2018 Primary Won 55 – 45

2018 General Election Electe 90 — 10

A perfect illustration –

Jessica Ramoshttps://www.ramosforstatesenate.com/ is in Queens running for the NY State Senate.  New York SD 13 partly overlaps the Congressional District where Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez won her primary.  Jessica Ramos would match that if she can.

Jessica Ramos has an organization behind her — and an organization opposed to her.  She is part of the NO IDC NY http://www.noidcny.org/ effort to defeat the members of the IDC in the September New York Democratic primary.  The Independent Democratic Caucus (IDC) was a group of State Senators who joined with the Republicans so the Republicans could control the organization of the Senate. 

This race is a perfect illustration of the NO IDC NY v IDC battle. Ramos’ opponent. Jose Peralta, is a perfect example of what the IDC was becoming.  He joined the IDC on January 25, 2017.  He promised a meeting to explain, but never held one. 

In June, community members held a forum — “Where is Peralta?”  Speakers complained that bills that had passed the Assembly were stuck in the Senate because it was controlled by the Republicans.  Support for immigrant DREAMERS, a proposed single payer health plan, a bill to extend the statute of limitations for children who were victims of sexual abuse  all had passed in the Assembly but were not considered in the State Senate.  Nor was any action taken to address the state’s failure to comply with a court decision to increase education spending for low income communities.  The speakers blamed the IDC.  They blamed Jose Peralta.

On January 25, 2108, before the formation of NO IDC NY, Jessica Ramos announced her intention to run in the Democratic primary against Peralta.  She was aware of and ready for the impending announcement. Peralta issued “A Year in Review.”Peralta wrote that he obtained $5 million for community organizations and local schools.  He mentioned specifically $100,000 for PS 69.  He gave credit to the IDC for passage of paid parental leave and a minimum wage increase. 

Jessica Ramos has created a campaign that focuses on what would have passed with a Democratic majority in the Senate.  She asserts that the parental leave and minimum wage increases would have just been a beginning had Democrats controlled the Senate.  She has assured constituents that if the legislature fulfilled the requirements of the court decision, PS 69 would have received at least $100,000 additional aid.  What’s more, that money would have been part of ordinary expectations, not a result of special pleading.

Jessica Ramos is prepared for this campaign.  She describes her vision for her constituents. 

  • Fix the MTA, whose budget is controlled by the state legislature and the governor.
  • Change rent laws so that they are more favorable to tenants.
  • Fund public schools — especially provide the funds mandated by the courts.
  • Help small businesses.
  • Support immigrants, including the undocumented,  She is, after all, the daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants.
  • Support women’s rights, including a focus on ensuring policies policies throughout New York State government addressing sexual harassment.
  • Provide greater access to health care facilities and improved pay for health care workers.
  • Support workers by going beyond setting a minimum wage.  Make it possible for workers to have a voice in their work.
  • Ensure that there is a Democratic Senate majority composed of Democrats who will not choose to caucus with Republicans.

Help put New York phenomenon Jessica Ramos https://www.ramosforstatesenate.com/in the New York State Senate.  New York and the nation need more strong voices like hers in our legislative bodies.  Send some resources in her direction.

 

The struggle over state legislative bodies is everywhere.  Try Texas.  Pete Gallegos https://petegallego.com/ was the Congressman from El Paso.  He lost his seat in a very close race in 2014 and could not regain it in another very close race 2016.  Now he is running for the Texas Senate.  Texas Senate District 19 is an open, usually Democratic seat.  It is open because the Democratic State Senator was convicted of fraud.  If Democrats lose this seat, they would have fewer than one third of the State Senators and lose their ability to stop Republicans on issues that require a super majority.  Gallegos came in second to a Republican in the open primary.  The run-off election date will probably be in November.  Gallegos, a moderate Democrat, will need every bit of help he can get. It looks like the Republican PACs will be spending money on this district. Consider providing Gallegos with some help.   

Virginia has a November special election, tool  This is for the Virginia House of Delegates.  Closer to Winston-Salem, NC or Charleston, WV than to Washington, DC, Carter Turner is running for VA HD 08 in Salem, VA.  A Democratic victory would create a tie in the House of Delegates — forcing a reorganization that would give Democrats a greater voice.  Turner is part of an American tradition that combines sports and religion.  An assistant professor of religion and an administrator at Radford University, he is a sports photographer and a regular commentator for the Salem newspaper on sports, politics, and religion.  He has no web site yet, but watch for him.

 

Pay attention to these state races. We need Democratic governors and Democratic state legislatures for the policies they support and to end gerrymandering.In 2017. Democrats flipped 15 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates.  Two more seats would have gained Democratic control.  Being one vote short of a majority had an effect. Virginia expanded access to Medicare under the ACA, changing the lives of thousands of Virginians.In 2017 special election legislative victories in Delaware, Connecticut, and the state of Washington preserved or flipped state legislatures.  Several Democratic state legislature special election victories in places as different as Wisconsin and Oklahoma are signs of further change in state legislatures.In 2018, New York should vote in a senate Democratic majority in the state Senate, a Democratic majority which will not hand over control to the Republicans. Consider providing resources to NO IDC NY http://www.noidcny.org/.  That is a good way to help all of these candidates.New York State Senate John Liu NYSD 11 former NYC Comptroller and Queens NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryJessica Ramos NY SD 13 organizer and activist and Queens NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryBlake Morris NY SD 17 activist and Brooklyn September primary candidate against a Democrat who organizes with Republicans without being a member of the IDCZellnor Myrie NY SD 20 former city councilor legislative director and Brooklyn NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryJasmine Robinson NY SD 23 activist legal secretary and Staten Island NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryRobert Jackson NY SD 31 education activist former city councilor and Manhattan NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryAlessandra Biaggi NY SD 34 young, but experienced political operative and Westchester/Bronx NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryShelley Meyer NY SD 37April Special Election victorJulie Goldberg SD 38 librarian and educator and Rockland County NO IDC NY candidate in the September primaryRachel May NY SD 53 academic administrator and Syracuse area NO IDC NY candidate in the September primary