UPDATE: The address list for this campaign has been completed.
Campaign #202 is for NY Assemblywoman Diana Richardson
For our 202nd campaign, we’ve been asked to help a True Blue Democrat in a New York State Primary election. Diana Richardson, an incumbent State Assemblywoman, was the first elected official in New York to run her campaign without corporate PAC or real estate contributions. Since then, the trend she started has become the norm in New York.About Diana
She is a TRUE BLUE DEMOCRAT who is unbought, unbossed, unapologetic, and unafraid.
Since her election in 2015, Diana has been a thorn in the side of the “powers that be.” As a young Black mother, she’s been at the forefront of tenants’ rights, closing the school-to-prison pipeline, and campaign finance reform — so that more people like her can run and win.
In her time in office Diana has, among other achievements:
- Led the effort to pass the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. This law made it harder to evict tenants and made tenant displacement less profitable.
- Championed legislation to protect working class senior homeowners from deed theft.
- Addressed educational disparities affecting the community by fighting to fully fund public schools, K-12, as well as to fully fund the City University of New York (CUNY).
- Supported good union jobs. She helped pass the NY Call Center Jobs Act last year in her role on the Assembly Labor Committee.
- Fought to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years. (New York was previously one of only two states that automatically prosecuted 16- and 17-year-olds as adults).
Her Opponent
Diana is facing a primary challenge from Jesse Hamilton, a former State Senator and district leader who is a so-called Democrat who caucused with the Republicans in the NY State Senate. As a member of the Independent Democratic Caucus (IDC), he stood with Republicans to block common sense legislation like campaign finance reform, tenants’ rights, and the Reproductive Health Act. Since losing his seat to Democratic Senator Zellnor Myrie in 2018, he has been largely absent in the community. In February 2020 he began collecting petition signatures to challenge Diana.
Some examples of legislation that was previously blocked by Republican lawmakers along with State Senator Jesse Hamilton:
- Public Financing of Elections in New York State and campaign finance reform. BLOCKED by Republicans and Jesse Hamilton.
- Reforms to NY State Criminal Justice System. BLOCKED by Republicans and Jesse Hamilton.
- New York Reproductive Health Act. BLOCKED by Republicans and Jesse Hamilton.
- Full funding for NYS public schools. BLOCKED by Republicans and Jesse Hamilton.
- Tenants Rights in New York State. BLOCKED by Republicans and Jesse Hamilton.
Once Jesse Hamilton was pushed out of office by now-Senator Zellnor Myrie, the above pieces of legislation have become law. New Yorkers do not want to go back. NY Democrats MUST continue to support progressive Black women leaders, like Diana Richardson, who are committed to fighting for their neighborhoods, their constituents, and are not beholden to back room deals.
Diana’s Endorsements
Diana is a highly-respected legislator and has earned endorsements across the spectrum which demonstrating deep support. She has been endorsed by the four Brooklyn members of congress (Jeffries, Nadler, Velazquez, and Clarke). Seventeen (17) members of the State Senate, Speaker of the State Assembly, Carl Heastie, and in New York City, Controller Stringer, Council President Johnson, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams have also endorsed her. She has been endorsed by 17 unions and 9 grassroots and community-based organizations with large Brooklyn and district memberships, as well as local Democratic political clubs.
Here are some videos of Diana advocating for her constituents:
- Announcing a new housing initiative: https://youtu.be/pFX_bkSfIe4
- Speaking on behalf of her constituents in June 2019: https://youtu.be/8O6fuD55bBs
- Reacting to being pepper sprayed by the NYPD, a victim of police brutality while peacefully protesting in support of basic reforms to the NYPD. https://twitter.com/GwynneFitz/status/1266573860008275968
Here is one of her recent ads: https://youtu.be/HvOMCFEKM9w
Let’s back Diana so that we can keep progressive Black women in leadership in New York and across the country.
Write on! ~Tony The Democrat
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