This cycle, JFREJ and The Jewish Vote contributed to some groundbreaking victories. We were one of the few groups to enthusiastically embrace Ranked Choice Voting, endorsing over 40 candidates in over 25 races. We meant each and every one of those endorsements; if we endorsed someone, it was because we knew putting them in office would move us closer to building a safer, more caring, more equitable city. The results we have so far speak for themselves: our endorsed candidates won at least 18 of the 28 citywide and City Council races we endorsed in.
These results mean that our next mayor will have to contend with a powerful progressive and socialist caucus in the City Council. Because of our work, much of our next City Council understands 'the Jewish vote’ to be a vote for affordable housing, for fair funding for schools, for a caring economy, for free and accessible mass transit, for NYPD accountability, for public safety that doesn’t rely on incarcerating our neighbors.
Our 2021 electoral accomplishments (so far!) by the numbers…
Over 500 JFREJ members participated in our endorsement process via candidate interviews, debates, surveys, and questionnaire vetting;
We endorsed over 40 candidates in 28 City Council and city-wide races, and our candidates won in at least 18 of those races — progressive and socialist champions up and down the ballot;
We engaged our slate in one seder, dozens of post-canvass ritual and communal gatherings, and Jewish education on issues critical to our community;
We hosted over 50 phonebanks and canvasses, reaching over 100,000 voters;
We sent targeted Get-Out-The-Vote texts to all 6,000 dues-paying members of JFREJ AND texts to almost 3,500 Jewish New Yorkers who aren’t members on top of that;
We shaped the public debate via hundreds of tweets, videos, op-eds, info-graphics, earned media, and TJV voter guides;
We engaged dozens of coalition partners in challenging but necessary conversations about Ranked Choice Voting, movement strategy, and our plans to win!
Yasher koach! A special note of appreciation goes out to the intrepid JFREJ leaders who volunteered hundreds of hours on The Jewish Vote’s Steering Committee, on our Endorsement Team, on numerous campaign teams across the city, and to everyone who phonebanked, text-banked, canvassed, tabled, and supported our candidates across NYC. Time and again, we heard from our candidates about how loved and supported they felt by TJV and about our impact on their campaigns. And that’s because of all of our members; everyone who participated in TJV GOTV.
