Candidates endorsed by Our Union

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COVID-19 has crystallized just how important public services, the healthcare system, and government institutions are in a crisis. Who sets policy and shapes our response during the next phase of this pandemic will change New York, and the country, forever.

New York has been at the epicenter of this epidemic, and as nurses we’ve seen firsthand the toll this crisis has taken on our communities. Now is the time for bold leadership, not federal foot-dragging, or cuts to New York’s healthcare and social safety net. We need elected officials who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect the health and economic security of our communities.

NYSNA is pleased to announce the following endorsements for New York’s 2020 Primary Elections. We look forward to working with each of them to ensure nurses have a seat at the table as we begin to Move New York Forward.

Special thanks to NYSNA’s Political Action Committee, for all their hard work reviewing and interviewing dozens of candidates who requested our endorsement. For more information about NYSNA’s political and legislative priorities, or to request an endorsement, contact endorsements@nysna.org.

How to vote during COVID-19

New York primary elections will occur on June 23, 2020. In order to protect New Yorkers from COVID-19, the state has made mail-in voting available to all registered voters for the June 23 primary. However, you can still vote in person on Election Day, and participate in early voting.

Use the Voter Registration and Poll Site Search at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov to check your voter registration, find your poll site location and hours, and see what Congressional and State legislature districts you belong to.

The deadline to register to vote in the June 23 primary election is May 29, 2020. If you have not registered to vote by May 29, you can still vote in the General Election in November if you mail your application by October 9, 2020 or deliver it in-person by October 10, 2020. You can also register online at www.ny.gov/services/register-vote.

To vote in person:

To vote by mail:

Anyone registered to vote in New York State can request and submit an absentee ballot. The Board of Elections will also automatically mail every eligible voter an absentee ballot application. You can:

  • Pick up an absentee ballot application at your County Board of Elections. Find your County Board at www.elections.ny.gov/CountyBoards.html
  • Download a PDF of the NYS Absentee Ballot Application Form at www.elections.ny.gov
  • New York City residents only can also request an Absentee Ballot online at nycabsentee.com

Even if you’re not sick, you should mark “temporary illness” on your application form as the reason you’re requesting an absentee ballot. This is because the definition of “temporary illness” has been expanded to cover the risk of contracting the coronavirus while voting. That’s how New York has been able to expand absentee voting to everyone.

Once you complete your ballot application, mail, email, or fax it to your County Board of Elections by June 16. You have until June 22 to apply in-person for an absentee ballot at your County Board.

Now you’re ready to vote! Fill out your ballot according to the directions included, using black or blue ink. Be extra careful, go slowly, and read everything. Then, mail it to your local Board of Elections no later than June 22.Congratulations! By voting, you’ve just made your voice heard, in a time when our democracy needs nurses’ leadership more than ever.

Key Deadlines

  • May 29: Last day to register to vote, in-person or by mail (Must be received by city BOE by June 3).
  • June 13: Early voting begins
  • June 16: Last date to postmark absentee ballot application
  • June 21: Last day for early voting
  • June 22: Last day to apply in-person for an absentee ballot
  • June 22: Last date to postmark absentee ballot (must be received by city BOE by June 30)
  • June 23: Election Day! Last day to deliver absentee ballot IN-PERSON to local County Board of Elections

US Congress

CD 2 Jackie Gordon

Jackie Gordon is running for Congress in Long Island’s District 2. Gordon is a combat veteran and a retired high school guidance counselor. She has made affordable and accessible healthcare a top issue in her campaign. “Our nurses provide critical, lifesaving care to our community every day,” she says. “I’m proud to stand with them in advocating for every American’s right to quality, affordable healthcare.”

CD 5 Gregory Meeks

Gregory Meeks is running for reelection to Congress in District 5, where he’s represented Southeast Queens since 1998. He also serves as Chair to the Queens County Democratic Party. Meeks is a cosponsor of Medicare for All legislation in the House. During the COVID-19 crisis, he’s advocated for greater support of New Yorkers, and joined with nurses to call on President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act to get PPE to the frontlines. In May, he joined NYSNA nurses on a virtual town hall discussing racial disparities during the COVID crisis

CD 6 Grace Meng

Grace Meng is running for reelection to Congress, where she’s currently serving her fourth term representing District 6 in Queens. During COVID-19, Meng led a New York City congressional delegation calling on the President to address the shortage of PPE and medical technology. She also voted to pass the HEROES Act in the House, which would provide vital protections to nurses and other frontline workers.

