For Immediate Release
Contact- Jake Oliver, jake@anatgerstein.com, 347 361 9983
Good government group also evaluated the race for the 37th Assembly District in Queens and offered no preference
To view Citizens Union’s Voters Directory, click here
New York, N.Y. (June 12, 2024) – Today, Citizens Union announced its preferences in six contested primary elections for Assembly seats in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
After undertaking a rigorous evaluation of 16 candidates running for office in seven Assembly Districts, Citizens Union prefers Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (District 50, Brooklyn- Greenpoint, Williamsburg), Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon (District 52, Brooklyn- Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo), Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman (District 56, Brooklyn- Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights), Xavier Santiago (District 68, Manhattan-Upper East Side, East Harlem, Randall’s Island, Central Harlem), Micah Lasher (District 69, Manhattan- Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, and Manhattan Valley) and Jordan Wright (District 70, Manhattan- Central Harlem, Manhattanville, West Harlem), in their respective Assembly races.
In the race for Assembly District 37 in Queens, which is currently held by Assembly Member Juan Ardila (Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth, Ridgewood), the organization issued no preference.
“This year’s primary election features a number of competitive races for Assembly. It is important that voters know who is running to represent them and where candidates stand on important issues, like increasing voter turnout and promoting ethics and transparency in the Capitol. Citizens Union is proud to support incumbent Assembly Members Emily Gallagher, Jo Anne Simon and Stefani Zinerman for re-election, as well as Xavier Santiago, Micah Lasher and Jordan Wright in their respective races for Assembly. Each of these candidates are deeply committed to advancing a strong reform agenda in Albany,” said Betsy Gotbaum, executive director of Citizens Union.
Support for Citizens Union’s reform agenda is the primary criterion used in deciding whether or not to support a candidate. Other criteria considered in evaluating candidates and campaigns:
- A record of ethical integrity;
- Commitment and ability to advance CU’s goals, if elected;
- For incumbents: demonstrated support for CU’s issues while in office;
- Evidence of ability to wage an effective and competitive campaign;
- Reliance on small-donor, local financing of the campaign;
- Candidates’ grasp of issues specific to the race’s jurisdiction, and whether they propose thoughtful solutions to represent constituents’ interests.
In the race for Assembly District 50 in Brooklyn, Citizens Union prefers incumbent Emily Gallagher, who has shown a commitment to reform issues and transparency during her time in the legislature. Of note, Assembly Member Gallagher passed the LLC Transparency Act.
In the race for Assembly District 52 in Brooklyn, Citizens Union prefers incumbent Jo Anne Simon. Assembly Member Simon has authored important reform legislation, including bills to close the LLC loophole (passed in 2019), move NYPD disciplinary hearings to OATH, and limit last-minute changes to the location of poll sites.
In the race for Assembly District 56 in Brooklyn, Citizens Union prefers incumbent Stefani Zinerman. Assembly Member Zinerman has co-sponsored a number of reform bills during her time in office and passed the Plain Language Act, which required the state to ensure that ballot questions are written at a level simple enough for more voters to understand them.
In the race for Assembly District 68 in Manhattan, Citizens Union prefers Xavier Santiago. Santiago has a deep track record in the district, having served as Community Board Chair and has been involved in many local organizing efforts for economic mobility and voter access. He supports same-day voter registration, and showed a strong understanding of reform issues, including voting, the Board of Election, redistricting and government transparency.
In the race for Assembly District 69, Citizens Union prefers Micah Lasher. Lasher has worked on a number of reform issues over the course of his career working for Governor Hochul, former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Lasher has a history of involvement with the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights community, a strong understanding of state politics and a clear drive to reform Albany.
In the race for Assembly District 70, Citizens Union prefers Jordan Wright. Wright supports Citizens Union’s reform agenda, and provided in-depth answers to questions on policy issues. Citizens Union prefers Wright in this race because of his history of involvement with the community, as well as his understanding of state politics and support for reform issues.
Primary Election Day is June 25, with Early Voting running from June 15 to June 23. To find your early voting location, hours, and election day poll site, visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
Citizens Union June 2024 preferences:
Brooklyn
Assembly District 50 Emily Gallagher (D)
Assembly District 52 Jo Anne Simon (D)
Assembly District 56 Stefani Zinerman (D)
Manhattan
Assembly District 68 Xavier Santiago (D)
Assembly District 69 Micah Lasher (D)
Assembly District 70 Jordan Wright (D)
Queens
Assembly District 37 No Preference
For follow up, please contact Jake Oliver at Anat Gerstein, Inc. at
jake@anatgerstein.com or 347-361-9983