Buchwald Piles Up Endorsements
By Dan Murphy
Over the past two months, the race to replace “Westchester’s Congresswoman” Nita Lowey has gotten more crowded, with five new democrats entering the race, and combined with Assemblyman David Buchwald, State Sen. David Carlucci and Rockland County activist Mondaire Jones, there are now eight democrats in the fray to replace Lowey.
Adam Schleifer, Allison Fine, Evelyn Farkas, Asha Castleberry-Hernandez and David Katz are the five new democrats seeking to represent the residents of the 17th Congressional District of New York, which includes the towns of northern Westchester and Rockland County.
Allison Fine, a resident of Sleepy Hollow, resigned her position last month as NARAL Pro-Choice America’s national board chairwoman in order to run for Lowey’s seat. Fine is the immediate past national board chair for NARAL, founder of the Network of Elected Women, and a leader in the use of technology for social impact.
In addition to being a nationally recognized leader in women’s rights advocacy, Fine is an accomplished author on the use of digital technology for social good and has helped numerous non-profit organizations modernize their approach to social and civic online activism.
“I want to lead us into the next chapter for our country; one that is prosperous and fair,” she said. “Our democracy and economy need fixing. We need to create something new and better. The work of rebuilding our country begins right here at home. And this is my home. I know the issues people in our community face because I face them, too. My husband and I pay for our own insurance and have no pensions. We work to put our kids through college, take care of our aging parents, and pay our taxes and bills. This is what keeps me up at night – and I know I’m not alone.”
An unapologetic women’s rights advocate, Fine vows to fight attempts to roll back Roe v. Wade by enacting a federal statute guaranteeing the right to an abortion. She said she will also strongly advocate for a massive expansion of funding for and access to reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion services. Fine also supports a public option health plan to ensure that every American has access to quality and affordable health care – especially for those who can’t afford to obtain private insurance or whose employers don’t provide it.
With climate change being the greatest threat facing humanity, Fine said she will push for needed investments in green energy to address the crisis and use her tech industry experience to address reforms needed as America transitions to the gig economy and to protect children from online predators.
“I want to build on the trailblazing legacy of Nita Lowey while taking on the crucial issues facing the 17th District and our country,” she said. “Every century, Americans remake our democracy. This is that time again. It’s time for new voices, especially in Congress where women are greatly underrepresented.”
Fine’s decision to enter the race has already generated excitement locally and garnered early endorsements from women, as well as members of the tech world and community leaders.
“As the former Manhattan borough president, I know the importance of elevating progressive women’s voices and protecting our most vulnerable community members,” said Ruth Messinger, the first woman Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City. “Allison Fine epitomizes the fighting spirit of strong women leaders who will shake up Washington. That’s why I’m proud to endorse her for Congress. As chair of the national NARAL board and founder of the Network of Elected Women, Allison has been a stalwart fighter for women. She will build brilliantly on Nita Lowey’s legacy, going to Congress to really make a difference.”
“As a rabbi, I get to see first-hand how people handle difficult problems, and there is no one I have more faith in than Allison Fine to help solve the issues facing our nation,” added Rabbi David Holtz of the Temple Beth Abraham in Tarrytown. “She has a strong moral compass and remains true to her values. Allison is a past president of Temple Beth Abraham and a dear friend to the Jewish community in this district. At a time when acts of anti-Semitism are on the rise, we need people in Congress like Allison who will speak out forcefully against it and will take action. Allison stands up for the Jewish community while bringing people of all faiths together for a common cause. She’s exactly the kind of person who can continue the leadership of Nita Lowey as a staunch ally of Israel and the Jewish community here, by fighting for us in Washington at a time when the stakes have never been higher.”
Adam Schleifer has spent the better part of his professional career fighting to level the playing field by stopping predatory lenders; standing up to Ponzi-schemers, scam-artists and other fraudsters who try to cheat the system and cut the line; fighting for survivors of sexual assault; getting guns off of our streets; and prosecuting environmental crimes.