CD 7 Nydia Velázquez

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez is running for reelection in Congressional District 7, encompassing parts of Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and Queens. She has served New Yorkers in Congress for fourteen terms. Velazquez is championing the federal HEROES Act and its provisions of hazard pay for frontline workers and additional funding to fortify New York’s healthcare system. She is also a supporter of Medicare for All, saying that “healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a privilege for the wealthy.”

CD 9 Yvette Clarke

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is running for reelection to represent the people of Brooklyn’s Ninth Congressional District. Clarke has been an important voice on the issues nurses care about. She voted for the federal HEROES Act; is a strong supporter of Medicare for All; has advocated for a stronger response to the opioid epidemic; and has fought to address disparities black women face in healthcare.

CD 10 Jerry Nadler

NYSNA is supporting Jerry Nadler’s campaign for reelection to represent New York’s 10th Congressional District. Before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, he served in the New York State Assembly for 16 years. In the aftermath of September 11, Nadler proved to be a tireless advocate for health and safety issues during times of crisis. This has continued during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recently introduced the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act, modeled after the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and intended to provide funds for essential workers who get sick or die due to COVID-19.

CD 12 Carolyn Maloney

Carolyn Maloney was the first woman to be elected to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District in 1992, and NYSNA is proud to support her campaign for reelection. In 2010, Maloney was an ally in passing the Affordable Care Act. She’s also used her seat to establish legislation providing for 9/11 first responders, residents, and workers; and to ensure annual mammograms for women on Medicare. Our demands for unleashing the Defense Production Act (DPA) and the HEROES Act have been taken up by Maloney during the COVID crisis.

CD 13 Adriano Espaillat

Adriano Espaillat is running for reelection in New York Thirteenth’s Congressional District, which he’s represented since 2017. Espaillat has defended the Affordable Care Act and joined as a cosponsor of HR 676, the Medicare for All Act. He’s been a strong advocate for better public transportation, and during the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted how underfunding of public transportation has endangered the health of essential workers who must commute to work.

CD 14 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

NYSNA is proud to support Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s bid for reelection after her historic first term in Congress serving New York’s 14th District in the Bronx and Queens. Ocasio-Cortez has been a fighter for Medicare for All, healthcare justice, and union workers since day one. She also joined NYSNA members in a virtual town hall on the COVID-19 crisis on April 9, amplifying our call for President Trump to use the Defense Production Act to ramp up PPE production, and went on to advocate for the HEROES Act. She’s been a consistent and powerful voice for nurses, and we are excited to support her continued leadership.

CD 15 Michael Blake

Michael Blake is running for Congress in New York’s Congressional District 15 representing the Bronx. Previous to his run for Congress, Michael Blake proved to be a NYSNA ally in the state assembly. He was a cosponsor to safe staffing legislation and was a proactive fighter for nurses during the COVID crisis, voting against the counter-productive cuts to healthcare in this year’s budget.

CD 16 Jamaal Bowman

Jamaal Bowman is running for Congress in District 16 of the Bronx and Yonkers. In addition to being an ardent supporter of Medicare for all, Bowman has demonstrated that he shows up for nurses in times of crisis. He joined our April protest outside St Joseph Medical Center in Yonkers, amplifying our demands for more PPE and a stronger federal response. “The federal government’s responsibility here is to respond, so I don’t want to let them off the hook,” he said. We believe Bowman will bring needed urgency to nurses’ issues in Congress.

CD 17 David Buchwald

David Buchwald is running for Congress in District 17 of the Hudson Valley. He previously served in New York’s State Assembly, where he supported safe staffing and fought against policies that would benefit insurance companies over our safety-net hospitals. Most recently, he spoke at a candlelight vigil at Westchester Medical Center, honoring the sacrifices nurses have made during the pandemic. “It’s a true honor to have the support of NYSNA,” he says. “In Congress, I’ll fight for national Paid Sick Leave, protect workers’ rights, and advocate for greater access to healthcare for everyone.”

CD 27 Nate McMurray

Nate McMurray is running to represent Western New York’s 27th Congressional District. He first ran in 2018 and lost by less than 1% of the vote, putting him on a strong footing for this election. He is an advocate for Medicare for All and determined to fight predatory pharmaceutical and insurance companies. He is an ally to organized labor and a proponent of workers’ rights, fair wages, and good jobs.

