We’ve only just begun.
Update with Turnout Statistics for Our Election:
Our District saw the highest turnout ever for a June Primary in the State of New York, increasing by over 270% from 2016.
Our election saw a 797% (not a typo) increase in Millennial participation compared with 2016
10,296 Millennials voted in our election, compared to only 1,292 in 2016.
Millennials comprised 23% of our electorate, compared to only 8% of the 2016 electorate, nearly a threefold increase.
Participation among people of color increased 300%
47% of voters (21,270) in our election hadn’t voted in a Congressional primary ever or at least in the last decade.
In 2016, just 80,000 votes altered the course of history, while 40% of Americans stayed home.
That’s why I spent the past two years on this journey — to figure out the root of our turnout problem, and to build a new electorate that can steer us back towards a more hopeful path.
When I first looked at a map for young voters in NY-12, it was blank. Only 2% of Democrats under 35 took part in our last primary. Every political operative in the city said the blank map represented apathy, but I saw potential. And so did so many others.
Earlier this week, we shattered records in New York and our race earned more votes than any in the state. 17,000 people in the exact areas that Democrats have overlooked for decades turned out to support our mission, many voting in their first primary ever. The same areas that represent the future of our party — young, colorful, and progressive.
Our team grew from just a few passionate friends in January to hundreds of interns and volunteers by June, with countless supporters in their late teens and early twenties. That energy and excitement reminded us all why we’re here — until political media and establishment Dems stop dismissing those of us who feel disenfranchised and uninspired, it’s on us to stay on the ground and do the hard work to make sure this party still has a future.
We used our campaign to set a higher bar for political discourse, and — with your help — raise expectations for what civic engagement can and should be. We made it a point to do things differently. We took some risks and made mistakes, but we also found new things that work.
We ran this race together with joy, optimism, vulnerability, creativity, and conviction. We opened a storefront community space to register voters and give organizers a place to gather, we hosted dozens of town halls (not just in churches and schools, but in art galleries, laundromats, and workout classes), we brought new voices into the fold, and we made it fun.
Americans’ patience for rhetoric and runarounds has run out. Too many people in this country need help, and more communities than ever are paying attention and demanding action.
In spite of advice to pick one issue and limit our message to a few bullet points, this campaign wrote over 120 pages of original policy. We were the first campaign to call to #DefundICE, and we hosted town halls for communities marginalized by SESTA/FOSTA to show that #SexWorkersVote. We used our platform to spark conversation and champion progressive issues that needed louder advocates, and we’re not done yet.
This Tuesday’s election exposed weaknesses in the political machine, and it showed that insurgency is effective. Now we know it’s not a matter of if, but when, we elect a new wave of bold leadership that finally reflect the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of our country.
I’m going to take a quick two-week break to recap what we’ve learned so far, and then I’ll be straight back to work on expanding the electorate, sharing my time and findings to help flip and upgrade House seats all across the state.
Stay tuned for more ways to get involved soon. This is only the beginning
