After Gianaris endorses Wiley, strategists see move to appeal to broader swath of New York voters
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State Sen. Michael Gianaris speaks at the state capitol. AP Photo/Hans Pennink
By David Brand
The Democratic primary for mayor is still eight months away, but already many of the city’s leftist leaders have lined up behind New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s bid to replace Bill de Blasio.
State Sens. Jessica Ramos and Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou and Congressional candidate Jamaal Bowman have all endorsed Stringer. As have Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer and Assemblymember Martiza Davila.
But one of the city’s most prominent progressives, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, has gone in a different direction, breaking with his allies to support Maya Wiley, the former counsel to de Blasio, ex-Civilian Complaint Review Board chair and a recent MSNBC contributor.
The decision means Gianaris, the state’s highest-ranking Bernie Sanders delegate, is backing a frequent critic of the socialist senator from Vermont to whom he has yoked his political ideology in recent years. Wiley regularly criticized Sanders and his aggressive supporters — the “Bernie Bros” — on Twitter while championing Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president. Four years later, she said she preferred candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.
The move has sparked speculation among political observers about Gianaris’ long-term plans and his ongoing metamorphosis from Queens County Democratic party functionary to avowed leftist advocate to, perhaps, a politician courting a broader base of support, particularly among Black and African American voters, as he weighs a future run for statewide office.
Wiley, who is Black, is a well known figure who could become the first woman elected New York City mayor. Supporting her candidacy enables Gianaris to build inroads with Black New Yorkers, especially women, outside his Astoria district, said Queens-based Democratic consultant Martha Ayon.
“It’s always a smart political move to back a Black woman,” Ayon said. “It’s brilliant on his part to back a Black woman that has a strong criminal justice record and broad appeal, and that’s something he hasn’t been able to do being stuck in Astoria.”
Appealing to Black voters is an imperative, especially amid the current movement to end structural racism, Ayon said. “He needs to broaden and diversify,” she added.
What office he may pursue down the line remains a topic of debate among political observers and insiders, however.
Gianaris has in the past considered a run for state attorney general, a path now blocked by Letitia James. Four political strategists and consultants interviewed for this story said he may consider an eventual bid for governor, a possible primary challenge against state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and a campaign for Congress depending on redrawn districts. The most likely scenario, they said, would see Gianaris taking over the role of senate majority leader after Andrea Stewart-Cousins ultimately retires.
Whatever his intentions, Gianaris has a 17-year-old state campaign account that contains more than $2.3 million and only grows as it accumulates interest and the occasional corporate contribution, like a $1,000 check from Anheuser Busch in May.
Any future run, though, likely depends on broadening his support beyond the Western Queens progressives and socialists he has adapted his politics to win over, said a consultant who works with progressive candidates in New York and asked to remain anonymous to speak about people they may end up representing.
“If you’re Mike and you’re thinking about your own politics and your own brand, Maya Wiley makes a heck of a lot of sense,” the consultant said. “It’s smart politics. He doesn’t have any natural African American base, not in his district or in his politics.”
Another progressive strategist who works with Democrats said the endorsement allows Gianaris to differentiate himself from the activists he has aligned with while not necessarily alienating them. Stringer has been a member of the political establishment for decades before more recently tying himself to the insurgent left.
“[Gianaris] is smart. He always sees a few moves ahead of everyone,” the strategist said. “He jumped on the Amazon deal and ran with that.”
Gianaris led local opposition to the Amazon campus deal, further endearing himself to his progressive constituents. He also sided with a faction of reform-minded Queens Democrats and decided not to run for reelection to a district leader position with some influence in the county organization.
At other times, however, he has been slow to embrace the candidates and causes championed by the left.
He endorsed his former ally Rep. Joe Crowley over then-challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, with his name and statement of support appearing at the very top of a press release issued by Crowley a month before that June’s Democratic primary.
When he endorsed public defender Tiffany Cabán for Queens district attorney, it was a couple days before the Democratic primary.
He declined to endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary for Queens’ Assembly District 36, which pitted incumbent lawmaker Aravella Simotas — Gianaris’ longtime friend and ally — against Democratic Socialists of America-backed challenger Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani won the primary.
Gianaris declined to be interviewed for this story and instead sent a statement. He did not respond to questions about his future political goals.
“Maya Wiley’s record as a progressive leader is second to none. She has long been a champion for civil rights, racial justice, and economic equality,” Gianaris said. “I look forward to Maya’s history-making campaign to bring positive change to New York.”
Wiley, for her part, said she “couldn’t be prouder” to have Gianaris’ support, citing his work to defeat members of the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference as chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
“Mike is a true progressive who fights for all New Yorkers, and was instrumental to defeating the IDC and returning Democratic control to the State Senate,” Wiley said. “Mike knows how to get things done, and, as our next mayor, I am looking forward to having him by my side as we fight to reimagine a New York City that will be stronger, more just and better than ever before.”
