Lucas,
Our campaign is now the front-runner in the six-way race to succeed Sheldon
Silver, with eight weeks until the September 13th primary election.
By filing the most petition signatures with an all-volunteer operation
and reporting the most cash on hand, in the same week as rolling out endorsements
from Council Members Rosie Mendez, Mark Levine and Ben Kallos, the campaign has demonstrated broad and deep support from across Lower
Manhattan.
In a field that started with eight candidates and has narrowed to six,
we have the most money and collected by far the most signatures.
We raised $92,046.55 from over 300 individual contributors, surpassing
our opponents. Alice Cancel, the winner of the county committee election earlier this
year, filed a “no-activity report,” indicating that she has
neither raised nor spent any funds at all on her campaign since becoming
interim Assembly Member. Cancel’s previous report showed only $2,100 on-hand.
In the field overall, our opponents took fewer checks, mostly from large,
one-time donors.
Our campaign, by contrast, will both be able to expand and go back to this
small-donor network throughout the next eight weeks, because our larger network will be able to contribute similar amounts
without hitting contribution limits.
The campaign's good fundraising news was preceded earlier in the week by
high-profile endorsements from activist representatives, including that of my own Council Member Rosie Mendez. Our campaign also
filed over 5,500 petition signatures with the Board of Elections –
the most by far of any candidate. The signatures were collected by over
100 all-volunteer witnesses. Other candidates in the 65th relied heavily
on paid canvass operations but failed to surpass our numbers
We have been endorsed by in-district elected officials Council Member Rosie
Mendez and former State Senator Fred Ohrenstein, as well as Mark Green,
Ruth Messinger, Zephyr Teachout, Ben Kallos, Mark Levine, Labor leader
Ed Ott, as well as the Downtown Independent Democrats, the Coalition for
a District Alternative (CoDA), the Stonewall Democrats, CWA Locals 1101
& 1180, the New York Professional Nurses’ Union, OPEIU Local
153, Zephyr Teachout, Ruth Messinger, Mark Green, Ed Ott, and dozens of
local and statewide progressive leaders.
In the coming weeks, the campaign will be rolling out endorsement videos
from both politicos and community members illustrating why the cause of
reform in Albany is so urgent.
UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE YOU CAN MEET PAUL AND/OR CONTRIBUTE:
This Thursday, July 21, 6:30-8pm
Meet & Greet with Candidates Paul Newell and Lee Berman
East River Coop, Community Room, 477 FDR Dr
Hosted by Lee Berman and Mathew Quezada
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/634406556718005/
Wednesday, July 27, 6:30-8pm
Meet Assembly Candidate Paul Newell at Seward Park Coop
Seward Park Cooperative, Community Room
Hosted by Wei-Li Tjong
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/249041548812493/
Sunday, July 31, 1pm - 3pm
Masaryk Towers BBQ with Paul Newell for State Assembly
65 Columbia St