Press Release: Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Announces First Round of Endorsements in 2021 NYC Races

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allen Roskoff, President Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club 
aroskoff@mac.com, 917-553-7180

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NEW YORK - The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club announced today its first round of endorsements in 2021 New York City races. The club made the endorsements, which included selections for Queens Borough President and numerous City Council districts, at its December 19 meeting. 

Among the endorsed candidates enthusiastically supported by the Jim Owles Club was Elisa Crespo, a Latinx candidate running in a special election to replace Council Member and U.S. Representative-elect Ritchie Torres, seeking to become the first transgender person of color on the City Council. Councilman Torres received strong support from the club in his successful campaign to defeat notorious homophobe Ruben Diaz Sr. 

The club endorsed Lynn Schulman, an out lesbian and founding member of the Jim Owles Club running in the 29th District in Queens. Ms. Schulman is a lifelong healthcare advocate and leader in the effort to expand hospital capacity in Queens. The club endorsed Jenny Low in the 1st Council District in lower Manhattan. Ms. Low is a longtime activist and leader in Chinatown and lower Manhattan, and club President Allen Roskoff noted, “It is important to elect a strong Asian American leader in the district that includes Chinatown, the historic center of Chinese life, culture and commerce in the city.” 

The club endorsed Shekar Krishnan to succeed Danny Dromm, a long-time member and supporter of the club, in the 25th City Council District in Queens. Mr. Krishnan, the son of Indian immigrants, is an attorney who runs a legal services organization that fights housing discrimination and displacement. Mr. Roskoff stressed, “Shekar’s tireless commitment to fighting discrimination and inequality make him an ideal fit for a diverse district that has been devastated by Covid-19 and its disparate impact on immigrants and frontline workers.”

Mr. Roskoff said that during the daylong meeting, members raised many issues of great importance to the club. The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, named for the legendary gay rights pioneer Jim Owles, is a citywide political activist club founded in 2004 as a progressive citywide Democratic club. Mr. Roskoff said, “All the endorsed candidates share our progressive vision and will help advance the club’s priorities, including the need to decriminalize sex work, protect restaurants and nightlife during a crisis that is forcing many of them to close, and depopulating New York prisons and jails including by granting clemency to aging and reformed prisoners.” The club also urged all candidates to reject contributions from real estate developers and unions and other organizations representing law enforcement personnel. 

 Mr. Roskoff noted that every single interviewed candidate committed to introduce and sponsor legislation to reverse the naming of the 59th Street Bridge after former Mayor Edward I. Koch. Mr. Roskoff said, “This honor is undeserved due to Koch’s racism and homophobia, and his infamous inaction during the AIDS epidemic, a time when I and other activists called for urgent steps to save the lives of countless New Yorkers afflicted by the disease.”

The club endorsed the following candidates, and intends to endorse others at its upcoming meetings on January 9 and 23, and subsequent meetings in February:

Donovan Richards - Queens Borough President

Jenny Low - NYC Council District 1

Carlina Rivera - NYC Council District 2  

Keith Powers - NYC Council District 4 

Carmen De La Rosa – NYC Council District 10

Marjorie Velazquez – NYC Council District 13

Elisa Crespo – NYC Council District 15

Amanda Farias – NYC Council District 18

Shekar Krishnan – NYC Council District 25

Lynn Schulman – NYC Council District 29

Justin Brannan – NYC Council District 43

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