2021 ENDORSEMENTS
Kathryn Garcia
Mayor of the City of New York
Kathryn was adopted as a baby by a teacher and a labor negotiator. Her parents raised five multiracial kids in their Park Slope home and she raised her two kids there as well. Today, she lives two blocks from where she grew up. As a white kid growing up with black siblings, the beauty and strength of New York’s diversity were present in her family, but, so were its shortcomings. She and her siblings are treated differently based on the color of their skin or even their gender. Being a part of my uniquely New York family instilled in Kathryn early in life the values of equality and opportunity.
Kathryn cares fiercely and obsessively about improving the everyday lives of New Yorkers. Spanning two mayoral administrations, I have become the go-to problem solver, someone with foresight and leadership ability to take on projects that seem impossible to others.
As Sanitation Commissioner, she managed a uniformed agency of over 10,000 and implemented some of the most transformative initiatives in the history of the department, including banning styrofoam and implementing the nation’s largest composting program. They plowed the snow and kept the city running. At the peak of the COVID19 pandemic last March, she took charge of our emergency food program and ensured delivery of over 130 million meals to hungry or sick New Yorkers. The program has now delivered over 200 million meals. When Superstorm Sandy struck, as the Department of Environmental Protection’s Incident Commander, she brought 42 pumping stations and a water waste treatment plant online in three days.
Kathryn envisions the New York of tomorrow. A city where every child has the opportunity to pursue their dream. Where everyone can make a good living. A city where families are safe and healthy and people thrive. The most climate-forward city on Earth. A city with world-class infrastructure, and subways that run on time. A city government known more for its efficiency than its mistakes. As we plan for the revival of this great city Kathryn has the plans for a city that will be more equitable, more just, and climate-resilient.
Garcia gets it done.
Corey Johnson
NY City Comptroller
Corey was raised in public housing where his mother, a homeless services provider, and father, a Teamster, instilled in him the values of community service and political engagement. After entering public service as an activist fighting for equal rights and advocating for tenant protection, Corey served in his local community board and eventually became the youngest person to chair a community board in the five boroughs.
He was elected to the Council in 2013. After his first term, his fellow Council Members elected him to lead the Council as Speaker in 2017. As Speaker, he fought to protect low-income tenants facing eviction, implemented reduced-price MetroCards for New Yorkers living in poverty, and led the fight for historic criminal justice reforms. After COVID hit, the Council passed legal protections for small businesses and tenants, opened streets to pedestrians, and created the city's wildly successful outdoor dining program.
Our city needs leadership that’s always fighting to do the most good for the people who need it most, and Corey Johnson will never stop working to make life better for all New Yorkers.
Jumaane Williams
NY City Public Advocate
Jumaane was elected New York City Public Advocate in a Special Election in 2019 on a platform of truly affordable, income targeted housing, anti-gun violence measures, fair policing, equity, and social justice issues. In the City Council, Jumaane was an affecter of change, passing landmark legislation, including the Community Safety Act, which created the Office of Inspector General for the New York Police Department, the Fair Chance Act to combat employment discrimination.
Williams, a former City Council Member from Brooklyn, has quickly made his mark on the office of Public Advocate, restructuring the office to empower staff to prioritize community engagement, outreach, and service. He has also passed more legislation in his first 18 months in office than any Public Advocate has in their first full term, including key bills related to housing, criminal justice, and workers rights.
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Lorie Honor
Staten Island Borough President
Since 2016 Lorie has been a leader and community organizer, co-founding the largest and most engaged women’s organization on Staten Island, Staten Island Women who March, in 2017. She has worked alongside grassroots organizations in Brooklyn and Staten Island on mission-driven activism around the ACA, DACA, Planned Parenthood, gun control, anti-Muslim ban, LGBTQ, gender equality, and more.
In 2018, Lorie served as the Director of Community Outreach, playing an integral role on the winning team that elected Max Rose for Congress. In 2019, Lorie served as Outreach Coordinator for Virginia Ratify ERA, helping elect equality-supporting candidates that created a Democratic majority to VA State House leading Virginia to become the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA. Lorie served as the Chief of Staff for Vote Equality US, a national equality organization in the ERA movement where she implemented all manner of outreach and GOTV operations leading up to November 2020 Senate elections in Georgia, Iowa, and Montana.