NYS Senate

SD 7 Anna Kaplan

Anna Kaplan is running for reelection to State Senate in SD 7 of Nassau County. She was first elected to her seat in 2018, making her the first political refugee and Iranian-American elected to the New York State senate. She is a cosponsor of the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act that nurses have championed to protect patients and the practice.

SD 10 James Sanders Jr.

James Sanders Jr. is running for reelection to District 10 of Southeast Queens, which he’s represented in the State Senate since 2013. He is a cosponsor of safe staffing legislation, and of the New York Health Act, which would establish universal healthcare in the state. During the COVID crisis, he’s promoted legislation to make coronavirus testing free to uninsured New Yorkers; and sponsored the Nursing Home Protection Act of 2020 stipulating more testing and sufficient PPE for long-term care staff.

SD 12 Michael Gianaris

Michael Gianaris, who is Deputy Majority Leader in the NYS Senate, is running for reelection in Queens’ District 12. Gianaris has joined NYSNA in our efforts to pass the New York Health Act. He is also an advocate for early and vote-by-mail, which has proved to be an important public-health measure during the COVID-19 crisis.

SD 13 Jessica Ramos

Jessica Ramos is running for reelection after a strong first term to represent NYS Senate District 13. Ramos has been a consistent advocate for NYSNA’s legislative priorities, as a cosponsor of the New York Health Act, Safe Staffing, and protection for employees subjected to abusive work environments. She also voted against cuts to healthcare and other vital services during the COVID-19 pandemic; and advocates for COVID-19 to be classified as an occupational disease, which would help nurses exposed at work protect themselves and win workers’ compensation. As chair of the Labor Committee, she’s been a staunch defender of working people and unions.

SD 18 Julia Salazar

NYSNA is excited to support Julia Salazar’s campaign for reelection in Brooklyn’s District 18. Salazar is a safe staffing cosponsor and has been a leader in fighting for universal healthcare. She voted against this year’s state budget, due to its massive cuts to healthcare and other services vital to fighting the pandemic. “We can’t continue to balance state budgets on the backs of working people,” she argues. She has also been an active resource for H&H nurses at Woodhull Hospital in her district throughout the crisis.

SD 21 Kevin Parker

Kevin Parker is running for reelection in Brooklyn’s District 21. He was first elected in 2002. Parker is a cosponsor of safe staffing legislation in the Senate.

SD 23 Diane Savino

Diane Savino is running for reelection in the 23rd District, encompassing parts of Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, which she has represented since 2005. Savino has been a forceful leader throughout her time in Albany, and this has only continued during the COVID crisis. She joined fellow senators in calling for a statewide nursing home taskforce after seeing how long-term care facilities were failed during the pandemic. This May, she joined NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane in a Staten Island car rally for essential workers, where she spoke about the need to advocate for the most vulnerable in our workforce. Finally, she is cosponsoring legislation to make exposure to COVID-19 an occupational disease.

SD 31 Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson is running to be reelected in District 31. He has joined members in NYSNA town halls throughout the COVID crisis, and has helped pressure hospital administrations and fellow elected officials to adopt our priorities. In the legislature, he is a voice for the New York Health Act, safe staffing, and most recently, classifying COVID-19 as an occupational disease for which nurses deserve workers compensation.

SD 32 Luis Sepulveda

Luis Sepúlveda was first elected to represent the 32nd Senate District in 2018, and is now running for reelection. He’s been a consistent ally of nurses in the senate, supporting safe staffing and universal healthcare.

SD 34 Alessandra Biaggi

Alessandra Biaggi is running for reelection in District 34, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. Biaggi has been a strong ally to nurses by cosponsoring safe staffing legislation and the New York Health Act. She also took a stand against hospital closures in the wake of COVID-19, sponsoring a bill that would place a moratorium on closures through 2023. Finally, she has been a vocal critic of this year’s cuts to healthcare and public services, lamenting that “We have cast a dark shadow over our communities in their greatest moment of need, by delivering a budget that puts millions of New Yorkers in harm’s way and fails to meet the needs of our healthcare system under these extraordinary circumstances.”

SD 36 Jamaal Bailey

Jamaal Bailey is running for reelection to represent New York’s 36th State Senate District, where he’s represented Bronx residents since 2016. Bailey has been a dependable voice for nurses in the Senate, supporting safe staffing and the New York Health Act. He is also committed to keeping our hospitals open and serving the community, recently sponsoring legislation that would place a moratorium on hospital closures through 2023.

