New York, NY (August 26, 2026) – Citizens Union today released the following statement from Executive Director Grace Rauh in response to the Kings County Democratic Committee’s vote to adopt sweeping changes to the party’s rules:

“It’s remarkable that a party organization could push through a measure this consequential and this clearly anti-democratic, in the face of opposition from voters and nearly every major elected official in the state — including the U.S. Senate and House Minority Leaders, the Governor, the Mayor, and the state party chair. 

“It happened anyway, rammed through by a lame-duck Executive Committee whose own members were defeated at the ballot box in June. And now it moves to a County Committee vote controlled by a single person wielding a majority of proxies. At every step, this process runs counter to basic principles of good government.

“That’s why Citizens Union and Common Cause NY filed a joint memo of opposition laying out these concerns, and we plan to continue to oppose this as the process moves to the broader County Committee for a vote.”

Media Contact: Emily Kaufold, ekaufold@citizensunion.org | 203.295.5783