From City & State's 2021 NYC Power 100: political figures wax and wane, but a lobbyist & p.r. powerhouse (working for Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, among others) stay steady

City & State this week published The 2021 New York City Power 100, highlighting "many of the standout politicians and political players who are stepping up to save their city."

Much of the list is predictable. The Top Ten: Sen. Charles Schumer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, state Attorney General Letitia James, House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza.

It's not unreasonable to put Stringer, elected citywide, slightly ahead of Adams, a fellow frontrunner--at least in terms of fundraising--in the mayoral raise, and then place the rest of the candidates at #21, even as neophyte candidate Andrew Yang's celebrity name recognition has him leading initial polls.

Raul Rothblatt wrote on Twitter, "Central Brooklyn is now the center of power for New York State," which is a little bit of an exaggeration--Heastie and Stewart-Cousins, for example, aren't from Brooklyn--but reflects the prominence of James, Jeffries, and Adams.

Some Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park connections

Though Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park is not mentioned, a lobbyist and p.r. firm long associated with the project again got prominence:

32. Suri Kasirer, President, Kasirer
The No. 1-ranked lobbyist has close ties throughout the de Blasio administration and the City Council (two alums work for Speaker Corey Johnson) and the deep knowledge of the city’s inner workings that only comes with years of government relations experience. She’ll have to work her magic again heading into 2022, developing relationships with scores of candidates running for local office and working with a new administration on behalf of her many clients.

33. Valerie Berlin & Jonathan Rosen
Principals and Co-Founders, BerlinRosen
Known for engineering Bill de Blasio’s 2013 mayoral primary upset, BerlinRosen co-founder Jonathan Rosen publicly chided the mayor’s early coronavirus response as “pathetic” and “self-involved.” He has since hunkered down with co-founder Valerie Berlin and their families to form their own quarantine bubble. The firm celebrated its 15th anniversary with a rebrand and a new website that helps clients navigate the coronavirus crisis. They’ve advised a long list of campaigns, including Brad Lander’s city comptroller bid.

Rankings are of course subjective. Note that last year, Kasirer and Berlin/Rosen were #28 and #29, down slightly from their 2019 rankings of #25 and #26, as I wrote.

Others of note

Errol Louis, Host, “Inside City Hall," NY1, is #36, ahead of some real estate luminaries, including Stephen Ross, Chair and Founder, Related Companies, at #41; Douglas Durst, Chair, The Durst Organization, at #42; James Whelan, President, Real Estate Board of New York, at #43; and Jed Walentas, CEO of Two Trees Management, at #83. That's a slight reshuffle from last year.

Others of note include Gary LaBarbera, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (an Atlantic Yards backer), at #52; Marisa Lago, Chair, City Planning Commission, at #70; and 35th District Council Member Laurie Cumbo, the Majority Leader, at #91.

It was interesting to see Susan Lerner, Executive Director, Common Cause New York, at #77, a first presence on the list, as far as I know.