The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, a relatively small union known for punching above its weight when it comes to electoral politics, has picked their candidate in the race to replace Council Speaker Chris Quinn: West Side community board chairman Corey Johnson. Josh Gold, HTC’s political director, told Politicker that the race of particular importance to the union due to the growth of hotels there in neighborhoods like Midtown South and the Meatpacking District.
“Corey Johnson has been a community leader on the West Side for over a decade,” Mr. Gold added in a statement. “He has fought for quality jobs, permanent affordable housing, community-minded development and raising the quality of life for residents in the neighborhoods he seeks to represent.”
Referencing the union’s high-profile contract dispute with the Central Park Boathouse–which involved taking out ads slamming the restaurant–Mr. Gold further said, “Corey has stood alongside our workers outside the Central Park Boathouse and we plan on standing beside him in his campaign for City Council.”
Mr. Johnson is facing off against local activist Alexander Meadows and civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland. Thus far, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Kurland have been regularly rolling out various union endorsements, including TWU Local 100, CWA Local 1180, and District Council 37 for Ms. Kurland and RWDSU, SEIU 32BJ and UFCW 1500 for Mr. Johnson.
Ms. Quinn, of course, is term-limited and running for mayor, leaving a vacant seat behind her for the area’s aspiring pols.
