes on Spotify for more conversations about New York City and New York State politics, government, and public affairs.

In this episode of The Perez Notes, Roberto Perez speaks with author and scholar Joel Dinerstein about his memoir, The Last of the Ellis Island Jews—the tragicomic story of a working-class immigrant Jewish family in Brooklyn.

Joel discusses the vibrant neighborhood culture that shaped his family, the upheaval of white flight, and his experiences attending majority-Black public schools. The conversation explores Brooklyn’s changing identity, race, education, family conflict, and the disappearing worlds preserved through Joel’s unforgettable stories.

Jeff Coltin returns to City & State New York — this time as Editor-in-Chief.

In this episode of The Perez Notes, Roberto Perez sits down with Jeff Coltin to discuss his full-circle journey from intern in 2014 to leading one of New York’s most influential political publications.

Coltin rose through the ranks at City & State, serving as City Hall Bureau Chief before departing in 2023 to write POLITICO’s New York Playbook — where he became one of the most well-sourced and closely read political reporters in the state. Along the way, he authored award-winning magazine cover stories, including a profile of Ingrid Lewis-Martin that became required reading across New York political circles, and helmed the widely respected Campaign Confidential newsletter during the pivotal 2021 city elections.

Now back at the helm, Coltin breaks down:

• What to expect from his coverage of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani

• How City & State will approach the 2026 midterms

• The evolution of New York political media

• The inside dynamics of the 2025 mayoral race

• Why City & State remains “first read” for New York politics

With deep relationships across City Hall, Albany, and beyond, Coltin is uniquely positioned to shape the narrative at a defining moment in New York politics.

🎙️ A must-listen for anyone serious about NYC & NYS power, policy, and the press.

#NYCPolitics #JeffColtin #CityAndState #ZohranMamdani #Albany #CityHall #PoliticalMedia #ThePerezNotes

Samuel A.A. Levine — From FTC Enforcer to NYC’s Top Consumer Watchdog

NYC’s new Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Samuel A.A. Levine, joins The Perez Notes for a deep dive into the future of consumer rights and worker protection in America’s largest city.

Before taking the helm at DCWP in January 2026, Levine led the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, overseeing national enforcement and rulemaking across privacy, data security, digital advertising, financial services, algorithmic decision-making, worker protection, and small business financing. Now, he brings that federal firepower to New York City.

We discuss:

• What aggressive enforcement looks like at the city level

• Cracking down on predatory business practices

• Worker protections in the gig and AI economy

• Data privacy and algorithmic accountability

• Protecting small businesses and immigrant communities

• How DCWP fits into the broader Mamdani-era political landscape

A Harvard Law graduate and longtime consumer advocate, Levine has spent his career challenging illegal foreclosures, prosecuting predatory colleges, and shaping national consumer protection policy. Now he’s applying that experience to NYC.

This is a conversation about power, enforcement, and who government works for.

🎙️ From The Perez Notes

#NYCPolitics #ConsumerProtection #SamuelLevine #DCWP #FTC #WorkerRights #DataPrivacy #NYC #ThePerezNotes

In this episode of The Perez Notes, I sit down with Julie Won, New York City Council Member for District 26, as she makes the leap to Congress in a race to succeed Nydia Velázquez.

Julie Won is a trailblazer in New York City politics—the first woman and first immigrant to represent District 26, and the first Korean-American Council Member in the city’s history. A mother of two young children and a caregiver to her aging parents, Julie brings a deeply personal understanding of the realities facing multigenerational families across our city—and she’s built her career fighting to make government work better for them.

After immigrating from South Korea at age eight following the 1997 financial crisis, Julie’s family rebuilt their lives in New York. Her mother, once a culinary professor, worked as a nail technician; her father worked in local small businesses. A proud product of New York public schools and a graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, Julie later spent a decade at IBM advising the federal government on technology modernization. In 2021, she took on a crowded 15-candidate primary and won—running to confront the inequities COVID-19 laid bare.

We talk about her journey, her record, and what’s driving her run for Congress—and what kind of representation she believes New York needs next.

