DC 37 Announces Key Endorsements in the City’s Primary Election for State Legislative Seats
By MIKE LEE
DC 37 has endorsed candidates for six state legislative races in New York’s Tuesday, Sept. 13 primary.
The union backs Sen. Roxanne Persuad, Democrat from Brooklyn’s 19th District. Born in Guyana, Persuad was a higher education administrator.
Prior to serving in the state Senate, Sen. Persuad was president of the 69 th Precinct Community Council in Canarsie, a member of Community Board 18 and commissioner on the New York City Districting Commission.
DC 37 also supports State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky of the 16th District in Queens. A fighter for social justice, Stavisky is the assistant Democratic leader and ranking minority member on the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education, working to improve public schools and programs for older adults.
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera of the 33rd District in the Bronx also gets the union’s nod. Rivera is a native of Puerto Rico who arrived in New York after graduating college. Prior his election to the state Senate, Rivera was a community organizer.
For the state assembly, DC 37 endorses Assembly member Latrice Walker of the 55th District in Brooklyn. Before her election to the state assembly, Walker served as counsel to U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, helping plan and implement her community’s congressional agenda.
Also, the union endorses Assembly member Victor Pichardo of the Bronx’s 86th District. Before serving in the state Assembly, Pichardo worked as U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s community outreach coordinator/Latino liaison and as state Sen. Gustavo Rivera’s director of Community Affairs. He considers public education funding one of his top priorities.
In June, the union endorsed Jamaal Bailey for the 36th New York State Senate District. The Bronx-raised lawyer interned with the New York State Assembly, which led to his participation in local politics and his election as a district leader. He serves as state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s community relations director.
“These candidates have solid records of accomplishment that demonstrate their dedication to their communities,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “They share our union’s values of economic justice, and they believe that government can and should be a force to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. DC 37 volunteers will be on the phones and on the streets from now until Primary Day to ensure victory for these candidates.”