Brigid Bergin

Both sides are sounding off on a ballot measure that would expand casino gambling in New York State. Supporters say it would bring jobs and spur economic development upstate. Opponents say the proposal is misleading and when it comes to casinos only the house wins.

Democrat Bill de Blasio continues to poll nearly 40 points ahead of Republican Joe Lhota in the race for mayor, with only five days left until Election Day. That's leading the de Blasio campaign to combat complacency in the final days, while making sure to carefully manage his message.

Mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio said he wants to go "back to the drawing board" when it comes to outer borough taxis. But why? And what would this plan entail?

Bill de Blasio is starting to reel in some serious money — behind closed doors. Hillary Clinton is holding a public campaign event in Virginia, but in New York, the press was barred. With a 40 percent gap in the polls, much of the city is beginning to think seriously about what Bill de Blasio will do as Mayor.  And Joe Lhota still can't stop stepping on his own message.  WNYC's Andrea Bernstein, Anna Sale, and Brigid Bergin break it all down. 

A day after a feisty mayoral debate, Bill de Blasio hit the stump Wednesday unshaken. The Democrat held a rally at City Hall on Wednesday to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. But the event was less about the issue and more about the optics.

Joe Lhota came out swinging in Tuesday night’s mayoral debate. Still lagging by 40 points in the latest polls, it was a chance for the Republican to show he’s still a contender.

Bill de Blasio cashed in big with help from his old boss - Hillary Clinton. The former first lady, U.S. Senator, Secretary of State and possible 2016 presidential candidate hosted a...

Mayoral candidates Joe Lhota and Bill de Blasio continue drawing distinctions between each other — this time in their ad strategies.

Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota said this week a "Grand Canyon" separates him and Bill de Blasio in the polls.  The latest Marist poll shows more than 40 point between the candidates.  The race for New Jersey Governor has a similar, yawning gap.  But the polls are surprisingly close in the U.S. Senate race between Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.  In this edition of "This Week in Politics," WNYC's Andrea Bernstein and Brigid Bergin, and New Jersey Public Radio's Nancy Solomon break it all down.

As New York City’s Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio led organizing campaigns around a multitude of city issues – from stop and frisk to tenants’ rights. But in March 2012, de Blasio also made an unusual foray into foreign policy when he launched an online campaign targeting car companies that did business with Iran.

Charles Hynes isn't letting go of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office without a fight. Despite losing the primary to Democrat Ken Thompson almost a month ago, Hynes officially launched his seventh re-election bid Tuesday on the Republican and Conservative lines.

In the New York City mayor's race, polls this week showed Republican Joe Lhota has enormous ground to make up before the November 5th election. He's trailing Democrat Bill de Blasio by a 50-point margin. Still, both candidates are employed a similar strategy this week as they tried to paint the other as a radical outside the political mainstream.

We also learned more about Bill de Blasio's family life, with a peek at his wedding video, and an exclusive interview on WNYC about his father's suicide.

Bill de Blasio did not back away from his progressive agenda in a speech to the Association for a Better New York on Friday. He hit on his familiar themes, like taxing the wealthy to pay for pre-K and expanding paid sick leave, but de Blasio did have one surprise for the pro-business audience.

The race for Brooklyn District Attorney may not be over after all. Despite conceding to Democrat Ken Thompson on primary night, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes plans to reactivate his re-election bid, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines.

When Bill de Blasio was sworn in as public advocate on the first day of 2010, he described an office that would amplify the voice of the people.

As two Democrats readied for the Tuesday run-off of the Public Advocate, the New York Times released a new documentary that chronicles the end of Speaker Christine Quinn's long run for mayor. Meanwhile, the mayoral candidates still aiming for the 2013 win debated Latin American politics in the 1980s, with some red-hot rhetoric. Marxist playbook, anyone?

Voters say the city needs a new direction by a two-to-one margin, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday afternoon.

Bill de Blasio called it "a tale of two cities" — not "Occupy Wall Street." But the fierce anti-inequality sentiment that provoked mass protests two years ago Tuesday is giving his campaign for mayor a huge boost. And, that's fine with de Blasio.

Bill Thompson has scheduled an 11am press conference today, at which he is expected to withdraw from the mayoral race. Brigid Bergin, WNYC politics reporter, discusses the breaking news. And Dick Dadey, Executive Director of Citizens Union, discuss why the vote count has been so problematic, why turnout is so low, and what to do about it.

UPDATE: Democratic mayoral primary runner-up Bill Thompson emerged from a closed-door meeting Thursday night not prepared to concede the race.