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#JulieWon #NYCPolitics #QueensPolitics #Congress2026 #ImmigrantStory #WomenInPolitics #ThePerezNotes #NYDemocrats #PublicService #MultigenerationalFamilies

Meet Chuck Park

Born in Flushing and raised by Korean immigrant storeowners, Chuck Park’s story is rooted in the world’s borough. He served our country as a U.S. diplomat under Barack Obama, then came home to serve his community as a grassroots organizer and city government leader.

Now, Chuck is running as a Democrat for Congress in NY-6—to defeat Trumpism, kick corporate PAC money out of our politics, and put power back in the hands of working people.

A candid conversation about service, organizing, immigrant roots, and what it will take to win real representation for Queens.

🎧 Listen & subscribe to The Perez Notes.

#ThePerezNotes #NY6 #QueensPolitics #ImmigrantStory #GrassrootsPolitics #NoCorporatePACs #WorkingPeople #Election2026

🎙️ Jibreel joins The Perez Notes for a wide-ranging conversation about community, leadership, and his run for State Assembly.

The son of a union nurse and a taxi driver who immigrated to New York in pursuit of the American dream, Jibreel was born and raised in the community he now seeks to serve. Growing up, he watched families, faith institutions, and neighbors hold one another up—often stepping in when government didn’t show up. Those experiences shaped his belief that lasting change must come from the ground up and that public service should honor the people it serves.

A community organizer, nonprofit CEO, and Obama Scholar, Jibreel has dedicated his life to improving the lives of those around him. He helped stop a toxic pesticide facility from being built near homes and schools, secured $1.6 million in funding to prevent gun violence, supported workers in winning a union, and built a small business—giving him firsthand experience with meeting payroll, creating opportunity, and navigating red tape.

Now, Jibreel is running for State Assembly, bringing a grounded, community-first approach shaped by lived experience, coalition-building, and a deep commitment to public service.

🎙️ Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso joins The Perez Notes for a wide-ranging conversation about his run for Congress, as he seeks to succeed longtime Representative Nydia Velázquez.

Reynoso breaks down why he’s entering the race, how he’s approaching the campaign, and what he sees as the stakes for Brooklyn and New York City. We discuss Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision not to endorse, the coalition Reynoso is building, key endorsements, fundraising dynamics, and how this contest is shaping up in a crowded and closely watched field.

A candid look at ambition, alliances, and the future of Brooklyn’s voice in Washington—straight from one of the borough’s most prominent political figures.

In this episode of The Perez Notes, host Roberto Perez speaks with Bradley Honan, CEO & President of the Honan Strategy Group, about the latest New York City congressional races and what the data says about where the political landscape is headed.

Honan breaks down his race-by-race predictions, analyzes the recent Siena College poll, and explains what the numbers mean for Governor Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The conversation also dives into local races, how political polling works, where it succeeds and fails, and how public opinion data shapes campaign and governing strategy.

Essential listening for anyone tracking NYC politics, elections, and the data behind the headlines.

#ThePerezNotes #NYCPolitics #NewYorkPolitics #CongressionalRaces #Election2025 #PoliticalPolling #SienaPoll #ZohranMamdani #NYElections #DataPolitics #CampaignStrategy

In this episode of The Perez Notes, host Roberto Perez is joined by Harry Siegel, Senior Editor at THE CITY, Moynihan Public Scholar at City College, and host of the FAQ NYC podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation on the shifting power dynamics in New York politics.

They break down Mayor Eric Adams’ time capsule moment and what it symbolizes about his exit from City Hall, analyze the latest Siena Poll, and discuss what it means for incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he prepares to govern. The episode also dives into key New York congressional races, the outcome and implications of the New York City Council Speaker’s race, the future of the NYPD, and how DSA’s relationship with the incoming mayor could shape the next administration.

A sharp, insightful look at transition, governance, and what comes next for New York City.

🔗 Listen, follow, and subscribe: https://linktr.ee/ThePerezNotes

#ThePerezNotes #NYCPolitics #HarrySiegel #TheCityNY #FAQNYC #ZohranMamdani #EricAdams #SienaPoll #NYCCouncil #NYPD #DSA #NewYorkPolitics