Feb 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Rahm Emanuel on why mayors matter

Mike Allen

Cover via Knopf

Rahm Emanuel — former Chicago mayor, now an ABC News contributor — draws on his own experiments, plus conversations with other innovative mayors, for "The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World," out Tuesday:

Just when the federal government is distant, the local government is intimate. Just when the federal government is dysfunctional, the local government is impactful. Just when the federal government is indifferent, the local government is immediate.
Local governments are politically stable when our national governments are anything but.

Fun fact: Three former mayors are still in the presidential race: Bernie Sanders (Burlington, Vt.), and, of course, Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg.

Go deeper: Mayors' strategies for graying cities

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Kim Hart

Bloomberg launches coronavirus response network for mayors

Michael Bloomberg. Photo:Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, through his foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies, announced on Tuesday an online network of mayors and public health experts to help communities deal with the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: Local officials are on the front lines of handling the economic, health and social fallout of the spread of COVID-19 virus.

Go deeperArrowMar 10, 2020 - Health
Kim Hart

Cities and counties take charge to combat coronavirus

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Local leaders have seized the reins during the novel coronavirus outbreak, amid frustrations that the federal government's efforts have fallen short.

The big picture: Governors and mayors have been the ones dictating the pace of the response — closing schools, banning large gatherings and updating their residents. But cities also say they need more money from the federal government, and more help understanding how they're allowed to use the money they have.

Go deeperArrowMar 18, 2020 - Health
Kim Hart

In mayors' offices, men far outnumber women

Data: Axios research; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Out of the 50 largest U.S. cities, only 15 have female mayors. That proportion stays the same when looking at the largest 100 cities: 70% of mayors are men.

The big picture: Women are running for office at every level of government. Although Elizabeth Warren's withdrawal effectively ended the chance of electing a woman to the presidency this year, there's progress elsewhere.

Go deeperArrowMar 11, 2020 - Politics & Policy