Will Brad Lander be Zohran Mamdani's choice for first deputy mayor?

In the debut episode of "Juan Manuel Benítez Wants to Know," host Juan Manuel Benítez explores this central question with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, the progressive politician who lost his mayoral bid in June's Democratic primary but whose cross-endorsement helped propel rival Zohran Mamdani to victory.Lander reveals why he made the strategic decision to endorse his former opponent, what role he might play in a Mamdani administration, and why he believes Andrew Cuomo shouldn't be mayor. The conversation digs into the realities of progressive coalition-building, the $2 billion the city wastes annually on preventable settlements, and Lander's bold proposal to convert golf courses into affordable housing.But this isn't just political strategy. Benítez explores what shaped Lander as a person - his anthropology fieldwork in London's Bangladeshi community, his Jewish values rooted in "every human created in God's image," and why he cursed Andrew Cuomo in formal Yiddish during the campaign. Lander opens up about his love of sci-fi novels where NYC boroughs become superheroes, his obsession with Prospect Park's Celebrate Brooklyn concerts, and his quest to restore the old Kentile Floors sign that once made F train riders "feel like home."It's political journalism that remembers people are people first - and asks the question everyone wants answered about New York's political future.Lander’s picksBooksCurrently Reading: “The Gods of New York” by Jonathan Mahler (about 1986-1990 NYC politics)Recent Favorites:"A Half-Built Garden" by Ruthanna Emrys (climate fiction)"The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisin (sci-fi where five boroughs have superhero avatars)MuseumsBrooklyn Museum - loves First Saturdays Tenement Museum - especially new exhibit on Black New Yorkers, calls it "super interactive"Parks & PlacesProspect Park - "place closest to my heart on planet Earth"Celebrate Brooklyn Concert Series - saw Gogol Bordello recentlyKentile Floors Sign - wants to restore it somewhere and give landmark status, says it made you "feel like home" on F trainTechnologyUses ChatGPT for song ideas, public policy questionsWife uses ClaudeCalls AI "collective intelligence" - impressed but worried benefits will go to few people