Press Release: Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Urges Yuh-Line Niou to Run on WFP Line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allen Roskoff - 917-553-7180, aroskoff@mac.com

NEW YORK - Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, New York’s city-wide, progressive LGBTQ Democratic club, Urges Yuh-Line Niou to Run on WFP Line vs. Dan Goldman in November in 10th CD. 

“Give progressive voters a choice,” said Allen Roskoff, Owles Club President

The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club urges NYS Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, who, in still-unofficial results, is a close second in the low-turnout primary for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 10th District in NY, to give the progressive voters of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan an option in the November general election by running on the Working Families Party Line. 

In the as yet not final results, Dan Goldman, a moderate multi-millionaire, has 25.8% of the vote in a mid-summer contest in which only 3% of eligible voters cast ballots. The candidates to his left—Yuh-Line (23.7%), Mondaire Jones (18.2%), Carlina Rivera (17%), Jo Anne Simon (6.2%), and Elizabeth Holtzman (4.4%)—won a total of 69.5% of the vote. This clear progressive majority needs a progressive alternative in November. We hope Yuh-Line will provide that on the WFP line and that all of her progressive rivals will unite behind her.

There is precedent for this. In 2003, the Democratic Party establishment designated the conservative Geoffrey Davis to replace his late brother in a Brooklyn City Council election. Letitia James—now our State Attorney General—opposed him solely on the WFP line and won that election with 76% of the vote to Davis’ 19%. In 2021, when progressive India Walton won the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Buffalo, the Democratic establishment—including NYS Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs—came out against their own nominee and got behind a write-in campaign for incumbent Byron Brown and prevailed 59-41%.

Just as Buffalo is more conservative, the 10th Congressional District is more liberal and deserves a US Representative more reflective of their values. Dan Goldman—who claims to be running to “save democracy” in America—can hardly complain if general election voters are given a clear choice in November when most voters go to the polls. And given that Democrats outnumber Republicans 10-1 in the district, there is no danger that Yuh-Line will play a spoiler role if she makes a run.

While Goldman is backed by a personal fortune, PAC money, real estate interests (including prominent Trump supporter billionaire Stephen Ross) and his family friends at the New York Times, Yuh-Line is supported by an army of grassroots volunteers and small donations. She refuses to take corporate PAC money. Goldman has invested his money in a gun manufacturer, defense contractors, and Fox News. Yuh-Line has invested her life in the service of average and oppressed people.

The very diverse 10th CD also has an opportunity to add to the diversity of the US Congress by electing Yuh-Line who is a woman, an Asian American immigrant, a member of the LGBTQ community, and would be the first openly autistic person to serve, at a time when women, Asian Americans, immigrants and LGBTQ people are under relentless assault in this country and underrepresented in Congress. Congress must reflect the progressive diversity of our nation to be effective. If Dan Goldman truly wants to “save democracy” he would acknowledge this—and he would also acknowledge that his big-money campaign was in itself anti-democratic.  

Allen Roskoff, Owles Club President, said, “We are not calling on Dan Goldman to step aside, we are calling for all progressives to stand up. We are pro-choice—an issue that Dan Goldman was weakest on during this campaign.”

As Yuh-Line told our club in her candidate’s questionnaire in this race (https://jimowles.org/news/candidate-answers-to-joldc-yuh-line-niou-for-us-congress-ny-10-2022), “I am running for Congress to build a district and a nation that lives up to its promise of inclusion and equity at a time when the LGBTQ community is facing a surge in bigotry and violence. We will only get there if we fight together and build a coalition so large and so loud that no one can ignore us. I know that works because I’ve built those winning coalitions to protect LGBTQ+ rights in Albany, and I’ll build even stronger coalitions in Congress. I believe that the diverse communities of NY-10 deserve an advocate who has lived their lives, understands their concerns, and will fight for their futures. I currently represent more voters in NY-10 than any other candidate, and I’ve proven I can turn progressive priorities into real public policy.”

We urge all Democratic political clubs and unions and other progressive groups to join a grassroots campaign to get behind the progressive alternative in the 10th District: Yuh-Line Niou. “Give progressive voters a choice,” said Roskoff.