New York Primaries

Zephyr and Bernie

The polls close in New York at 9 tomorrow... so there's nothing left to do but vote if you can-- and to sit back and watch the returns come in. I'll update this post as they do. Remember, these are state races, not federal primaries, which already happened.

The big ones tomorrow night are the gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial races, the AG race and the state Senate races. The first two are very clear. The villains are Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul. He's corrupt beyond reason-- basically a conservative-- and she's basically a Republican with a "D" next to her name. Progressives Cynthia Nixon and New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams are running on full-bore progressive planks. The whole panoply of garbage status quo politicians has come out to back Cuomo, from Schumer, Gillibrand and Biden to Hillary and DNC chair Tom Perez. Bernie didn't endorse in that race but he did endorse Jumaane. The NY Times, the Working Families Party, Our Revolution, and all the state reform organizations endorsed him as well. Everyone in politics for corruption endorsed Hochul.

Who endorsed Nixon? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Working Familes Party, DFA, Justice Democrats, PCCC, The Nation and all the reform groups. Don't expect any miracles tomorrow-- or it would actually take a miracle. The last poll I saw had Cuomo beating her 63-22%; probably not accurate. Maybe voters think he's his father. Cuomo has blanketed the sate with close to $10 million in TV ads-- in just the final 3 weeks.

The race where Blue America attempted to concentrate our efforts was for Attorney General, where progressive champion Zephyr Teachout-- also endorsed by Bernie-- is running against a couple of worthless status quo galoots, conservaDem Sean Patrick Maloney and Cuomo candidate (Cuomo doesn't want to be investigated by Teachout) Letitia James. Besides Cuomo she is being backed by the wretched EMILY's List and a gaggle of establishment politicians, including Crowley and outright crooks like Greg Meeks. Zephyr was endorsed by both the NY Times and the Daily News, Alexandria, Cynthia Nixon, Shaun King, Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, Our Revolution, The Nation, and the Buffalo News-- but by no one who fears the wrath of Cuomo.

No one endorsed Maloney-- not a single one of his congressional colleagues... just one national gay organization, a gay version of EMILY's List.

And then there's the state Senate and the progressive hopes of ousting right-wing IDC creeps who caucus with the Republicans and prevent progressive legislation from moving forward. There are 9 key challenges tomorrow. These (incumbent villains first, good guys afterwards):

• 11th (Queens)- Tony Avella, John Liu
• 13th (Queens)- José Peralta, Jessica Ramos
• 17th (Brooklyn)- Simcha Felder, Blake Morris
• 20th (Brooklyn)- Jesse Hamilton, Zellnor Myrie
• 23rd (north State Island, Brooklyn)- Diane Savino, Jasmine Robinson
• 31st (Manhattan- West Side)- Marisol Alcantara, Robert Jackson
• 34th (Bronx)- Jeff Klein, Alessandra Biaggi
• 38th (Rockland Co)- David Carlucci, Julie Goldberg
• 53rd (Syracuse)- David Valesky, Rachel May

I bolded the candidates endorsed by Blue America. Below is a last minute plea from Alexandria to her New York supporters:

We already knew that New York machine politics were toxic-- every day, they prevent working class folks from participating in our democratic system, stifle public input, and dash people’s faith in the power of our democracy to answer their concerns.

But their toxicity and divisiveness has reached new levels, just days before the New York State Primary.

'Here’s the situation: Just a few days ago, the New York State Democratic Party sent out a mailer for Andrew Cuomo-- a mailer that claimed Cynthia Nixon was anti-semitic based on policy positions she does not hold.

A public outcry ensued. Party leaders claimed that no one had authorized the mailer, and still refuse to tell voters who authored the mailer, or explain why they received it in the first place. But that doesn’t matter, because the damage is done-- it doesn't matter how blatantly false they are, those attacks are going to be the last thing in many voters minds as they head to the polls on Thursday.

...Instead of using these party resources to help register new voters, or hosting events to engage the community, the resources of the New York State Democratic Party went towards helping one Democrat attack another Democrat in a contested primary. Does that sound right to you?

All of this just goes to show that despite our incredible primary win, the corrupt New York political machine is still alive and kicking. That’s why we need to continue to fight, and help elect progressive champions that buck establishment politics, and focus on running grassroots, people-powered campaigns.

...A future where machine politics are gone for good is possible-- but no one is going to hand it to us. If we want a progressive future where candidates stand for the interests of working class communities, then we have to build it ourselves.

I’m ready.

Are you?

