[NYguy]

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/04/...casino-debate/

NYC comptroller hopeful Justin Brannan nets key union support amid Hudson Yards casino debate


By CHRIS SOMMERFELDT
April 10, 2025

The Hotel Trades Council and 32BJ, two of New York’s most influential unions, are throwing their political weight behind Justin Brannan’s bid for city comptroller — the labor groups’ first citywide endorsements in the 2025 cycle.

Besides being the first citywide 2025 endorsement they’re offering, it’s significant that HTC and 32 BJ are in Brannan endorsing the more progressive candidate in the race. The unions typically back moderate candidates, but HTC and 32 BJ officials told the Daily News they opted against backing Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brannan’s main rival in the June 24 Democratic comptroller primary, for a handful of reasons.

For HTC, which represents hotel and gaming workers, the officials said the union grew skeptical of Levine after he used his Manhattan BP post in February to advise against awarding Wynn Resorts a license to build a casino in Hudson Yards, a project that’d likely bring thousands of jobs to add to the union’s ranks.

Brannan “has always supported policies that lift up working families, promoted responsible development that creates high-quality jobs, and stood firmly against the erosion of housing protections,” HTC President Richard Maroko said.

For 32BJ, which represents building service workers, the officials said Brannan was a strong supporter of labor rights and credited him for helping advance a bill to launch the Office of Healthcare Accountability, which seeks to drive down medical costs for New Yorkers.

“Justin Brannan is a strong progressive leader who has consistently fought for working people,” 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said.