A Westchester native and graduate of Horace Greeley High School in the Chappaqua Public Schools, Schleifer went on to attend Cornell University and graduated with distinction with a dual degree in philosophy and government. He later attended Columbia University Law School, where he also served as senior editor of the Columbia Law Review. After graduating from law school, he served two years as a federal law clerk before working five years as a litigator at New York’s Wachtell Lipton, one of the nation’s leading law firms.
Schleifer returned to public service as a special associate counsel for the New York State Department of Financial Services, where he helped lead enforcement efforts against predatory payday and subprime auto lenders who were targeting seniors, people of color, veterans, and low-income New Yorkers. His successful efforts to crack down on their practices in New York and nationwide helped put some of the worst offenders out of business.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Schleifer successfully prosecuted major financial frauds and represented the U.S. in the “Operation Varsity Blues” college-admissions scandal, where he stood up to those who thought they could cheat the system and cut the line of students, student-athletes, and families who were working hard and playing by the rules to get into college.
Growing up in Chappaqua with a younger brother with special needs, and as the grandchild of Holocaust survivors who arrived in America as refugees, Schleifer has had a lifelong commitment to fighting for social justice and standing up for the less privileged and less powerful.
Activist and Rockland County native Mondaire Jones immediately criticized Schleifer, son of a billionaire pharmaceutical executive, for entering the race, saying: “When I said we don’t need more millionaires in Congress, I didn’t mean we need more billionaires.”
“Adam Schleifer was raised by a father worth $1.4 billion,” continued Jones. “I was raised by a single mom who needed to work multiple jobs to provide for our family, even as we relied on food stamps and Section 8 housing. I know we need student debt forgiveness – because I graduated with over $120,000 in student loans. I know we need to guarantee health care for everyone in this country – because I’ve gone without it. That’s why I’m running a grassroots campaign powered by support from working people across the district. It’s surreal that a billionaire from California thinks he can buy this election; fortunately, the people of Rockland and Westchester are too smart to be bought off.”
Evelyn Farkas is the daughter of immigrants who fled communist Hungary. Farkas, who grew up in Chappaqua, has dedicated her life to public service – strengthening America’s national security and defending democracy.
For nearly three decades, she has represented our country defending democracy, advancing human rights, fighting terrorism, and working toward nuclear non-proliferation. She has been a foreign policy leader in the Defense Department, Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Marine Corps University’s Command and Staff College.
She ran a congressional commission focused on keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists, and advised former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her time as a U.S. senator, former Defense Secretaries Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel, Sen. Carl Levin, and many others.
As deputy assistant secretary of defense under President Barack Obama, Farkas was responsible for U.S. policy toward Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. After the 2016 election, she stood up to conservative media to publicly denounce President Donald Trump’s corrupt ties to Russia.
Having served Obama, representing the U.S. in 14 different countries around the world, Farkas now lives in her hometown of Chappaqua. She said she is shocked and alarmed by Trump’s attacks on patriotic public servants and by his actions, which have “undermined our national security and democracy.” Farkas said she is running for Congress to stand up to Trump’s corruption, keep our country safe from foreign interference, and fight to keep the American dream alive for working families here at home.
Democrat Asha Castleberry-Hernandez is the first African-American woman to announce her bid for Lowey’s 17th Congressional District seat. Castleberry-Hernandez is a national security expert, educator and war veteran who says she will be tough on national security.
Born in White Plains and raised in Tarrytown, Castleberry-Hernandez now calls Elmsford home. She said her campaign will focus on issues such as economic security, health care and gun violence.
“I was almost a victim of gun violence in White Plains when I was almost shot at walking through a line of fire with my sister,” said Castleberry-Hernandez, who served as a Middle East foreign policy advisor on former First Lady Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and brings strong national security bona fides to a crowded democratic field. She said she hopes to run a grassroots campaign of meeting voters in small groups and organizing town hall-style discussions in the district.
Assembly David Buchwald remains the frontrunner in the crowded democratic field. Buchwald has picked up a number of endorsements from Westchester democrats.
Mondaire Jones continues his campaign by getting known in Westchester and building on his base of support in Westchester.
State Sen. David Carlucci is the other announced democratic candidate in the race, and democratic newcomer David Katz recently announced his candidacy.
