Movement Politics Meets The Machine-- In Queens... And The Machine Loses Again

Shaniyat Chowdhury is a first-generation American, a young marine corps veteran, for state legislative aide, international rugby star and Queens bartender… and candidate for Congress against one of the most corrupt machine politicians left in New York City— conservative New Dem Gregory Meeks. Last night, Meeks and his predecessor as County boss, Joe Crowley, saw their candidate for Queens District Attorney, former borough president Melinda Katz, defeated by the most unlikely of candidates, 31 year old public defender Tiffany Cabán.

With 99% of precincts counted, Cabán led with 39.6% to Katz’s 38.3%— a 1.3% margin, above the 0.5-point threshold for a mandatory recount. Katz is refusing to concede. Cabán said that if elected she would work towards ending cash bail and closing Rikers Island and wouldn’t waste resources prosecuting farebeaters and sex workers.

Katz had been endorsed not just by Crowley and Meeks but by the widely despised governor, Andrew Cuomo, and by all but one of the Queens County members of Congress-- Pelosi stooge Hakeem Jeffries, Nydia Velazquez, Grace Meng and Tom Suozzi as well as Carolyn Maloney, Adriano Espaillat and all the toothless unions that do whatever the Democratic establishment tells them to do. Cabán had the local and national progressive movement in her camp, including AOC, Bernie, Elizabeth Warren, John Legend, DSA, the Working Families Party. Tuesday morning Meeks attacked Bernie and Elizabeth Warren for endorsing Cabán without getting his permission, calling their move “arrogant” and “patronizing.” And that brings us back to Shan, the young progressive people are counting on to rid Congress of Meeks.

As the last votes were being counted, he told me that “the last couple of years we’ve seen the possibilities of what people powered movements can do. Our Queens DA-elect, Tiffany Cabán, and the many organizers who worked tirelessly for months, have shown that people power is legitimate— WE ARE legitimate. Gone are the days where elected officials take their communities for granted over corporate and real estate interests. We will continue do justice by our communities. We still have a lot of unfinished business.” Keep reading Chowdhury’s statement below... and if you like what you read, please consider contributing to his grassroots campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 Primary A Blue Dog thermometer below.

My opponent, Gregory Meeks has represented NY-05 for 20 years. Over the years, he’s sold our communities out to real estate developers and corporate and Wall Street interests from which he has benefited. He put profits over people, leading him to be named one of the most corrupt members of Congress. We will hold him accountable. Our people are tired. Our communities deserve better. Our children deserve a future where they can breathe clean air, get the best education without financial burden, and build a future with their families rather tearing them apart. Our America should reflect a moral and just society; it must.

What working class people of NY-05 need are the Green New Deal, Fair Housing, a reformed criminal justice system, free college tuition, and reparations. We need Medicare for All to make sure every American has health coverage, and a Federal Jobs Guarantee because no person should be too poor to survive in this world, and turned away for being caught up in the criminal justice system.

Or-- as Marie Newman in Chicago put it this morning when she woke up and saw the results out of Queens: "Machines can be broken: AOC, Mayor Lightfoot, Tiffany Cabán... more to come." YES! Good attitude! Same for Tomas Ramos in Bronx. He’s in a tough primary for the open Serrano seat and was very invested in the Cabán race. "The times of machine politics with corporate funded politicians are over," he told me early this morning. "Folks are starting to see that our democracy can work if we organize and get out the vote. New York City politicians should be shaking because not only are they losing power, but this win just proved that people powered campaigns will be the new status quo."  

UPDATE: Eva Putzova (AZ-01):

"Tiffany Cabán's apparent victory in her effort to become the next District Attorney for Queens is an inspiration to me and to all progressive democrats around the nation who are running against the Democratic Party's corporate machine. We are puncturing the aura of invincibility that the machine promotes to thwart challengers. Congratulations to Tiffany and to all those, who will fight for justice and equality for all, publicly and without compromise, despite the efforts by the party establishment to support one of their own and maintain the status quo. Time's Up for the status quo!"