Max Politics

First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro spoke with host Ben Max at a live event at New York Law School on the morning of September 30 to discuss Mayor Eric Adams' decision to drop his reelection bid, Adams' legacy, priorities Mastro has spearheaded, and much more. The event was hosted by NYLS' Center for New York City and State Law. (Ep 531)

Letitia (Tish) James, New York State Attorney General, joins to discuss her high-profile legal battles with Donald Trump, emphasizing her commitment to investigating his business practices. She shares insights on her endorsement of mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, highlighting the importance of youth involvement. James expresses concerns over federal pressures and the potential risks of a Republican governor for NYC protections. With a packed agenda, she expresses determination to defend civil rights and maintain accountability in government.

In our debut episode, Public Advocate Jumanne Williams joins us to talk about his arrest outside of 26 Federal Plaza, what the mayor and other elected officials can and should be doing in response to President Trump's threats, and why Williams thinks it's time for New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs to step down. --- FAQ NYC and Max Politics are teaming up for a limited series, coming at you every Tuesday through November, featuring special guests who will help us dig into the latest in the mayor's race – and what's at stake for New Yorkers. City Hall Free For All is brought to you with generous support from Jamie Rubin, Vital City, the Charles H. Revson Foundation and P&T Knitwear. This week's episode was hosted by Harry Siegel, Christina Greer, Katie Honan and Ben Max. Our Senior Producer is Giulia Hjort, and Noah Smith is our engineer. Our series consultants are Jess Hackel and Courtney Harrell. Music from Epidemic Sound. (Ep 529)

New York City Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos joined the show to discuss the start of the new school year, key education policy initiatives underway like an overhaul of reading instruction, the new statewide student cellphone ban, mayoral control of city schools, and more. (Ep 538)

Post-Labor Day and with under 2 months until Election Day (Nov. 4) the general election for Mayor of New York City is now in full swing, and four new polls out this week (Sept. 8-12) help shed light on the state of the race among Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Eric Adams. Joining the show to discuss the polling, the state of the race, candidates' paths to victory, and what comes next are pollster Adam Carlson of Zenith Research and political analyst and professor JC Polanco. (Ep 527)

State Senator Jessica Ramos, a Queens Democrat, returned to the show to discuss her performance and endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral primary, her 2026 bid for Senate reelection against a tough primary challenge, key issues facing her constituents, and more. (Ep 526)

Joe Borelli, Managing Director at Chartwell Strategy Group and former New York City Council Minority Leader, joined the show to discuss how President Trump is doing so far in his second term and the unfolding election for New York City Mayor. The Staten Island Republican spent over a dozen years in elected office, in the State Assembly then City Council, until earlier this year when he left government for the private sector. (Ep 525)

New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, a Democrat and former member of Congress, joined the show to discuss his decision to challenge Governor Kathy Hochul in the June 2026 primary, how their relationship fell apart, key issues facing New York and his platform to address them, and more. (Ep 524)

New York State Senator John Liu, a Queens Democrat, joined the show to discuss key challenges facing his constituents and New York, his support for Zohran Mamdani for mayor, Asian voters, and much more. (Ep 523)

Jonathan Rosen — CEO of Orchestra, co-founder of BerlinRosen, and a top political advisor to Brad Lander and Bill de Blasio — joined the show to discuss the changing communications and media landscape, Lander's unsuccessful bid for mayor, lessons from de Blasio's 2013 win and tenure, Zohran Mamdani's ascension, and more. (Ep 521)