The Off Topic Reunion: Grace Rauh and Zack Fink on Mamdani, Democracy and Life After NY1

Season 2 kicks off with a special reunion! Juan Manuel Benítez brings together the original Off Topic/On Politics team — Grace Rauh and Zack Fink — to reflect on NYC's political transformation, their post-journalism careers and the state of American democracy.Grace, now Executive Director of Citizens Union, shares how she helped shape Mayor Mamdani's historic childcare initiative and what it's like going from reporter to advocate. Zack, who left journalism for lobbying and communications, offers his perspective on whether the democratic socialist mayor can govern effectively—and whether he'll get what he needs from Albany.The conversation ranges from the surprisingly cooperative Mamdani-Hochul relationship to the erosion of democratic norms under Trump, from the challenges facing journalism to confessions about never finishing "The Power Broker." It's politics, nostalgia, and real talk about where we are as a city and a country.Show NotesFeatured Guests:Grace Rauh - Executive Director, Citizens Union; Former NY1 Political ReporterZack Fink - Director of External Affairs, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron; Host, Lobbying Insider Podcast; Former NY1 Political ReporterTopics Discussed:Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first weeks in office and his childcare policy winThe Mamdani-Hochul partnership vs. the de Blasio-Cuomo eraGovernor Hochul's 2025 re-election prospectsTrump's impact on democratic institutions and immigration enforcementThe state of journalism and media consolidationLife after reporting: advocacy, lobbying, and what they miss (or don't)Links & References:Books:The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert CaroOrganizations:Citizens UnionFive Borough Institute Davidoff Hutcher & CitronPodcasts:The Lobbying Insider - Zack Fink's current podcastNY1 Podcasts - Including the current Off Topic/On PoliticsMuseums:Museum of the City of New YorkPeople Mentioned:Mayor Zohran MamdaniGovernor Kathy HochulLt. Governor Antonio DelgadoPolice Commissioner Jessica TischFirst Deputy Mayor Dean FuleihanEmmy List - Director, Mayor's Office of ChildcareEpisode recorded: January 23, 2026