Dear Friends,

What's Next for NY 19?

Most, if not all, of us are reeling from Gov. Hochul's appointment of Antonio Delgado to Lt. Governor, leaving us with no Congressional representation in NY19. Here's the timetable for filling that vacancy as outlined by Ulster County Dem Committee Chair, Kelleigh McKenzie:

• A Special Election will be held to fill the vacancy. It will be for the current CD19, not the new district (which we still don't have a map of).
• The Governor is charged with setting the date of the Special Election, and it will likely be in late July or early August.
• The process for selecting the Dem nominee for the Special Election is set by our state party rules. In districts that span multiple counties, like CD19, the county chairs are charged with selecting the nominee

Meanwhile, May 20th is the deadline for the new Congressional and State Senate maps (the State Assembly map is currently being challenged).

As of this writing, potential candidates to fill the vacancy are Ulster County Exec Pat Ryan and NY State Senator Michelle Hinchey. Since the Dem county chairs will make the partial-term vacancy decision, use the next few weeks to make your voices heard. Should there be multiple candidates for the full 2022-2024 term, a Primary Election will be held, likely in August. 

Call: to Action: The Women’s Health Protection Act

There was the earlier blow of SCOTUS' decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade--which would eliminate Americans' constitutional right to abortion, and reject 50 years of legal precedent and the will of the vast majority of Americans. 

With the U.S. already more than double the maternal mortality rate of other high-income countries, this news is devastating to the effects on the health and safety of women across the country—particularly those in rural communities, individuals with lower income, and people of color. 

The Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755) which passed in the U.S. House 218-211 is a critical federal safeguard against the erosion of abortion access by medically unnecessary restrictions and bans. The bill takes a critical step toward protecting access to essential reproductive healthcare and the constitutional rights of all people, no matter what state they live in.

In a 48-46 vote on February 2nd, the Senate rejected the Women’s Health Protection Act. Let’s urge Senator Schumer to use any means possible to get it passed including ending the filibuster. 

Call or Write Senator Schumer
(914) 734-1532
https://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck

"Hi, my name is [name] from [town, ZIP].I'm calling to urge Senator Schumer to bring the Women’s Health Protection Act back for a vote and use any means possible to get it passed including ending the filibuster. With the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Congress must codify pregnant peoples right to bodily autonomy."

Stay Calm & Persist

Despite the turmoil, we know what we need to do:  Keep Dems in control of Congress, and increase the Senate majority so that we can pass national legislation to protect a woman’s right to choose (and many other freedoms). Many of you have signed up to participate in a variety of upcoming actions. If you haven't yet, please do so today!