Yesterday was incredible. After weeks of knocking on doors, making phone calls, hosting debate-watch parties, and getting out the vote, New Yorkers voted Bill de Blasio as the leading candidate in the Democratic primary.
Back in February, NYCC members met to talk about our vision for the future of the city and what we needed to do to make that vision a reality. From that conversation, it was clear that too many of the issues facing working families today were caused or worsened by Bloomberg administration policies.
We decided that we needed to make the upcoming mayoral election a referendum on the Bloomberg era. After mapping out a platform that focuses on jobs, affordable housing, and education equity, we set out to find the right candidate to support.
It wasn't a decision that we took lightly. Hours were spent studying the track records of each of them, drafting tough questions on our issues, and interviewing the candidates at our mayoral interview, which more than 300 of our members participated in.
NYCC Member Norman Fraizer Studying up on candidates at the NYCC Mayoral Forum.
After carefully considering each candidates response, the NYCC Board of Directors decided to endorse Bill de Blasio for mayor, as well as a slate of progressive candidates citywide.
We didn't choose de Blasio because he was ahead in the polls - he wasn't. We chose him because our values dictate that we endorse candidates who share our vision of what kind of city we can build together. And in May, we stood in front of a Flatbush apartment building where NYCC members have been fighting to preserve affordable housing and became one of the first organizations to announce our endorsement of de Blasio.
de Blasio with NYCC Flatbush Chapter Chair Leroy Johnson at the endorsement announcement.
Since then we've done what NYCC members do best: organized our neighbors, our co-workers, the parents at our kids' schools, and our communities. We talked about the issues, and we got out the vote.
There's still road ahead. Despite the fact the Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide majority, New York City hasn't had a Democratic mayor since 1989. It's our communities that will make the difference in the weeks ahead, and if we turnout strong in November - and bring our neighbors, friends and co-workers with us - we can elect a mayor who sees disappearing affordable housing, corporatized schools, closing hospitals, overzealous policing of communities of color and the proliferation of low-wage jobs as issues we need to address, not as signs that our city is moving in the right direction.
You can support NYCC's work on affordable housing, education, and workplace justice by clicking here to make a contribution.