Julie Menin, the Democratic councilmember from Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the front‑runner to become the next speaker of the New York City Council. On Monday she added strong new support: the Transport Workers Union and the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL‑CIO, both of which had backed Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani in the campaign. Menin, a Jewish, pro‑Israel moderate, said on Wednesday that she already has a supermajority of backing in the 51‑seat council ahead of the January 7 vote.
Brendan Griffith, president of the Central Labor Council, praised Menin’s record, saying she has always understood the hurdles that working people face in the city. “The union looks forward to working with her and the council to advance policies that make the city more affordable, improve the lives of the people who keep New York running, and strengthen unions and empower the workers they represent,” he wrote in a tweet. Both unions had earlier endorsed Mamdani in the mayoral race.
Menin’s chief rival, progressive Democrat Crystal Hudson of Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights, has already conceded. If elected, Menin would become the first Jewish speaker of the council, a role previously held by Jewish officers under different titles. She has supported Holocaust education initiatives in the city, criticized a Department of Education newsletter that called Israel’s tactics in Gaza “genocide,” and in 2024 traveled to Israel on a solidarity mission with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
Menin’s pro‑Israel stance sharply contrasts with Mamdani’s repeated calls accusing Israel of “genocide” and his decision not to march in New York City’s Israel Day parade—a procession that Menin attends each year. In a Politico interview, Menin refrained from describing herself as a “check” on Mamdani; instead, she emphasized shared policy goals. “There is widespread agreement within the council that we want to partner on a shared affordability agenda that includes building more affordable housing and enacting universal child care,” she said. “I think we are very aligned on the shared affordability agenda, and I think there’s additional opportunities that the council has to push the affordability agenda.” Local reporters noted that Menin is likely to announce further endorsements on Wednesday.
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