SD 46 Michelle Hinchey

Michelle Hinchey is running for NYS Senate in the Capital Region’s District 46. She is committed to fighting for affordable healthcare, especially in long-term care, bringing good “green jobs” to upstate New York, and protecting access to fresh air, clean water, and safe food for the health of our communities. To nurses, she says “I promise to stand with you and fight for safe staffing and better wages because you are our true heroes.”

NYS Assembly

AD 2 Laura Jens-Smith

Laura Jens-Smith is running for NYS Assembly in District 2 in Suffolk County. Jens-Smith previously worked as a cardiac care and recovery room nurse, and her priorities reflect that experience. She’s committed to reducing the cost of prescription drugs and making high-quality healthcare accessible for everyone. In 2019, she received the Long Island Federation of Labor Leadership Award for her work on behalf of organized labor and working families.

AD 34 Michael DenDekker

Michael DenDekker is running for reelection in District 34, which he has represented since 2009. DenDekker has used his position in the Assembly to amplify NYSNA’s demands, supporting safe staffing and the New York Health Act. Recently, he’s cosponsored legislation classifying COVID-19 as an occupational disease, standing up for the many frontline nurses exposed at work.

AD 35 Jeffrion Aubry

Jeffrion Aubry is running for reelection in District 35, which he’s served in the Assembly since 1992. Aubry has elevated NYSNA’s priorities in the Assembly, cosponsoring safe staffing legislation and the New York Health Act providing universal coverage in the state.

AD 36 Aravella Simotas

Aravella Simotas is running for reelection to NYS Assembly from Queens’ District 36. When she was first elected in 2010, she became the first woman to ever hold the seat. Simotas has been a leader on healthcare issues, not only supporting safe staffing and universal healthcare, but also authoring landmark legislation improving women’s access to prenatal care and pushing for measures to lower infant mortality rates. That leadership has continued during the COVID crisis, during which she’s sponsored legislation making COVID-19 an occupational disease, opposed counterproductive cuts to healthcare, and advocated hazard pay for frontline workers.

AD 39 Catalina Cruz

Catalina Cruz is running for reelection in the 39th Assembly District in Queens. Cruz is a co-sponsor for Safe Staffing and the NY Health Act and has been an advocate for Medicare-for-All. She grew up as a DREAMER and is dedicated to fighting for nurses and her community.

AD 40 Ronald Kim

Ronald Kim is running for reelection Queens’ Assembly District 40. When he was first elected in 2012 he became the first Korean-American elected in New York State. He has been a steadfast advocate of nurses’ issues, cosponsoring safe staffing and universal healthcare legislation. During the COVID crisis he has demonstrated unmatched leadership. He was one of the first officials to sound the alarm about the crisis in long-term care; has supported local initiatives to distribute PPE and other vital supplies; and pushed for a top-tier contact tracing program.

AD 43 Diana Richardson

NYSNA is proud to endorse Assemblywoman Diana Richardson for reelection. Her record representing Brooklyn’s 43rd Assembly District since 2015 has been consistently on the side of unions and working families. She was crucial in passing historic affordable housing measures in 2019, standing up to powerful real estate interests in the process. It’s a good indicator she can also stand up to bigwig hospital associations and insurance companies—and her support for Safe Staffing and the New York Health Act shows she’s ready to fight for RNs in Albany.

AD 50 Joe Lentol

Joe Lentol is running for reelection to NYS Assembly in District 50, where he’s represented North Brooklyn residents since 1972. Lentol has been a steadfast ally to nurses and working people throughout his career. He is a proponent of safe staffing and for a universal healthcare program for New York. During the coronavirus crisis, he’s been proactive in proposing measures to improve conditions in long term care, and is cosponsoring a bill classifying COVID-19 as an occupational disease.

AD 51 Felix Ortiz

Félix Ortiz is running for reelection in Brooklyn’s Assembly District 51. He first assumed office in 1995. Ortiz has been a supporter of our long-term priorities such as safe staffing and the New York Health Act. Recently, he’s cosponsored efforts to deem COVID-19 an occupational disease and improve protections for frontline workers.