Kamillah Hanks
NY City Council, 49th District (North Shore)
Kamillah M. Hanks is a native Staten Islander and proud mother of four who has been a leader and advocate for smart growth and positive economic development in the North Shore of Staten Island for nearly two decades. In 2012, Kamillah founded the Historic Tappen Park Community Partnership, where she works with civic leaders, community groups, and local schools to boost cultural and economic development in Stapleton and surrounding neighborhoods. Kamillah is particularly proud of pioneering Staten Island’s first YouthBuild program, which provides a pathway for out-of-school, out-of-work young adults with advanced vocational education, leadership development, job training, and valuable life skills.
For her efforts during the pandemic, Ms. Hanks was awarded the prestigious honor of being named a 2020 Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement for creating a training program at the height of the pandemic that manufactured over 5000 face shields for firefighters, first responders, and medical professionals. In August 2020, Kamillah Hanks founded the Minority Women in Business Association to advocate for women of color to become MWBE certified and receive government contracts. Her advocacy earned her a place as an honoree for the Young, Gifted, and Black Entrepreneurial awards in February of 2021.
Kamillah’s other accomplishments include serving on the New York City Council Redistricting Commission, the Interim President of the Van Duzer Civic Association in Stapleton, and was the former Executive Director of the Downtown Staten Island Council. Ms. Hanks was appointed by Staten Island Borough President, James Oddo to the NYC Panel for Education Policy, and served as the Staten Island representative from 2014 until 2016. She was the National Council of Negro Women Honoree in 2009, as well as a SIEDC 20 Under 40 Leadership Award Winner. She is also an alumna of Coro Neighborhood Leadership Program NYC and was NYS Senator Diane J. Savino’s 2015 New York State Woman of Distinction honoree.
Sal Albanese
NY City Council 50th District (Mid-Island)
Sal was born in Calabria, Italy, and immigrated to Brooklyn at the age of eight. He graduated from John Jay High School, received his B.A. in Education from CUNY’s York College, earned an M.A. in Health Science from NYU, and went on to get his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1990. Sal was a New York City public school teacher for 11 and, in 1982, at the urging of community residents, he ran for City Council in Brooklyn. He defeated a 21-year incumbent and was widely recognized as independent and effective and was re-elected four times.
Sal was a candidate for Mayor in 2013 & 2017 because he was concerned about the possibility of a Bill deBlasio Mayoralty and has been a vocal critic of the Mayor. In 2019, he served as a Commissioner on the Charter Revision Commission. As a Commissioner he championed a series of anti-corruption measures that were adopted. Sal also came a few votes close to passing nonpartisan elections in NYC, which would increase voter turnout, and empower the vast number of growing independent voters.
Sal lives in the New Dorp section of Staten Island with his wife of 48 years, Lorraine. They moved to Staten Island four years ago when their two daughters and their husbands purchased homes on the Island. Sal and Lorraine have four grandchildren.
Olivia Drabczyk
NY City Council 51st District (South Shore)
https://www.oliviadrabczyk.com/
Olivia Drabczyk was raised in Great Kills where she currently lives with her mother, father, sister and son, Henry. She is a proud union member and public high school special education teacher. She is a graduate of PS 32, IS 24, and Staten Island Technical HS. She earned her Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology and Counseling from Pace University and a Master’s degree in Inclusive Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Olivia is a Fulbright Award winner and member of Phi Sigma Sigma International Sorority. She is an avid traveler, reader, and hiker.
Olivia was raised on Reina and grandma slices. Olivia owes who she is as a mother, as an educator, and as a woman in large part to Staten Island and its people. She’s overjoyed to be raising her son on the trails of Blue Heron and Clay Pit Pond Parks, alongside harbor seals at Mt Loretto, and in a running stroller on the New Springville Greenway surrounded by loving family, friends, and neighbors.
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2020 Endorsed Elected Officials
Mike Cusick
New York State Assembly
https://cusickforassembly.com/
Mike represents New York State's 63rd Assembly's District. He is the current Chair of the Staten Island Democratic Party and has served in the Assembly since 2003.
Diane Savino
New York State Senate
https://www.savinofornewyork.com/
Diane represents New York's 23rd Senate District in the State Senate, in northern Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Brighton Beach, and Coney Island and serves as Chair of Committee on Internet and Technology.
Charles Fall
New York State Assembly
Charles is the first African American and Muslim elected to state office from Staten Island. He represents New York State's 61st Assembly's District, the North Shore of Staten Island and was elected in 2019.
