Biaggi Will Make Things on Issues That Democrats Care About

It is high time for Democrats to vote their convictions rather than their fears. This is why I am supporting Alessandra Biaggi in the Aug. 23 Democratic primary.

I was raised by Kennedy Democrats who believed in the values of moral, social and political equity built into democracy. Remember when the Democratic Party was about championing civil rights, supporting living wages and fair taxation, especially of wealthy individuals and corporations, investing in public education and public health and saving the environment? Those were the values the Democratic Party used to stand for. When did we lose all that?

As a Peekskill Democratic district leader, I saw firsthand what an engaged and fired-up Democratic voter base can accomplish at the polls. Mondaire Jones, the current District 17 congressional representative and fellow progressive, did just that. He doubled voter turnout in my district in Peekskill.

Voters now are confused as to why Mondaire Jones isn’t running in this district, something Sean Patrick Maloney hasn’t bothered to publicly explain, really. When Democrats believe in a candidate they get out and vote.

Can voters trust that a real Democrat like Alessandra Biaggi will win the general election? This is what we need when facing the new kind of GOP candidate, like Mike Lawler. Simply, real Democrats can beat him in a new +7-point blue district (in favor of Biden) if they come out and vote.

Sen. Biaggi’s progressive and inclusive vision is exactly what we need to bring voters out. She has hit the streets in rallies with young and old over the loss of Roe and the terrible human losses of children from guns and mental illness. Remember:   Maloney has been in office when these major losses have happened.

Courage means fighting for what you believe in. I say this as I look at the pile of fear-inducing hate mail from “police friends” that I’ve collected in the last month.  This has been generated by dark money PACs. Maloney has not denounced this in the least. Instead, he is spending millions of dollars, corporate PAC money, so we can watch endless commercials of him in his kayak in the Hudson River. Some of us environmentalists know he’d voted with Republicans to cut taxes on oil exports. He backed Danskammer and his relationship with the CPV fracked-gas plant propelled his status in the Democratic Party fundraising structure. Maloney is a corporate monied Democrat and this is not who we need representing us in Congress.

Today we are faced with a choice: We sit back and watch the Democratic Party fade into oblivion or we get up and support the candidate that shares our values. Biaggi will codify Roe, she will not only support but advocate for the two critical pieces of the Green New Deal, she will take on gun control measures and fight the terrible influences of the NRA at every turn.

This is not the time to give up. Bring Democrats back by voting for Biaggi. Early voting runs through this Sunday, Aug. 21. There is in-person voting on Tuesday, Aug. 23. You can also vote by mail.

Tina Volz-Bongar,
Peekskill Democratic Party District Leader
Election District 1

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