Good morning. It’s Tuesday. Today we’ll look at a push to open the city’s closed primary system to all registered voters. We’ll also find out how the ultrawealthy get to New York New Jersey Stadium for World Cup soccer matches.
New York City has a closed primary system — only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary, and only Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. In heavily Democratic New York, that often means that the winner of the Democratic primary will win the November election. But there’s now a renewed effort to open the city’s primaries to all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation. I asked my colleague Sally Goldenberg, who with Jeffery C. Mays reported on the push for open primaries, to explain what’s at stake. This isn’t the first time there’s been talk of changing New York’s closed primary system. Who’s behind the push for open primaries this time around? The reason this is different is that the organization behind it, Unite NY, says it collected signatures from more than 50,000 registered voters, more than enough for an open-primary measure to go before the City Council. If the Council doesn’t approve it, Unite NY says it will get even more signatures, which it will present to the City Clerk to get it on the ballot. I don’t know if it will be successful. But this push also has the support of a well-known name, a former mayor’s daughter. Emma Bloomberg is not committing resources. Her father, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, spent several million dollars to build support for open primaries during his first term. She runs a data company and has assisted Unite NY by sharing some data. So it still has support from the Bloomberg family. Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he’s “quite content” with closed primaries. But he’s now an incumbent, and don’t closed primaries benefit incumbents? Yes, and they also benefited him as a candidate a year ago. Primaries in New York City draw out the most partisan, most fervent voters. The mayor’s race is in an off year. You’re getting the most politically engaged people. But there’s an argument against open primaries, isn’t there? Why should someone who is not part of a political party have a say in deciding who represents that party on the ballot? Jasmine Gripper of the Working Families Party, defending the current system, said that political parties lift up unions, community organizations and civic groups and that in an open system, those groups wouldn’t have that level of support. She’s saying political parties are the salvation for a lot of organizations. The other argument against open primaries is that they tend to be supported by wealthy interests. Obviously Mike Bloomberg is a wealthy interest. Many developers in New York support open primaries. The argument against that is that open primaries are a vehicle for wealthy interests to influence a political system. Many defenders of the current system look at proponents of open primaries and say these are rich people trying to influence politics. Unite NY says that open primaries would increase turnout. Presumably, yes, because more people could vote. It opens the primaries up to a larger universe of voters. Would the results on primary night be different? It’s really hard to know because it depends upon the current political environment. There are cities with open primaries where democratic socialists have won, but it’s undeniable that allowing independents to vote in the primary would boost the chances of a less partisan candidate — a more moderate candidate. That doesn’t mean Mamdani wouldn’t have won in 2025, but there’s a school of thought that open primaries would have helped a candidate like Andrew Cuomo. If the push for open primaries gains momentum, wouldn’t it lead to a clash between Mamdani and real estate interests that were against him last year? That is potentially true. Most of the real estate execs who support open primaries are staying out of this effort. But you’re right, if it comes to fruition, it sets up a fight between Mamdani and supporters of open primaries. WEATHER A sunny day is ahead with temperatures near 94. Tonight, look for mostly clear skies and a low around 79. A heat advisory is in effect. ALTERNATE-SIDE PARKING In effect until July 23 (Tisha B’Av). QUOTE OF THE DAY “I still believe this is the wrong place for housing of any kind.” — Katherine Conkling Thompson, who leads nonprofits dedicated to Bushwick Inlet and its park in Brooklyn and who opposes a plan to build a colossal residential development at the site. The latest New York news
Remembering Mike Wallace
Exploring Lower Manhattan
We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. How the ultrawealthy get to the World Cup
NJTransit’s $98 round-trip ticket to New York New Jersey Stadium for the World Cup isn’t pricey enough for superwealthy fans who don’t want to deal with the shambles that is Pennsylvania Station. For $6,000, Blade Air will fly six people to Teterboro, the airport in northern New Jersey that is popular with the flying-private set. From there, you still have to get to the stadium. The most prestigious, most private option is a car with FIFA tags, which start at thousands of dollars. Uber and other car services cannot get closer than a mile away. There are other ways to get to Teterboro. One mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer is charging $10,000 to rent his own hangar to clients of his firm who fly in for the games. The lawyer has stashed his plane in Massachusetts for a month. METROPOLITAN DIARY Manhattanhenge
Dear Diary: Beginning in spring 2002, I announced to New Yorkers via email and news release that on two days each year the Sun sets over New Jersey in a way that perfectly aligns with the Manhattan street grid. When the western skies are cloud-free, this phenomenon makes for beautiful photos of tall glass-and-steel buildings framing the radiant sun on every cross street that enjoys unobstructed sight lines to the horizon. This event has been happening since the grid was conceived in 1811, but apparently no one had noticed and documented the phenomenon. I coined the term “Manhattanhenge,” evoking the solstice alignment of the rising sun at England’s prehistoric Stonehenge. I had visited the site on a science expedition when I was 15, and had always wanted some version of it for my home town. Few people took notice initially, but now, thousands flood the Manhattan cross streets and block traffic to get a glimpse when those days arrive. One of the best views is from the Tudor City overpass, which allows your sightline to trace the exact middle of 42nd Street without standing in the middle of 42nd Street. On a Manhattanhenge day a few years ago, I parked my body early on that overpass, where hundreds more people would eventually arrive. About 10 minutes before sunset, I was standing and talking about Manhattanhenge to some strangers next to me when a loud, raspy voice called out from several rows back: “Down in front, sonny!!” In my mind, I shouted back: “Lady, do you know who I am? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be here on this overpass.” But in reality, I politely apologized for blocking her view and quietly sat back down, allowing all behind me to enjoy the spectacle. — Neil deGrasse Tyson Dr. Tyson, an astrophysicist, is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. (He also contributed to Metropolitan Diary in 1991.) Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Tell us your New York story here and read more Metropolitan Diary here.
Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. Davaughnia Wilson and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach th |
