DLCC Wins CRITICAL New York Special Election

 

 

WASHINGTON — The DLCC and New York Democrats have won the critical toss-up special election for New York state Senate District 37.

 

Senator-elect Shelley Mayer’s victory tonight unifies and strengthens the New York Senate Democratic Conference under the leadership of DLCC Board member and Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Earlier this month, Leader Stewart-Cousins successfully unified mainline Senate Democrats and the now-dissolved Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), putting Democrats on the path to regaining majority control of the chamber.

 

“Tonight is a wonderful night for the DLCC and our New York partners as we celebrate this crucial victory,” said DLCC Executive Director Jessica Post. “Shelley Mayer will continue to be a fierce advocate for New Yorkers as she heads to the state Senate. The DLCC was an integral part of Democrats’ success tonight, including Mayer on our list of Spotlight Races and investing nearly $500,000. Since the 2016 election, Democrats have been energized by the DLCC’s wins at the legislative level of the ballot, coming out in droves to volunteer for critical state races. The Mayer campaign shattered previous volunteer records for any state legislative race since Trump’s election, knocking on more than 150,000 doors and making more than 120,000 calls with the help of over 4,000 volunteers over the course of the three-month campaign.

“Once again, the DLCC’s strategic insight, unique relationships with our legislators, and unparalleled expertise have proven to be a winning combination. As the DLCC continues to flip critical seats and chambers, energize the electorate, and lay the foundation for success in 2018 midterms and beyond, we are confident that our work rebuilding the Democratic Party from the ground up will set Democrats up for success in the decade following 2020 redistricting.”

Tonight’s win comes on the heels of the DLCC announcing a new record for first quarter fundraising of more than $5 million, with $1 million coming from online donations. The DLCC is on track to spend $35 million this election cycle, and has highlighted some of their state Democratic candidates to know in 2018 at races.dlcc.org. With Democrats only 16 seats away from flipping eight chambers, you can read about the DLCC’s 2018 roadmap here.

A dedicated public servant, Senator-elect Shelly Mayer previously served as a state Representative for Assembly District 90, which includes the city of Yonkers where she was born and raised. Prior to her election to the Assembly, Senator-elect Mayer was Senior Counsel at the National State Attorney General Program at Columbia University, where she focused on health care and labor law rights.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the only organization exclusively committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures all over the country and winning Democratic control of chambers. For over two decades, the DLCC has been working with state legislative leaders to invest strategically in state programs, which has led to Democrats flipping 39 seats since Trump’s inauguration. The DLCC is building on Democrats’ winning momentum and continues to lay the groundwork for substantial gains in 2018 in statehouses nationwide. State Democrats recently scored critical victories in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, and elsewhere, while also leading the resistance against the Trump administration’s extremist policies. You can learn more about critical upcoming elections and follow DLCC’s Spotlight Races at races.dlcc.org.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the DLCC, please contact Mara Sloan at [email protected].