City Hall $ aiding a run, critics say
City First Lady Chirlane McCray is exploiting the power of the mayor’s office to unofficially campaign for a potential Brooklyn borough president run, critics say.
They point to recent initiatives from McCray that have had a decided emphasis on Brooklyn and come with millions of dollars in funding plus some local limelight.
“There’s nothing wrong with the first lady being the public face of the administration. Every first lady does that,” said Councilman Joe Borelli (R-S.I.). “It’s a different story when it’s so transparently geared toward their own political future.”
Earlier this month, McCray announced a $43 million program to provide mental health services to new parents. It will be rolled out in Brooklyn, followed by the other boroughs.
She announced the initiative at a press conference featuring rows of mothers holding babies. The first lady even mugged for photos while holding a newborn at the Brightpoint Health center in Flatbush.
Councilman Antonio Reynoso, a Democrat running for Brooklyn borough president, welcomed the mental health work but said McCray’s motives are suspect.
“I am concerned about the first lady using city resources for what I believe are campaign purposes,” he said.
“I actually think the resources coming to the borough are a good thing,” Reynoso added. “I’d rather that come from good intentions than to curry political points in Brooklyn.”
McCray took center stage in introducing Mayor de Blasio — and touting her new mental health program — at his State of the City speech on Feb. 6.
She gave a highly personal account of her struggles as a new mom while trumpeting the mental health program, in which new parents will be eligible for up to six free visits from health care providers giving advice on everything from breastfeeding to postpartum depression.
McCray has also launched a podcast about mental health in partnership with BRIC, Brooklyn’s public access cable channel. The first lady touted the program at a talk-show-style forum at BRIC’s downtown Brooklyn headquarters last week.
De Blasio has spent recent weeks pushing behind the scenes for McCray to become borough president, insiders say. He’s even dangled support for incumbent Borough President Eric Adams’ mayoral run in exchange for Adams’ endorsement of McCray, according to local politicos.
But with the borough president’s race not until next year, city rules barring officials from using the power of their offices through mailings and the like are not yet in effect, noted Alex Camarda of good-government group Reinvent Albany.
“It’s too far removed from the election to clearly give her a campaign advantage if she runs,” he said. “But it enhances her visibility and name recognition to be doing government work in the borough.”
An officer for a reformist political club in Brooklyn said McCray should be using her megaphone to call attention to the borough president’s race, which typically draws low voter turnout, instead of running herself.
“I find it extremely problematic that she’s exploiting her role as the first lady,” said Jessica Thurston of New Kings Democrats.
The mayor’s maneuvering on McCray’s behalf, which one insider called “the worst-kept secret in
Brooklyn,” comes after de Blasio’s abysmal performance in the Democratic presidential race. In 2018, McCray said she was considering a run for office, explaining she felt spurred by President Trump’s election.
The borough president’s office “should not be a consolation prize for a couple that couldn’t seek higher office successfully,” said Thurston.
McCray’s office dismissed criticism of her recent programs’ emphasis on Brooklyn.
“The first lady has been serving New Yorkers for six years with the results to prove it, her spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg said in a statement. “It’s sad people continue to attempt to extort her good work and traffic in rumors. We’re lucky to have her as a champion and public servant.”