Mayoral Madness
By Samantha Wineman, The New Yorker
NEW YORK, New York- The Big Apple hasn’t seen a mayor like Boss Tweed since, well, Boss Tweed. Easily the most influential mayor since Rudy Giuliani, Tweed has consolidated, and used, his power. Born in New York, Tweed spent his childhood pulling for the Mets and Jets, before heading off to the University of Miami. However, he couldn’t stay in South Beach forever. “I’m a New Yorker,” he says in the famous New York accent. Upon returning to New York, he rose rapidly in the state Democratic party, and was the executioner of a plan to bring the state senate back to Democratic control in 2016. It succeeded, and despite his young age, he became the chairman of the state Democratic party in 2017.
“That was a huge transition for me,” Tweed told The New Yorker “I had to lead.” Lead he did, and despite being a moderate himself, he drew headlines in July of 2018 when he threatened to revoke the party status of a state senator who said he would accept a job in the administration of a Republican Governor. The Democrat won, and Tweed’s power grew even more. In 2021, the Democratic National Committee made him their chairman.
It was potentially a career ending decision for Tweed, to accept the role. His heavy handed ways did not go over well at all in Washington DC. Scaring off donors, alienating voters, and ultimately losing control of the Senate, Tweed resigned after the 2022 election. It seemed as if his career was over. But in 2024, he announced that he would seek the position of Mayor. Many skeptics thought he was too moderate to get the Democratic nomination, but he shocked them all, winning in a divisive primary with only 33% of the vote. However, he unified the base, and won the general election 58-29, surviving a third party challenge.
Everything goes through Tweed these days. Every decision, he has a say in it. And don’t dare argue, or he’ll pull a pink slip out from a drawer, and hand it over. However, he is still very popular among both constituents and government officials, for his ruthless efficiency, and focus on achievement. He’s not on anyone’s side, even his most bitter enemies agree he would never give a job to an unqualified person simply because he had a good relationship with that person.
Easily re-elected in 2029, Tweed’s opponents were virtually powerless. They are angry that Tweed controls so much. He is major of the country’s largest city, he runs the state Democratic party, he has many legislators in his back pocket thanks to favors he’s done for them; he’s become the 21st century symbol of Tammany Hall arrogance and corrupt behavior. His critics may soon may have to add something else to that list: President of the United States.
Hah, that's a beautiful article! I'd never read it before.
