Seven days after “NYC’s political earthquake,” we’re still waiting for the Board of Elections data. On “the other site,” NYC BOE posted a statement about releasing data weekly “until all ballots are counted, cure deadlines expire, and final results are certified.” I will patiently wait for Steven Romalewski, Director of CUNY Mapping Service, to get the data and visualize it. You should follow him on Bluesky!
In the meantime, we wake with a nation at war; the Federal government has declared war on people living in poverty, children, anyone needing public assistance, and people living with disabilities. The pain and suffering that our Federal leadership is willing to subject its residents to is absolutely appalling. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is the greatest redistribution of wealth to those who don’t need it. Our Federal budget deficit will grow. Our long-term economic growth will slow, and the poorest among us will feel the worst impacts of this horrible budget bill.
Friends, do not lose hope. While there is a class war at hand, we will win if the people are united. This is not a cliché. This is a fact.
In February, I finished re-reading Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine. In short, Klein walks us through Milton Friedman’s economic policies that promoted totalitarianism and free market capitalism. It struck me that the current Mayoral administration had engaged in the same “free market” strategy. Btw, this is an absolutely frightening read at the start of this federal administration while navigating the hurdles of parenting a deaf child through our climate collapse and imagining what this year’s municipal budget would produce. (We’ve included a few links to this year’s City budget and will include more in the next newsletter.)
In April, Annie McDonough asked if “anyone wants to be NYC’s tech mayor?” Former NYC CTO John Paul Farmer is quoted as saying, “How technology can help improve the things people care deeply about – housing, transportation, safety, and more – that’s important, and I’d like us to hear more about it. […] These days, if the technology doesn’t work, the policy doesn’t work.”
For over a decade, we have argued that government services must be built through digital service design. If you don’t get the tech right, the policy will fail – Obamacare roll out, NYC’s Covid19 vaccine website, MyCity… Now, given what we’re seeing from DC, I would like all Mayoral and City Council candidates to focus on one gov tech narrative — building up resilient and equitable service delivery teams.
To meet the emerging needs of those who need services the most, services need to be considerate and responsive to all. In short, service design boils down to five major elements: user-centered, co-creative, sequenced, evidenced, and holistic.
Procurement, technology, data, and design are all integral to service delivery. When done right, services are delivered equitably. We are beyond blessed to have New Yorkers researching these practices and ready to take examples of excellence to City Hall.
NYC Civic Service Design Studio literally wrote a playbook in 2017. Members of that team have continued to research and document best practices. Now is the time for the next Administration and Council to ensure NYC’s public services are built for the century they are in. If you meet a candidate for office, ask them what their service design strategy is. IF they don’t have one, tell them to attend CityCamp.NYC on Saturday, September 6 at CUNY Law School.
Then, let us elect officials who are passionate about democracy, the rule of law, solidarity, service design AND delivery. The last day to apply to vote in the general election is October 25, 2025.
PS – Eliza Orlins has a few tips on how to fight the OBBB; that’s if it hasn’t passed by the time you read this. Please read and share her recent call to action.
Note – if we share a link and you don’t have a subscription to that service, please try the URL via Archive.today.
May you all have a safe and peaceful 4th of July.
Noel Hidalgo, Executive Director
Upcoming Events with BetaNYC 🎊
- July 8 at 3 pm Mapping for Equity: Mapping NYC’s Public Amenities in NYC Council District 2 with BetaNYC (rescheduled due to heat advisory)
- July 9 at 4 pm Mapping for Equity: Mapping NYC’s Public Amenities in NYC Council District 26 with BetaNYC
- July 11 at 12 pm Discovering NYC Open Data: Online Session, a collaboration between NYC Office of Technology and Innovation’s Open Data Team and BetaNYC.
- September 6 CityCamp NYC, a public interest technology unconference where participants will shape the agenda. Facilitated by BetaNYC, the event aims to foster hands-on collaboration and creative problem-solving across various sectors.
Turnout Trends and Takeaways 🗳️
- Primary Results Breakdown: The New York Times offers an interactive map of the Democratic primary—see exactly where Mamdani, Cuomo, Lander, and Adams landed. (Paywall)
- NYC Mayoral Map View: THE CITY delivers a borough-by-borough map of the mayoral primary, tracing where Mamdani, Cuomo, Lander, and Adams captured votes.
- The Divide between Car and Non–Car Owners: Jalopnik reveals how Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory was driven by predominantly non–car owners from transit-heavy neighborhoods, highlighting a deeper divide in NYC voting patterns.
- Trump Voters Boost Mamdani: Gothamist shows how Zohran Mamdani won over working-class voters in traditionally Trump-supporting NYC districts by focusing on affordability.
- Early Voting Surges in NYC: Early turnout for NYC’s mayoral primary doubled from 2021, and it’s driven by young voters who could reshape the outcome this year.
