–Republicans have lined up Lester Chang to run against the Democratic nominee for Sheldon Silver’s old Assembly seat, reports the New York Post. NYC Dems will meet on Sunday to pick among several candidates.
—One of those candidates, You-Line Niou, has been endorsed by City Comptroller Scott Stringer and State Sen. Brad Hoylman.
–Community groups are asking the City Council to delay consideration of Mayor de Blasio’s controversial zoning proposals, reports the Daily News.
–On Stellar Rays, an art pioneer in this neighborhood, is “expanding its Lower East Side universe,” reports the Times.
–Northern Spy, the beloved East Village restaurant, is calling it quits, according to Grub Street.
–The Ninth Ward bar on 2nd Avenue is closing, says EV Grieve.
It is quite telling that #ScottStringer endorses Yuh-Line Niou over his own staffer Alice Cancel (Lower East Side Dems) who is favored to win the special election on Sunday. If your own boss isn’t confident in you, why is Alice Cancel even in the race?
#ScottStringer is no fool (and a greasy opportunist) He is looking ahead to replace #deblasio and he wants and needs the Chinese votes UDO and YuhLine’s boss Kim can deliver in Queens and Manhattan.
The jockeying for power among Shelly’s machine is in full swing. Chinatown matriarch Virginia Kee and UDO may have played this pitch perfect by setting up Yuh-Line Niou as Shelly’s replacement. Kee at the helm clipped Margaret Chin’s chances of replacing her as the Chinatown powerbroker by blocking Gigi Li’s chance to the Assembly seat.
UDO who for a longtime was under the thumb of Shelly doing his bidding and receiving his pork spending is now poised for a takeover, controlling the purse strings and advancing the interest of certain Chinatown constituents.
The red dragon is rising over Grand Street and Two Bridges/SouthBridge…the new power base in the 65th Assembly will intersect Chinatown.