NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin launches statewide PAC, sparking higher-office speculation

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, whose council term is limited in 2029, officially created the New York Rising PAC after filing it with the State Board of Elections. The committee is designed to channel contributions to Democratic candidates statewide during the November midterms, a strategy that political observers say could help Menin cultivate allies for a future run for mayor, governor or Senate. Critics note the timing follows her successful campaign against the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s planned honor of convicted designer John Galliano and her role as a counterweight to Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Council hearings have recently examined Mamdani’s handling of the pied-à-terre tax, a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on the Upper East Side, and his use of a secret messaging channel with influencers. Menin is slated to address a White Plains fundraising event on September 15, focusing on coalition-building and fighting antisemitism. While her spokesperson insists the PAC is purely for Democratic support, veteran strategist Hank Sheinkopf points to the “friend-making” nature of such funds and the historical difficulty council speakers have had in winning citywide elections.