LET THE RACE BEGIN

> SO OUR STATE IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN WE HAVE TOUGH, EXPERIENCED DEMOCRATIC LEADERS DEFENDING OUR VALUES, STANDING UP TO ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS FROM THIS PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT ANDREW CUOMO HAS DONE.

A STRONG ENDORSEMENT FROM HILLARY CLINTON.

NIGHT OF CONVENTIONS, ENDORSEMENTS AND RACES THAT HAVE JUST BEGUN.

WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS,' I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

LOCAL NEWS WITH NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS.

ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON HAD GUBERNATORIAL RUN BRUISED IN BIG WAY, SIDE TRKED BY PARTY'S PICK OF CUOMO, SETTING HIM UP FOR WHITE HOUSE RUN IN 2020.

PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS GREETED WITH CHEERS FOR PUSH TO COMBAT DEADLY GANG MS-13 THAT HAS WREAKED HAVOC ON THE ISLAND BUT MET WITH JEERS FOR PUSH AGAINST THE UNDOCUMENTED.

BOTH EVENTS HAVE WIDE IMPLICATIONS IN POLITICAL AND PUBLIC ARENA.

HERE TO SORT IT OUT, JONATHAN LENTZ OF CITY AND STATE.

GLAD TO BE ON.

DEMOCRATS ON LONG ISLAND.

WAS IT A SURPRISE THEY PICKED CUOMO OVER NIXON?

NOT AT ALL.

INCUMBENT, BEEN IN OFFICE YEARS, THE FAMILY NAME.

FATHER WAS GOVERNOR.

95% OR MORE.

CYNTHIA NIXON CAN PETITION TO GET ON THE BALLOT, SEEMS LIKELY.

AND JUST BECAUSE BRUISED, SHE'S NOT OUT, ENDORSEMENT OF THE WORKING FAMILY PARTY.

WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO SAY?

GOING TO SUPPORT THE INCUMBENT FOR ANOTHER TERM BUT SHE'S INCHING UP CLOSER IN THE POLLS.

LONG WAY TO GO TO CATCH UP WITH CUOMO BUT A POSSIBILITY.

ANY OTHER BIG NEWS -- NOT THAT THAT ENDORSEMENT WAS BIG NEWS BUT ANYTHING SURPRISING?

HILLARY CLINTON WAS THERE AND SPOKE.

SENT AN INTERESTING MESSAGE.

SHE REPRESENTS MORE CENTRIST, MODERATE WING OF THE PARTY IN ERA WHEN PEOPLE ARE SHIFTING LEFT.

NIXON IS THE SHIFT LEFT BUT CUOMO DOWN THE MIDDLE BUT HILLARY CLINTON IS POPULAR IN NEW YORK WHERE SHE WAS A SENATOR.

OTHER BIG THING, EXPECTED BUT SOLIDIFIED.

LETICIA JAMES, RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL, RALLYING A LOT OF SUPPORT THIS WEEK.

GLAD YOU BROUGHT HER UM.

CYNTHIA NIXON'S CAMPAIGN TREASURER, WHO WE KNOW FROM HER RUN FOR GOVERNOR AND THE 19th DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL SEAT, SHE HAD ALSO HOPED TO GET ENDORSEMENT TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

DOES THAT MEAN SHE WILL BE ALSO ON THE WORKING FAMILIES PARTY LINE?

SEEING A SPLIT LEFT TICKET COMING UP?

TO SOME DEGREE.

INTERESTINGINGLY ENOUGH IN HER CASE, SHE MAY RUN IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IF SHE GETS ENOUGH PETITIONS.

ALSO SEEKING SUPPORT FROM WORKING FAMILIES PARTY.

THEY HAVE STRONG TIES TO JAMES AS WELL SO DECLINED TO NOMINATE EITHER, SAID WOULD ENDORSE BOTH.

HAND OF GOVERNOR CUOMO IS SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND HERE.

DIDN'T WANT THE WORKING FAMILIES PARTY TO GET BEHIND LETICIA JAMES.

SHE MAY HAVE SUCCUMBED TO PRESSURE.

IT'S PLAYING OUT LIKE A SOAP OPERA.

YES.

FOR THE REPUBLICANS, CUT AND DRIED.

YES.

LONG SEEN FRONT RUNNER MARCUS MOLINARO, A YOUNGER GUY, 42, HAD HIS CORONATION IN THEIR CONVENTION IN MANHATTAN.

INTERESTING THING THERE, DONALD TRUMP WAS IN NEW YORK, DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE NEW YORK REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

THAT SEEMS WHAT YOU EXPECT.

MOLINARO HAS DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM TRUMP.

WE HAD HIM ON THE SHOW AND HE SPOKE ABOUT THE FACT HE DIDN'T SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT AND WOULD BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF REPUBLICAN.

WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT AS THE CAMPAIGN ROLLS ON.

GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE PRESIDENT, HE WAS ALSO HERE SPEAKING ABOUT -- WHY IS HE HARPING SO HARD ON MS-13?

TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT -- I MEAN NOT A NATIONAL GANG, CORRECT?

VERY LONG ISLAND CENTRIC.

HEAVY PRESENCE IN LONG ISLAND AND IN SOME WAYS INTERNATIONAL WITH TIES TO CENTRAL AMERICA I BELIEVE, BUT IT'S AN ISSUE RESONATING IN LONG ISLAND.

I THINK IT'S SMART POLITICS FOR THE PRESIDENT EVEN AS THE RHETORIC IS INFLAMMATORY.

THERE IS A PIECE OUT THIS WEEK, SUFFOLK COUNTY, PART OF LONG ISLAND THAT WENT FOR OBAMA WHEN HE RAN WENT STRONGLY FOR TRUMP, THEY LIKE TRUMP, PROTOTYPICAL SWING AREA BUT MICROCOSM OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

DID HE USE THAT CHANCE TO PIVOT TALKING POINTS TOWARDS HIS ISSUES WITH IMMIGRATION?

THINK IT'S MORE OF THE SAME HONESTLY.

VERY HARD LINE PUSHING TO CLOSE WHAT HE CALLS LOOP HLS.

VERY EMOTIONAL ACCOUNTS BY PARENTS OF CHILDREN KILLED BY THE MS-13 GANG.

WITH HARD CORE REPUBLICAN BASE, THAT'S GOING TO RESONATE.

ALL RIGHT.

JONATHAN THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE PROGRAM.

WE'LL BE WATCHING TO SEE WHAT EVENTUALLY COMES OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.

REPUBLICANS SEEM ALL TOGETHER.

THEY HAVE DOWNTICKET BALLOT PEOPLE THEY ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE ARE READY TO GO.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL HAVE YOU BACK ON.

THANK YOU.