Pol jury split, judge says keep trying

NEW YORK’S First Lady Chirlane McCray may have her own bid for political office in her future.

Mayor de Blasio’s wife told Cosmopolitan in an interview after Hizzoner’s reelection win that she’ll think about running herself after he leaves office.

“Yes. I would consider running for office. But not for mayor,” she told the magazine.

McCray said she hasn’t decided what office she might seek, other than that it won’t be following in her husband’s footsteps at City Hall.

“I think that all women should consider running for office. What’s happening now is just horrifying. With the people we have — with the person we have in the President’s office, with so many of the people we have in Congress — we need more progressive women in office. At all levels. From City Councils on up,” she said.

McCray had been a close adviser to de Blasio during his first term, and focused her efforts on mental health, where she developed the Thrive NYC program.

“We need women to run. I encourage women to run. So I can’t rule it out myself,” she said.

As for why she wouldn’t seek the mayor’s seat, McCray said she’s been there, done that.

“It’s a huge responsibility. And I feel like I’ve gone through this already,” she said with a laugh.

Asked if she’d set her sights on statewide or city office, McCray said, “I’m not there. Four years, I’m doing this. And then we’ll figure it out.”

While stumping for her husband, McCray recently compared President Trump to the deadly hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

She told Cosmopolitan she stands by the comparison.

“I think that when you look at the damage that many of the policies that he has proposed can do to our citizens of the United States — absolutely. We’re talking about life-or-death issues. We’re talking about repealing THE JURY IN the bribery trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy donor and friend told the judge it couldn’t reach a verdict on Monday on any of the 18 counts against them, prompting the judge to order the panel to return Tuesday to continue deliberating.

The development capped a tumultuous day that began with defense attorneys arguing with Newark Federal Judge William Walls over a different issue — public comments made last week by a juror who had been excused for a previously scheduled vacation. The juror told reporters she and others were in favor of acquittal but that she anticipated a hung jury.

After questioning jurors in private, the judge directed the jury to restart deliberations with an alternate replacing the excused juror.

Three hours later, the jurors sent a note saying they couldn’t “reach a unanimous verdict on any of the charges.” The judge instructed them to “have a good meal and good sleep” and return Tuesday.

Menendez (photo) buoyed by the jurors’ note.

“Clearly there are jurors who believe in my innocence.”

A mistrial would be a major setback for the government, which spent more than two years investigating the Democratic senator’s ties with Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen before indicting them in the spring of 2015. seemed