The Reformer: June 2025 – Citizens Union

Dear friend,

What an incredible time to have joined Citizens Union. Last week’s Democratic primary showed just how far we’ve come –and how much work remains – to make our elections more fair and open.

We saw the highest voter turnout in decades, energized young voters, tens of thousands of volunteer canvassers, small-dollar donors fueling competitive campaigns, and a rejection of big-money politics. None of it would have happened without the reforms we’ve championed over the past few years.

Expanded early voting helped drive strong youth turnout, with more than twice as many voters turning out to vote before Primary Day compared to four years ago. Ranked Choice Voting incentivized positive campaigning and unusual cross-endorsements. And our robust public matching funds program enhanced the power of small-dollar donors, allowing their voices to compete with big-money interests. Citizens Union has been at the forefront of all of these changes.

But there’s more to do. Despite enjoying a stronger turnout than previous cycles, preliminary data shows less than 30% of eligible Democratic voters participated in the primary election. Our off-cycle elections and closed primary system create voter fatigue and shuts out more than one million registered voters, many of them young, who are not part of a political party.

This year presents a rare and powerful opportunity to fix these longstanding problems. The 2025 Charter Revision Commission is considering proposals to move city elections so they align with state and federal contests, where turnout is historically much higher, and open up primaries so that all registered voters can participate in choosing our city’s leaders. Open primaries and even year elections would give more New Yorkers a meaningful say in the future of our city.

Thank you for your support. I’m thrilled to be doing this work with all of you.

Best,
Grace Rauh

Executive Director, Citizens Union/Citizens Union Foundation
5BORO Institute at Citizens Union

Primary Focus: Citizens Union and the Primary Elections

Over the past two months, we rigorously evaluated candidates for Mayor, Comptroller, Manhattan Borough President, and 12 different City Council seats. We announced preferences in each of these races, and profiled all the candidates in our Voters Guide. We also released information about the crop of candidates as a whole, compiling their stances on crucial reform issues and sharing them on social media.

We congratulate Citizens Union-preferred City Council candidates Julie Menin, Pierina Sanchez, Alexa Avilés, and Frank Morano on their victories in the first round of ranked choice voting.

And we not only offered suggestions about who to vote for –we also provided information about how to vote. We were active on social media, keeping you up-to-date with the latest on early voting and explaining how ranked choice voting works. And we were on the airwaves, too: Grace joined PIX11 on Election Day to provide crucial information.

Charter Momentum Part 1: Improving Local Elections

This month, we continued our campaign to improve voter turnout and representation in local city elections through charter reform. We made the case to the 2025 Charter Revision Commission, testifying in support of opening up municipal primaries and aligning city elections with even-year Presidential or gubernatorial races.

And it’s not just us – our reforms have broad support. We found that 87% of City Council candidates running this year also support moving local city elections to even-years. You read that right – 9 in 10 candidates agree on this common-sense reform!

See the full list of candidates supporting even-year local races

Charter Momentum Part 2: Holding Power to Account

Our movement for accountability in municipal government gained significant traction this month. In its latest report, the Charter Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy embraced two key Citizen Union reforms: the creation of a process to remove a mayor for serious misconduct and a minimum budget for the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board.

The New York Times took note, writing two pieces on the Mayoral removal process, citing us and our work.

And we didn’t stop there. Citizens Union Policy Director Ben Weinberg brought the case to the NYC Commission to Strengthen Local Democracy, testifying in support of these guardrails to rein in corruption among elected leaders.

Want to learn more about our proposed process to remove a mayor? Read our report.

No More Bumping? Equal Access to Ballot Questions

As the session came to a close, the State Legislature took an important step to insulate the charter revision process from political gamesmanship. Both chambers passed legislation (S590/A366) sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Tony Simone, to prevent mayors from blocking ballot questions by establishing their own charter revision commission. From Rudy Giuliani to Eric Adams, mayors have abused this “right of way” to privilege the measures of their commissions.

For decades, Citizens Union has advocated for a more balanced and democratic charter revision process. This long-overdue legislation should be the first of several reforms to strengthen the process, including establishing minimum timelines for commissions to propose measures.

Read our memo of support for the legislation.

Make Your Voice Heard!

We may be past the primary, but you still have an opportunity to make your voice heard!

For years, Citizens Union has teamed up with Communities Speak to ensure that policymakers understand the unique challenges our communities experience. Communities Speak collects information from New Yorkers across the five boroughs to ensure that policy in our city is made with the needs of our communities in mind.

Developed by Columbia University researchers and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Communities Speaks aims to increase the diversity and influence of community voices in policy-making by developing data-driven dialogue between community leaders, constituents, and government.

Take the quick, anonymous survey here.