- Four Takeaways from the Results: City & State breaks down four major insights from NYC’s ranked-choice mayoral primary, and what the results reveal about voter coalitions and who comes out ahead.
Insights and the Road Ahead 🛣️
- Behind the Scenes of Cuomo’s Defeat: Hell Gate captured raw, poignant photos from former Governor Cuomo’s primary-night loss to Zohran Mamdani. (Paywall)
- NYC’s Political Earthquake: Vital City sat down with Basil Smikle to unpack the seismic implications of Mamdani’s upset—a generational, coalition-shifting moment reshaping New York’s Democratic landscape.
- It’s Platform, Not Podcast: User Mag debunks the TikTok hype, emphasizing that Mamdani won because of a clear, people-first platform, not viral moments.
- Ranked Results and the WFP Gain: THE CITY breaks down Mamdani’s ranked-choice win, how it unfolded, and what his victory means, including insights on Working Families Party support.
- Primary Playbook Primed: Politico’s Playbook recaps Mamdani’s triumphant night, what shots were fired post-vote, and what insiders are saying about the road ahead.
Narratives in Motion 💬
- Dissecting Mamdani’s platform: Vital City explores critical questions around Zohran Mamdani’s progressive platform—can bold promises on policing, budget, and housing stand up to scrutiny?
- What’s next for business leaders? Crain’s delves into how NYC business leaders are reacting to Zohran Mamdani’s rise—can they find common ground with a democratic socialist mayor in the making? And Semafor reports that NYC’s business elite suddenly rallied behind Mayor Adams, driven by panic over Mamdani’s platform. (Paywall)
- Next steps for the real estate industry: Crain’s real estate section reflects on industry support for Cuomo—what happens when the center collapses and progressive leadership takes the wheel? (Paywall)
Post-Election Airwaves 🎙️
- NYC Politics on Hell Gate Podcast: Hell Gate dives into the dynamics of NYC’s primary with hot takes, insider stories, and what’s next for the mayoral field.
- Mamdani Discusses His Big Night: WNYC interviewed Zohran Mamdani on the energy, expectations, and momentum behind his primary-night victory.
- Senator Bernie Sanders on NYC’s elections: Politico magazine spoke with Senator Sanders about Zohran Mamdani’s victory and the future of the Democratic party.
- Max Politics Election Recap: Max Politics, featuring guest Mike Gianaris, conducted an in-depth analysis of Mamdani’s rise and what his win signals for the future of progressive politics in NYC.
- NPR posted a long interview of Zohran Mamdani on YouTube where he speaks passionately about organizing around pocketbook issues, he openly addresses antisemitism and the islamophobia he has faced, additionally, Mamdani clarifies his remarks made on NBC’s Meet the Press about billionaires, saying, “I think the better question is whether working people have the right to exist, because what we’ve seen in this city is that more and more working people are being pushed out.” Watch on YouTube.
Community Resources 📚
- Meet Open Plans’ Summer Interns: Open Plans introduces their 2025 summer interns, spotlighting the next generation of urban planners, transit advocates, and civic innovators.
- Data Brokers Under Fire: 404 Media uncovers how people-search sites, which provided info on the suspected Minnesota killer, highlight Congress’s failure to regulate data brokers effectively. (Paywall)
- NYC Food Pantries Struggling: City Limits reports that New York food pantries are overwhelmed. Demand is rising while funding is flatlining, threatening services for those in need.
- Tracking Hurricanes Better? The New York Times dives into how improved satellite technology and climate data are providing scientists with new tools to monitor hurricanes more accurately. (Paywall)
- Good Trouble Chronicles: Life Is a Sacred Text launched “Good Trouble,” a new blog that captures the stories of individuals who are shaking up the status quo through activism, resilience, and change-making.
Jobs Alert and Announcements 💼
For more listings, check out #Jobs in Slack. Submit this form to have your job advertised here!
- The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) is recruiting an AI Governance Fellow.
- The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is hiring a Manager, Product Development- Database Administrator.
- The New School is seeking an Institutional Research Data Analyst.
- The New York State Department of Health is hiring a Data Analyst.
- The RAND School of Public Policy has launched the Master of Technology Policy.
Upcoming Community Events 📆
Note: All times are listed in EDT. Submit this form to advertise your event here!
- July 3 at 5:30 pm NYCWCC Founder meetup
- July 15 at 6 pm Introduction to Low-Code App-Building with FlutterFlow
- July 17 at 6 pm Civic Tech Happy Hour @Teaism
Want to sponsor this newsletter or to be featured in future ones? Share your community resources, projects, events, and anything else happening so we can feature them in future posts.
What did you think of today’s newsletter? We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas. Reply to this message. Take care of each other, and have a great holiday weekend! 🇺🇸