Pa'lante,
Alexandria

Have You Had Enough Of Republicans In Blue Districts With Ds Next To Their Names?

Let's start by listening to the worst Democrat left in the New York state Senate, Simcha Felder. In fact let's start by listening to the 23 second clip from Felder's May 2 presentation at the the Bay Democrats club. It's sort of a confession. "For those of you who are loyal Democrats," he told the roomful of loyal Democrats, "that believe that the only person that can represent you is somebody that's a loyal Democrat-- I'm not that guy ." He sure isn't. Blake Morris is... which is part of the reason he has been endorsed by Blue America. That and the fact that he's a Berniecrat-- in other words a Democrat from the Democratic wing The Democratic Party-- the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt wing of the party. "Sen. Felder ," he told me the other day, "seems to be under the impression that because he has not had an opponent since he was first elected in 2012, that he must be doing a good job for the people in this district. That misperception has come to an end with my candidacy. On Thursday, September 13, we are going to show everyone what this district’s voters are thinking. The Republican majority in the state Senate is made possible by one man to the detriment of the entire state. We in the 17th are responsible for him and we will vote him out."

Cuomo was able to persuade 8 other dissident Democrats who were aligned with Republicans-- members of the Independent Democratic Caucus-- to reunited with mainline Democrats-- everyone but Felder. So even though Democrats outnumber Republicans 32 to 31 in the state Senate, Felder caucuses with the Republicans and throws the power in the Senate to them.

Blake’s family has 19th century beginnings in Brooklyn, ranging from one grandfather’s coal delivery business to his maternal grandmother who would drag race teenagers on Eastern Parkway for extra income during the Depression era. Blake is proud to say that well over a century later, his family still calls Brooklyn home. Blake Morris has lived in Ditmas Park for nearly 20 years. He is married with a teen daughter who attends Brooklyn Tech. He has been a practicing attorney for almost 30 years. He told me that because "the borough has nurtured his family for so long," he feels "a connection with the past and a responsibility to ensure the vitality and prosperity of Brooklyn for future generations who will call this borough home." For Blake, this campaign is about respect for place and people. For far too long, most of District 17’s constituents have been completely disrespected by State Sen. Simcha Felder.

Blake is running for State Senate because district 17 needs an elected representative who actually represents all the people in the district, not just himself. "When we vote for a Democrat to represent us," said Blake, "we want a real Ddemocrat, not a Republican with a D next to his name. He said he's thrown his hat into the ring because he "knows that everything from much-needed funding for educating our children to the MTA, safe streets, affordable housing, and healthcare policies have very real affects on peoples’ lives. I believe that when our priorities are ignored in Albany, as they have been for the past six years, our public schools are shortchanged, rapid transit becomes unreliable, housing becomes unaffordable, healthcare costs becomes a substantial burden, and traffic-snarled streets become unsafe for everyone."

Blake is running because he wants to bring better leadership to the people of a district 17 that includes parts of Sheepshead Bay in the south, along with Madison, Midwood, Mapleton, Ditmas Park, Kensington and Borough Park. "It’s time to take this Senate seat back from a turncoat Democrat who makes his own rules and prides himself on being a self-described party of one. We’re not going to be Democratic road kill any longer. The days of ignoring the voices of this community are in the past. Too much is at stake. We need to clean up the corruption in Albany and it starts with the Senate."

I should add here that I went to PS 197 and James Madison High School int the heart of the district, as did Bernie Sanders, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chuck Schumer. Feldman is a shanda (שאַנדע).

Blake believes there are larger issues of corruption in Albany and Sen. Felder is a symptom, but real questions about the use of public resources that he intends to tackle as a senator and which he’s already begun to investigate as a private citizen, He’s been raising questions about the Senate’s constituent mail budget allocations that range from $500 to $95,000. Senator Felder weighs in with the second highest amount.

This is why Blake requested information regarding the use of public funds for constituent mailers. You know, Felder Focus, Birthday Cards and parking calendars, all the important things you want your state senator to provide to you on the public’s dime.In April, Blake was successful in getting a court to issue an order to deliver the previously secret constituent mail budget allocations; at the end of May, the state filed an appeal of this decision.


Blake is excited to work to improve the lives of New York families so we can all have affordable housing, healthcare and hope. The kind of hope that provides for individual dignity and respect. "We have a diverse and multicultural state Senate district," he reminded me. "and I will represent all of us in Albany." If you'd like to help bolster Blake's grassroots campaign, please consider contributing to him at the Blue America 2018 legislative page by clicking on ActBlue thermometer on the right.

Blake Morris, real Democrat, Brooklyn