Grand Street Dems continued to hear from candidates for NYC 2025 — Jenifer Rajkumar for City Comptroller, Christopher Marte and Jess Coleman for City Council District 1, and Alvin Bragg for Manhattan District Attorney. (Elizabeth Lewinsohn, who recently announced her campaign for City Council District 1, was unable to accept our invitation.)
We were also joined by our State Sen. Brian Kavanagh for an Albany legislative update.
Following remarks and questions, GSD members met to discuss the races for City Council and D.A., and voted to endorse Christopher Marte and Alvin Bragg for re-election.
We had a lively Annual Meeting with a number of special guests.
Keith Powers joined us to discuss his tenure on the City Council and his 2025 campaign for Manhattan Borough President.
Council member Justin Brannan from South Brooklyn is running city-wide in 2025 for New York City Comptroller.
Rep. Dan Goldman joined us remotely from D.C. to discuss the considerable challenges facing Democrats in the upcoming administration.
Assembly member Grace Lee invited us to volunteer on Saturday to distribute Thanksgiving turkeys to low-income families in the neighborhood.
The club also elected new officers and passed an amendment to the bylaws to include on our executive committee a member of the Democratic State Committee if they are a voting member of GSD.
Update: This amendment passed by a vote of members on 11/18/24.
At our 11/18/24 Annual Meeting, voting members will be asked to approve a change to our bylaws that would make a member of the Democratic State Committee who is also a member of Grand Street Dems with voting privileges ex officio a member of GSD’s Executive Committee.
From the start of the club, we have had the same accommodation for District Leaders. This is the first time we have had a State Committee member who is also a member of the club, so members of the Executive Committee proposed to extend that rule.
Below is the section of the bylaws in question, with the proposed amendment highlighted:
Article 6, Section 1
Membership in the Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and current District Leaders and State Committee members who are members of this Club with voting privileges.
Annual Meeting November 18, 6:30 pm Seward Park Coop Community Room 266 East Broadway
Election for GSD officers (President, Vice President(s), Secretary, Treasurer, At-large) will be held. All members with voting privileges may stand for office. Votes must be cast in person or by proxy (any member may carry one proxy for a member with voting privileges with written authorization).
Election Day is finally (almost) here. Grand Street Dems has hosted phone banks and letter-writing events, knocked doors in Pennsylvania and New York state, and distributed a few thousand Vote Yes on Prop 1 flyers (3,200 to be exact). It’s been a busy, exciting, emotional time.
But right now, if you’re like me, you might be consumed with Election Day itself, so below are some recommendations for channeling that energy.
No matter the results, this community and our work continue after November 5. Please join us at our Fall Party on Thursday, Nov. 14 to reflect on this tumultuous election, and then come to our next General Meeting on Monday, Nov. 18 to start planning for all the big NYC primaries that are right around the corner!
In solidarity,
Caroline District Leader, AD 65 Part A
VOTE Seems obvious, but bears repeating. Check in on your neighbors, friends and family. I got a panic text yesterday from a Pennsylvania voter who thought it was too late to drop off her mail-in ballot. It’s not! I got her the correct address and that’s one more vote in a swing state.
If you encounter issues while voting, call 1-866-390-2992 and submit a complaint to the NY Attorney General.
THANK A POLL WORKER They are working a 15-hour day (not including travel time), and are essential to this whole process.
MAKE MORE CALLS (Why phone bank? A few observations from the past month right up to today’s NY For Harris phone bank: 1. People still need information – where to vote, where to drop off a ballot, who’s running for senate/state house/etc. 2. People who commit to a voting plan – like, saying it out loud to another person, even an anonymous caller – are more likely to follow through. 3. Having respectful, human contact from Harris volunteers leaves a good impression.)
NY For Harris in-person phone bank (near Penn Station, exact address with RSVP) – calling Pennsylvania to make sure every possible vote is cast for Kamala Harris and the entire Democratic ticket.
Statewide Vote Yes on Prop 1 virtual phone bank – calling voters throughout New York state to remind them to flip their ballot and vote YES on Prop 1. This is to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in New York state and such an important issue
Sister District virtual phone bank – calling voters to flip the state house seat in one of their adopted districts (in WI, MI, PA, NC, MN, GA, AZ, or NV)
Everyone For Kamala – billing itself as “The Largest Phone Bank Ever.” Celebrities abound.
