To the editor,

We are writing in support of Alessandra Biaggi as our next New York State Senator.

The Town of Pelham Democratic Committee voted overwhelmingly to endorse Alessandra Biaggi; 79% to 21% of votes cast. Only three Committee members voted for Jeff Klein (with two abstentions and four members absent). The New York Times has also endorsed Biaggi, along with The New York Daily News, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and the state arms of groups including the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood and many other mainstream organizations. You can see a list of endorsements here: https://www.biaggi4ny.com/endorsements/.

Those groups and individuals have worked with the candidates and studied the issues, as have we. We believe Biaggi is the best choice, thanks to her background and character. But don’t take our word for her readiness to do the job; see what respected publications have concluded: NY Times, Daily News.

Campaign claims can get confusing. Here are some of the reasons we reject Jeff Klein’s candidacy:

As leader of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) Senator Klein did indeed caucus with Senate Republicans, giving them the majority in the NY State Senate. This is a fact easily confirmed in The New York Times or any other credible news source. The deal benefitted Klein, not the Democrats.

When he’s not denying he worked with the Republicans at all, Klein explains that he had to, because the Democrats were unethical. But Klein had no problem empowering Dean Skelos, an anti-choice Republican now on his way to jail due to corruption.

Klein’s alliance with Republicans has meant that vital legislation for New York State, passed in the Assembly, has never reached the floor for a vote in the Senate (see a full list of blocked legislation compiled by NO IDC NY). Leadership is not saying “We didn’t have the votes”; it’s working to get the votes and passing important legislation. Senator Klein has failed that test of leadership for years.

The neat trick of the IDC alliance with Republicans is that the Senator can promise to vote on all manner of Democratic legislation while knowing it will never be brought to a vote on the floor of the Republican-controlled Senate. For example, Klein touts his support of women’s reproductive rights, including the Reproductive Health Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade in New York State. However, despite passing the Assembly numerous times, it has never been allowed to come to a vote in the Senate, thanks to the IDC and Republicans.

In 2014, when he was running for re-election, Senator Klein disbanded the IDC. Once he defeated his opponent, he reconstituted the group. This year, he is trying the same trick. If the IDC is a necessary measure; why disavow it during a campaign? And isn’t the same reconstitution of the group to be expected if Klein wins again?

To those who feel that Jeff Klein has “delivered” for Pelham: the money for the photo op presentations has come at the expense of basic needs like school funding. Pelham is owed a court-ordered $3.5 million in public education funding according to the Alliance for Quality Education, funding that Sen Klein has not fought for. Consistently, Klein prioritizes gestures that look good above actions that are good. Alessandra Biaggi grew up here, and lives here. Does it make sense that a lifelong resident would be less invested in working for Pelham than someone doing it because it’s his job?

Please join your neighbors listed below in voting for Alessandra Biaggi on Thursday.

Nandini Andanu

Warren Banholzer

Audrey Beerman

Barbara Boroson

Robin Baldwin Bratone

Marc Burgess

Nicole Burgess

Kristen Bowes Burke

Sid Burke

Josie Carbone

Rachel Cullen

Maura Curtin

Brian Delaney

Aileen Dose

Jennie Driesen

Jeremy Driesen

Melissa Eustace

Thomas Farley

Annie Freeman

Marijane Funess

Rich Gagnon

Karen Gardner

Dr. Richard Garvey

Denise Garvey

Joseph Garvey

Julia Glickman

Andy Harrison

Kiely Hartigan

Jess Jaffe

A. J. Jawanda

Maryanne Joyce

Louise Kelly

Deborah Lowery Knapp

Tobias Knapp

Abbie Leonard

Ellen Macdonald

Jennifer O’Grady

Eileen Madden Osmolskis

Marisa Panzani

Kim McGreal

Toby Marxuach-Gusciora

Liz Massie

Theresa Mohan

Mariette Morrissey

Tom Morrissey

Peter Moskowitz

Louise D. Muller

Julia Fuller Nakayama

Tracee Berman Neumann

Peggy Nicholson

Maria F. Pannullo

Jen O’Connor Parmelee

Kate Pringle

Andrea Reinke

Muriel Reynard

Mark Rookwood

Sylvia Sironi Rowe

Joseph Rutt

Dana Thayer

Sydney Thayer

Roger Sadler

Jennifer Ryan Safsel

Paul Safsel

Eldar Shuminov

Dominique Shuminova

Greg Shuck

Jessica Solomon

Russell Solomon

Andrea Syracuse-Silverstein

Josh Wallach

Paula Wood

Thomas White

Janna Zagari

Mike Zagari

Charles Zicari

Marilyn Zielinski

Anna Riehl

Peter Mullany

Evan Ries and Lisa Hill-Ries

Brian and Diandra D’Amico

Kate Dembowski

Kate Carpenter

Maria Castagnozzi

Kristina and Seth Cohn

Alexander and Tara Weishaupl

Rachel Adams

Lynda Fajardo Banfield

Bethany and Thomas J. Ow

Megan Kim

Amy Eappen

Rosemary Maggiore

Jamie Parilla

Tiffany Hebert

Debbie Winstead

Diane Essig

Vincent Castagnozzi

Patty O’Connor

Mercedes Maldonado

John Fronce

Martha Solinger

Nancy Biberman

Sara Mallach

Larry Mallach

Jean Kenna