April 21, 2021
PRESS CONTACT: Sophie Ellman-Golan| sophie@jfrej.org
DIANNE MORALES, SCOTT STRINGER* & MAYA WILEY ENDORSED BY THE JEWISH VOTE
The New York City grassroots Jewish organization that helped propel Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) to victory in 2020 is throwing its weight behind the three progressive mayoral candidates.
New York, NY -- The Jewish Vote, a project of the left-wing grassroots organization Jews for Racial & Economic Justice Action (JFREJ), announced the group’s endorsements in NYC’s mayoral race on Wednesday, April 21.
The Jewish Vote and JFREJ are excited to endorse Dianne Morales as the first choice for New York City mayor, and Scott Stringer & Maya Wiley as the shared second choice.
“Dianne is a visionary whose bold policy proposals are precisely what we at JFREJ have been fighting for: to institute a wealth tax, to kick ICE out of New York, to invest in a caring economy that protects domestic workers, undocumented workers, New Yorkers who lost their jobs during the pandemic," said Rachel McCullough, JFREJ’s Political Director. “Dianne is far and away the most progressive candidate in this race on policing in particular, with the boldest plan by far to cut the NYPD budget. Hers is truly a grassroots-powered campaign that seeks out guidance from activists and community leaders. We know her administration will prioritize co-governance with our movements, and that’s extremely important to us.”
“Scott has demonstrated publicly for years and throughout his career in public service that he is aligned with the values of The Jewish Vote and JFREJ, and additionally, he has the experience in government to enact a robust COVID recovery plan guided by those values, ” said JFREJ member and State Senator Julia Salazar. “For example, his plan for a $1 billion fund to help small businesses — primarily those owned by women and people of color — centers on investing in the caring economy. When Scott talks about issues such as childcare and the caring economy, he really highlights the need for childcare workers to make a living wage and to invest city resources into the expansion of childcare.”
“Maya’s expertise creating and embedding racial equity policies throughout local government is what we need right now, especially amidst backlash and copycat Trump executive orders banning racial justice work at the city and state level,” said Jeyn Levison, JFREJ member and SVP of Strategic Partnerships at Race Forward. “Maya’s leadership co-founding and leading the Center for Social Inclusion in a post-9/11 New York, her lived experience as a Black woman, and her New Deal New York and Universal Community Care policy platforms demonstrate that she has the experience to lead NYC out of the COVID-19 pandemic—and to not only rebuild and recover, but to reimagine a city where Black and Brown New Yorkers can thrive with dignity.
Since 1978, New York City has only had one single-term mayor. Given that over three-quarters of registered voters in the city are Democrats, that means the winner of the Democratic primary on June 22, 2021 will likely remain in office until January 1, 2030.
This election will decide whether or not people lose their homes, whether or not the NYPD can continue to abuse New Yorkers with impunity, whether or not this city is liveable for any except a wealthy few. And voters have the power to decide. The only choices in this race for progressives are Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, and Maya Wiley. They are the only candidates driving the progressive agenda in this election and whose policies address New Yorkers’ needs and priorities
“Ranked-choice voting means we can endorse the most aligned candidate as number one while still throwing the full weight of JFREJ’s grassroots organizing power behind for all the candidates we support,” said Audrey Sasson, JFREJ’s Executive Director. “A unity ticket in support of Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, and Maya Wiley is the only way to rally the Left around a positive narrative, build a winning voter coalition from the constituencies of all three candidates, and set the progressive movement up for real co-governance in New York City's recovery.”
The Jewish Vote will be organizing JFREJ members to support the three endorsed mayoral candidates by phone banking, canvassing and other COVID-safe forms of in-person voter outreach, and more. For a full list of all candidates endorsed by JFREJ and The Jewish Vote in the 2021 election cycle, please visit jewishvote.org.
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The Jewish Vote is a project of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, the home for Jewish New Yorkers to organize alongside our neighbors and allies to fight for a New York where every community has the freedom, opportunity, and resources to thrive. Together we will build a future with Medicare for All, universal rent control, a Green New Deal, publicly funded elections, fair wages and working conditions for all workers, and an end to mass incarceration and criminalization of people of color. The Jewish Vote endorses candidates who will fight alongside us to achieve all of this and more.