Hawkins for Auditor

Fourth and Fifth NYC Democratic Clubs to Endorse Hawkins

(New York, NY) —Last night the Downtown Independent Democrats endorsed Green Party candidate for Governor Howie Hawkins and Lt. Governor Brian Jones. The previous night the Southern Brooklyn Democrats endorsed Mr. Hawkins for Governor. They are the fourth and fifth New  York City Democratic clubs to endorse Howie Hawkins in the past ten days. None of the five clubs have ever endorsed a non-Democrat for any office, until now.

The Village Independent Democrats, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club and Prospect Heights Democrats for Reform all endorsed Hawkins the previous week.

The following is a statement from the Downtown Independent Democrats upon their endorsement of Hawkins and Jones:

Since 1971, the D.I.D. has been committed to making the NY Democratic Party a vehicle for meaningful, progressive policy and empowering our communities. We remain committed to those goals and to the Democratic Party. However, our commitments to progressive policy and empowered communities make it impossible for us to support the current Democratic nominee for governor.

Howie Hawkins and Brian Jones are aligned with the Democratic values we support and that are stated in our bylaws. Hawkins is the only candidate that has consistently called for a ban on hydrofracking. Hawkins' stances on the minimum wage, public education, single-payer healthcare, municipal taxes, clean energy and public transportation make him the only candidate New York progressives can support.

Furthermore, the Democratic nominee and incumbent governor has himself abandoned the Democratic Party by failing to support a Democratic State Senate and by forming a sham "Women's Equality Party" to draw votes away from Democrats.

"Our progressive values give us no choice but to encourage our members to vote for Hawkins on the Green Party line" said D.I.D. President Jeanne Wilcke, "We look forward to working to bring the Democratic Party back to representing those values over the next four years."

"We have grown tired of Cuomo's lip service to Democratic values while he simultaneously takes actions that harm our middle and lower classes.  Hawkins stands for real progressive values and has a vision to improve life for millions across our state.  He is the leader that New York State needs to improve our economy and our livelihood," said Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, Chair of the Southern Brooklyn Democrats.

Hawkins said, "Along with these Democratic clubs moving our way, we also are getting more and more teacher union endorsements. This shows that the hunger for real change, for progressive values is coming from the traditional Democratic Party base. Our campaign is truly grassroots and bottom up; it is exposing the divide between the Democratic leadership and the party's grassroots activists. Those dissatisfied with the Cuomo Adminstration are finding a real home in our campaign and platform."