AD 57 Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley is running for reelection in District 57 in Brooklyn, which he’s represented since 2013. Mosley has a track record of advocating for Brooklyn communities—helping to make sure safety net hospitals remain open for care, and addressing the social determinants of health such as affordable housing and criminal justice reform. He is an advocate of our legislative priorities including the New York Health Act and safe staffing.

AD 65 Yuh-Line Niou

Yuh-Line Niou is running for reelection to the Assembly in Manhattan’s District 65. When she assumed office in 2017 she became the first Asian-American to represent the district. Niou has championed our priorities, from cosponsoring safe staffing, rejecting cuts to our lifesaving public services, and supporting healthcare for all. She’s also pushed for reforms to reduce the influence of corporate interests like insurance companies in Albany.

AD 70 Inez Dickens

Inez Dickens is running for reelection to NYS Assembly in Harlem’s District 70. Before winning her seat in the Assembly in 2016, Dickens served Harlem residents in the city council. Dickens is a cosponsor of safe staffing and the New York Health Act.

AD 71 Al Taylor

Al Taylor is running for reelection in the 71st Assembly District in Manhattan. Taylor is a co-sponsor for Safe Staffing and the NY Health Act.

AD 73 Dan Quart

Dan Quart is running for reelection to NYS Assembly in District 73, where he was first elected in 2011. He has used his seat to advocate for safe staffing and the New York Health Act. In the wake of COVID-19, he’s advocated for frontline workers’ right to workers’ compensation when they’re exposed to coronavirus at work.

AD 75 Richard Gottfried

Richard Gottfried is running for reelection to NYS Assembly in Manhattan’s District 75. Gottfried has been a leader on healthcare issues. He not only supports safe staffing and the New York Health Act; but has also introduced various legislation improving access to prenatal care for low-income women; providing free coverage to low-income adults; and empowering patients to designate health-care proxies. He consistently works to increase Medicaid funding and has opposed the millions in hospital cuts introduced during the pandemic.

AD 84 Amanda Septimo

Amanda Septimo is running to represent Bronx Assembly District 84. Septimo is a union organizer who has been a champion of the South Bronx, especially as it has suffered disproportionately from the effects of COVID-19. She is a believer in addressing the social determinants of health, advocating for high-quality affordable housing, better public transportation, fully funded public education, and greater rights at work, so that New York is healthier and more resilient.

AD 87 Karines Reyes

NYSNA is proud to endorse one of our own, Karines Reyes, RN to represent District 87 in the New York Assembly. Before her election to the Assembly in 2019, Reyes was a leader in our union, serving as vice chair of the bargaining unit at Einstein Hospital. She has brought that frontline activist energy to her role as a lawmaker, voting against destructive healthcare cuts, and leading the charge for safe staffing and the New York Health Act. During the coronavirus crisis, she returned to Montefiore Hospital to battle COVID-19. Now more than ever we need representatives who aren’t afraid to stand with us on the frontlines.

AD 92 Thomas Abinanti

Tom Abinanti is running for re-election in the 92nd Assembly District in Westchester County. He has been a long-standing ally to NYSNA members, working closely with NYSNA leaders at Westchester Medical Center to push the hospital on a number issues. He is a co-sponsor of our safe staffing bill and the New York Health Act.

AD 100 Aileen Gunther

Aileen Gunther, an RN with 23 years experience, is running for reelection to New York’s 100th Assembly District. Gunther has naturally been a champion for the New York Health Act and safe staffing. She’s also been tireless in ensuring that upstate New York is not left out of the coronavirus response, calling for more PPE in the region’s hospitals and long-term care facilities, and ensuring there is sufficient testing before a full reopening.

Endorsed candidates running unopposed

CD 8 Hakeem Jeffries
CD 11 Max Rose
CD 21 Tedra Cobb
CD 26 Brian Higgins
SD 4 Christine Pellegrino
SD 20 Zellnor Myrie
SD 22 Andrew Gounardes
SD 33 Gustavo Rivera
SD 35 Andrea Stewart-Cousins
SD 42 Jen Metzger
SD 60 Sean Ryan
AD 27 Daniel Rosenthal
AD 44 Robert Carroll
AD 52 Jo Anne Simon
AD 55 Latrice Walker
AD 59 Jaime Williams
AD 60 Charles Barron
AD 61 Charles Fall
AD 69 Daniel O’Donnell
AD 72 Carmen De La Rosa
AD 74 Harvey Epstein
AD 80 Nathalia Fernandez
AD 83 Carl Heastie
AD 112 Joe Seeman

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