New York Note: SBS Progress, SNAP Expansion, Election Recap

City Expands Support and Streamlines Requirements for Small Businesses

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has assisted more than 3,000 businesses with licensing and permitting since the start of the administration, including 97 businesses that opened for the first time. SBS has added 17 Small Business Advocates, bringing its NYC Business Express Service Team to 30, and recommended more than 50 changes related to permits, paperwork, and fines. The agency has also provided more than $8.4 million in grants to community-based organizations serving more than 20,000 small businesses and distributed an updated Business Owner Bill of Rights to more than 4,000 businesses.

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Mamdani Expands Grocery Assistance Program for SNAP Recipients

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced an expansion of Get the Good Stuff, which provides New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with a dollar-for-dollar match on eligible purchases of fruits, vegetables and beans, up to $10 per day. The NYC Health Department, in partnership with the Fund for Public Health NYC, plans to add up to 12 grocery stores to the 21 locations currently participating in the program, with local grocers able to apply through November 20. The fiscal year 2027 budget includes $3.1 million in annual baseline funding for the program, and the expansion is supported by a $5.7 million federal grant.

2026 General Election: What the Results Mean for New York

Following the 2026 general election last week, the New York Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies team held a webinar to discuss the results and analyze what they mean for New York. The conversation focused on the Democratic Party’s sweeping gains, New York’s growing influence in Washington, the balance of power in Albany and the political dynamics likely to shape the state heading into 2027 and the 2028 presidential election. Some key highlights and takeaways from the discussion are outlined below.

New York’s Role in Washington

• New York is positioned to have an outsized role in national Democratic politics, with New Yorkers expected to hold major leadership positions in Congress and the state’s delegation gaining influence.
• With Hakeem Jeffries poised to become Speaker, a larger Democratic House majority could give him more room to manage the conference, limiting the leverage of individual progressive members to withhold votes or demand concessions. However, progressive lawmakers can still exert significant influence through social and traditional media.
• Chuck Schumer can be viewed as facing a more complicated dynamic. While many expect him to remain a central figure in Senate leadership, democratic leadership will also face pressure for generational change, particularly as the party begins looking toward the 2028 presidential election.
• New York’s position in Washington could benefit the state on priorities including infrastructure, transportation, health care and energy

Hochul and the 2027 Albany Agenda

• Kathy Hochul’s decisive reelection strengthens her position heading into a new term. Her success was attributed in part to her ability to make deeper inroads with energized Democratic constituencies, particularly in New York City, while benefiting from the broader Democratic wave.
• Looking ahead to the State of the State and the 2027 legislative session, the Governor is expected to continue linking national issues to their impact on New Yorkers, including immigration enforcement and social policy, alongside a continued focus on affordability.
• Taxes and revenue will be a major issue during the upcoming budget process. Hochul may be more receptive to targeted increases on high-income earners or other new revenue sources, particularly if tied to specific programs or fiscal needs, but is likely to remain cautious about broad tax increases.
• AI, data centers and energy affordability are also expected to become more prominent in Albany, including questions about how the growth of data centers affects electricity costs, infrastructure and economic development.

Democratic Supermajorities in Albany

• Democrats enter 2027 with supermajorities in both legislative chambers, but those margins do not necessarily mean the Legislature will consistently act as a unified counterweight to the governor.
• Democratic gains extended beyond New York City into suburban, Hudson Valley, Long Island and upstate districts, giving the party a larger geographic footprint.
• At the same time, incoming progressive members are likely to push both conferences left on certain policy issues. Legislative leadership will therefore have larger majorities but also more ideological and geographic interests to manage.
• If the conferences remain unified, the supermajorities could strengthen their position in negotiations with Hochul. However, significant budgetary and institutional power will remain with the governor.

Statewide Leadership

• Gov. Adrienne Adams could take on a more substantive role than many of her predecessors, particularly given her experience as New York City Council Seeker and relationships with the Queens Country Democratic Party Leader Congressman Gregory Meeks. Adams’ consensus-driven leadership style could make her an important link between the Hochul administration, New York City and Washington.
• The election results were also viewed as validation of continuity for Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, with no significant changes anticipated in how their offices operate.
• Kirsten Gillibrand’s successful role in the Democratic Senate campaign efforts as DSCC chair could further increase New York’s influence in Washington.

Hochul and Mamdani

• The relationship between Governor Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to become more complicated now that both have moved beyond an election year in which cooperation served their political interests.
• Mamdani has a strong public platform and the ability to shape the political narrative, while Hochul begins a new four-year term with greater institutional and fiscal authority.
• Their differences are most likely to emerge around taxes, spending and the level of state support needed to advance the city’s agenda.
• The relationship may therefore remain cooperative publicly while becoming more contentious behind the scenes. Mamdani can generate political pressure, but many of the resources needed to deliver his agenda ultimately depend on Albany.

New York City Ballot Measures and Charter Reforms

• The city’s approved charter amendments, put forth by Mayor Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE), reflected a broader push to make government operate more quickly, particularly in procurement, permitting, street projects, the use of city property and Rainy Day Funds.
• The debate also highlighted a continuing tension between efficiency and oversight. Processes designed to protect transparency and public participation can slow government action, while streamlining them can reduce opportunities for public review.
• This balance between speed, accountability and oversight is likely to remain an issue as the Mamdani administration works to implement its agenda.

Looking Ahead

The central question heading into 2027 is what Democrats will do with the power voters have given them, and whether the coalition that succeeded electorally can hold together while governing. New York will be at the center of that test, with Democratic control in Albany,  an influential congressional delegation, and a progressive administration in New York City. For CPS, the results reinforce the importance of aligning our clients’ interests with the public interest and showing how our priorities fit within the broader political conversation, particularly around affordability, accountability and delivering tangible results.

Click here for a recording of our team’s full election webinar.

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