NYPAN submits 60K signatures to put Sanders and Delegates on Primary Ballot
Press Advisory: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2020
Contact:
George Albro, Co-Chair gwalbro@aol.com (917) 864-9443
Traci Strickland, Co-Chair traci.strickland@gmail.com (202) 329-4002
Jay Bellanca, Co-Chair jvbellanca@gmail.com (518) 429-4972
NYPAN Holds Petition Drop and Press Conferences for Sanders
WHAT: PRESS CONFERENCES TO ANNOUNCE THE FILING OF OVER 65,000 PETITION SIGNATURES TO PLACE BERNIE SANDERS & DELEGATES ON THE APRIL 28TH NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY BALLOT
WHERE: TUES., FEB. 4TH, NOON, NYC, CITYHALL STEPS
WED., FEB. 5TH, NOON, ALBANY, BD OF ELECTIONS, 40 N. PEARL STREET
WHO: NYC: PA JUMAANE WILLIAMS, LAW PROFESSOR ZEPHYR TEACHOUT, NYC COUNCIL MEMBERS HELEN ROSENTHAL & JUSTIN BRANNAN, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER RAFAEL ESPINAL, ALBANY: SENATORS RAMOS, SEPULVEDA, SALAZAR, GIANARIS & JAMES SANDERS; ASSEMBLY MEMBER STECK, LOCAL OFFICIALS.
Aided by an army of thousands of diverse volunteers who fanned out over the entire state starting on New Years Eve, the Bernie Sanders campaign is filing over 65,000 signatures of registered Democratic voters, roughly 4X the legal minimum #, to place Bernie on the April 28th Democratic Presidential Primary Ballot. This filing includes the required signatures needed to place FULL slates of delegate candidates in ALL 27 Congressional Districts throughout NY State.
This massive volunteer achievement was obtained without the aid of any paid petitioners; rather, the all-volunteer effort, led by members of the statewide progressive group NYPAN, is a clear indication of the broad, committed support which Senator Sanders enjoys generally in the entire country, and in particular NY.
The delegate slates are very diverse, as even more people have flocked to
support a candidate who is running on a platform that represents the needs and
interests of working people in general, and people of color in particular. Indeed, of the
total 184 elected, pledged delegate slots for Bernie, over 40% are people of color, 69
are youths (under 36 y/o), and 26 are LBTGQ+. NYPAN Co-Chair Traci Strickland, a
black Brooklyn resident running to be a delegate from CD7, remarked that "Bernie's
base in 2016 was much more diverse than he got credit for, but this time around it is
even more so; it is amazing to see so many communities turning out and feeling the
Bern." She added, "to those who would dismiss us all as mere 'Bernie Bros' let me say,
I am no bro."
While some of the other presidential campaigns are struggling just to get their candidate on the ballot, and others appear that they will be forced to run with few or no delegates for lack of support, Bernie and his devoted volunteers have built such a broad, diverse, and enthusiastic following in NY that he will surely improve on his surprisingly strong 42% showing in the 2016 primary (where there was only one opponent who lived in NY and had the support of virtually the entire Democratic Party Establishment).
Joining us in NYC will be a number of progressive political leaders such as
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Professor Zephyr Teachout, and Council members Rosenthal & Brannan, formal Council member Espinal.
Joining us in Albany will be NYS Senators who have endorsed Bernie Michael Gianaris, Jessica Ramos, Luis Sepulveda, Julia Salazar and James Sanders, Albany Assembly member Phil Steck, and several local officeholders.
NYPAN is a grassroots progressive advocacy organization, founded after the 2016 General Election, and composed of over 30 chapters and affiliates across New York State. NYPAN’s mission is to provide on-the-ground support for progressive candidates, promote progressive legislation on issues including election reform, the environment, healthcare, and social and racial justice, and work with elected officials who will fight to achieve our collective goals. NYPAN is a chapter of Our Revolution and an affiliate of the New York Working Families Party.
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