New York City

Project 50, a political group founded by Illinois abortion-rights veterans including former state Sen. Heather Steans and ex-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is working to replicate Illinois' decades-old shift toward abortion access by targeting state legislative races in conservative states with bans or heavy restrictions. After early setbacks in Arizona, the group refocused on culturally conservative states in 2023, winning three races in its first three years and four more in 2025, including in Virginia. It has raised over $3.7 million from donors such as Michael Bloomberg and Gov. JB Pritzker. Organizers say the strategy targets voters uneasy with total abortion bans, not broad support for unrestricted access. Abortion-rights opponents call its electoral impact limited so far.

New York's comptroller race pits four-term Democratic incumbent Thomas DiNapoli against Republican challenger Joseph Hernandez. The office oversees the state's roughly $300 billion pension fund, audits state agencies, and serves as chief fiscal officer. DiNapoli, who has held the post since 2007 and recently survived his first primary challenge, campaigns on steady, low-drama management and returning lost funds to residents. Hernandez, a biotech and finance entrepreneur who previously ran for New York City mayor, is pushing for more aggressive oversight, in-house management of some pension investments, a fraud-focused task force, and a proposed $10 billion fund to invest in New York companies and housing.

In Clearcreek Township, Ohio, artist Stan Herd carved a 1-acre earthwork into a Warren County hayfield depicting a farmer, a cow and a sign reading "Not for Sale to Data Centers." Commissioned by Data Center Payoffs, a group tracking industry political donations, the piece was unveiled at an Oct. 24 rally attended by Rep. Greg Landsman and built with help from neighbors across party lines.

Ohio has 257 data centers in development, the fifth-most nationally, with an estimated $40 billion in planned investment by 2030. Rural land use, water and energy demands have fueled backlash, and voters in 18 municipalities, including Trenton and Wilmington, will decide related zoning ballot measures in November.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is searching for Alpha Bah, a Guinean national whom New York City officials released from custody despite an ICE detainer. Bah was arrested October 7 on charges including aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, but Queens Central Booking released him without notifying ICE, per DHS. He had two prior arrests, in 2025 and 2026, after which NYPD similarly declined to honor detainers.

DHS says New York failed to honor more than 16,000 ICE detainers since January 2025, tied to over 52,000 criminal charges and convictions, intensifying the national debate over sanctuary city policies and immigration enforcement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said defending Israel internationally would be "a lot easier" if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses Israel's election, arguing his handling of the Gaza war has hurt the country's standing and blocked any path to Palestinian statehood. A longtime Israel ally who visited shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, Hochul has faced criticism from some Jewish New Yorkers over her ties to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an Israel critic. She also suggested Netanyahu's continued rule could complicate a Jewish Democrat's 2028 presidential prospects. Netanyahu faces a tough reelection fight against Gadi Eisenkot amid record turnout, though rivals also oppose Palestinian statehood.

A House Judiciary Committee report examines immigration-related practices in New York City district attorney offices. It cites a 2019 Bronx guide on "immigration-conscious plea bargaining" that reportedly advised prosecutors in child sex crime cases to offer pleas to offenses that excluded the child's age as an element, and to keep domestic relationships out of conviction records in abuse cases. In Queens, DA Melinda Katz's office said it modified or vacated convictions for 21 defendants in her first year to avoid unanticipated immigration consequences. The report also notes NYPD has not honored any of nearly 10,000 ICE detainer requests over the past year, and cites a prior ICE review finding dozens of released individuals later rearrested.