Dear Lucas,
Thank you for standing with me throughout this campaign. I cannot describe
what a personal and professional honor it has been to have your support.
Every volunteer making calls or knocking on doors, every contribution,
every signature on a “Dear Neighbor” letter humbled, inspired,
and motivated me.
And they continue to do so. We did not win on Tuesday, but I have never
believed that individuals or individual elections are what bring real
change. There is no doubt in my mind that our campaign has strengthened
the progressive and reform movements in Lower Manhattan and New York State,
nor that we will continue to fight. In particular, I am hopeful because
of the incredible team of young field organizers we trained this year.
I know that each of them will contribute mightily to the cause of justice
for many years to come.
The first order of business is to congratulate
Yuh-Line Niou on an excellently run campaign. I look forward to working with her on
behalf of our beloved neighborhoods. I also want to congratulate Assembly
Member Cancel, Don Lee, Gigi Li, and Jenifer Rajkumar on strong campaigns.
The level of grassroots engagement in Lower Manhattan this year was truly
remarkable. I know that they, too, will be partners for a stronger community.
The next steps are more personal to each of us. But I’d like to
propose a few ways to carry on in the short term:
1) Elect progressive Democrats like Zephyr Teachout to Congress. Get involved
with Zephyr’s campaign at:
http://www.zephyrteachoutforcongress.com.
2) Elect a Democratic State Senate in New York. Little of our progressive
vision for our state can be accomplished without it. One place to start
is to support a champion like Sara Niccoli at
http://saraniccoli.com.
3) Get involved in grassroots action in NYS. I recommend joining Citizen
Action of New York at
http://citizenactionny.org. Citizen Action doesn’t just talk. They organize, lobby, and campaign
for justice. I am proud to be a member, and I encourage you to join me.
I’ll be on an overdue vacation for the next two weeks, but come
October, I assure you I’ll be back in the fight – right alongside
you. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on just what that is. For now,
thank you for all that you have done, and all that you will do.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Paul