(New York, NY) Today, former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and New York City Councilmember Julissa Ferreras (CD-21), announced their support for Adriano Espaillat in the NY-13 Congressional Primary. This support comes just days after New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson announced his support, in the wake of several major labor union endorsements including RWDSU, DC 9, UFT and HTC who announced their support earlier this month and joins a broad coalition of support for Espaillat from across the District.
“I am thrilled to announce my support for Adriano Espaillat, a dedicated and effective advocate for our community,” Betsy Gotbaum, former NYC Public Advocate said. “Be it affordable housing, education funding or immigration, Adriano has been a leader who has brought opportunity to the District. It is time for change in our community and we need a strong voice in Washington who understands the diverse needs of our residents – Adriano is that voice.”
“Adriano Espaillat will be a uniting force in Congress, just as he has always been in his community, which is why I am delighted to announce my support for his campaign today,”Julissa Ferreras, 21st District City Councilmember said. “Adriano listens to the needs of his community, weighing positions from every side of an issue before working with his fellow elected officials to resolve it – that’s the kind of leader we need in gridlocked Washington – and that’s the kind of leader Adriano is.”
“I am proud to have the support of both former Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras,” Adriano Espaillat said. “Sadly, almost nowhere is inequality greater in our City then for women – who still only earn 70 cents to the dollar, whose reproductive freedoms are still being challenged and, who still face sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. In the Senate, I have fought for the Women’s Equality Act and in Congress I will continue the fight to end inequality for women once and for all. I thank Betsy and Julissa for their support and together we can bring change and opportunity for women to the District.
Espaillat has dominated organized labor endorsements with Hotel and Motel Trades Council (HTC), United Federation of Teachers (UFT), District Council 9 IUPAT (DC 9), Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU) and the Laundry & Distribution workers affiliate of Workers United SEIU (Workers United) showing their support earlier in the campaign.
Also part of the broad coalition of support is New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Bronx County Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Carl E. Heastie (AD -83); Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; Senators Brad Hoylman (SD-27) Jeffrey D. Klein (SD-34) and Gustavo Rivera (SD-33), Assemblymembers Karim Camara (AD-43), Robert Rodriguez (AD-68), Gabriela Rosa (AD-72), José Rivera (AD-73), Mark Gjonaj (AD-80) Jeffrey Dinowitz (AD-81), and Victor Pichardo (AD-86); Councilmembers Mark Levine (CD-7), Ydanis Rodriguez (CD-10), Andrew Cohen (CD-11) and Ritchie Torres (CD-15); the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, and the Democratic Club of El Barrio & East Harlem.
In Congress, Adriano Espaillat Will:
- Champion Affordable Housing Opportunity for All: Affordable housing is disappearing in our community, and longtime residents are being driven from their homes. Adriano Espaillat led the fight to renew and strengthen New York State’s tenant protection laws, and he will bring the same determined focus to Washington.Housing Opportunity for All will help keep New Yorkers from being displaced and make sure our City isn’t just open to millionaires.
- Empower our District Through Immigration Opportunity for All: Immigration reform is a defining civil rights issue of our time. Espaillat believes the time is now to fix our broken immigration laws and bring over 11 million Americans out of the shadows. The current system has split families apart, and left Latino, Caribbean, and African immigrant communities in the 13th Congressional District vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Espaillat has fought for immigration Opportunity for All in Albany – he’ll bring the same fight and energy to D.C.
- Focus Economic Opportunity for All: Espaillat believes that economic development isn’t successful if current residents are left behind. Espaillat will fight to shift public subsidies from the big box chain stores paying minimum wage salaries, to existing small and minority-owned businesses looking to grow, and local entrepreneurs who need capital to get started. In Congress, he will work to reform and expand the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and use participatory budgeting to increase access to economic Opportunity for All.
More About 13th District Congressional Candidate Adriano Espaillat:
- Adriano Espaillat got his start as a community activist in Northern Manhattan, and currently serves in the New York State Senate. In the legislature, he quickly distinguished himself as a reformer and progressive fighter who has stood up for working families.
- In 2011, Espaillat led the fight to renew New York State’s tenant protection laws, which were set to expire that year. Espaillat’s advocacy safeguarded over 1 million units of affordable housing, and earned new protections for over 2.5 million people, including the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit to stop harassment and abuse.
- As Chair of the Senate Latino Conference, Espaillat has championed state-based immigration reforms, including: legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, the DREAM Act, and the Farmworkers Bill of Rights.
- Espaillat has been a vocal advocate for tenants, consumers, veterans, immigrants and local businesses. He has championed marriage equality and civil rights issues, and efforts to protect our environment from hydrofracking and other dangers.
- He has passed laws preserving affordable housing, giving low-income day care workers the right to organize and obtain health care, and sponsored measures to improve hospital translation services. He established a higher education scholarship fund for relatives of the victims of American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed on November 12, 2001.
