Today we are announcing our endorsements for New York City and Westchester candidates for the 2021 General Election. We endorsed 50 candidates with outstanding environmental records for county and municipal positions, including Eric Adams for New York City Mayor and George Latimer for Westchester County Executive.
Every election year, NYLCV develops candidate questionnaires based on their policy priorities, including cleaning up the transportation sector, improving greenspaces, reducing waste, increasing resiliency, and building a clean energy future. (Click to read the New York City, Long Island, and Westchester policy agendas.) The regional chapters recommend endorsement decisions based on interviews with the candidates and questionnaire responses. In the case of incumbents or candidates who previously served in the New York City Council, the board also considers the candidates’ scores on the NYLCV City Council Environmental Scorecard, which grades legislators based on votes and co-sponsorships of key environmental legislation.
If there is anything this summer has taught us, it is that New York has a lot of work to do to prepare for climate change. We need candidates that support policies to reduce transportation pollution – the leading contributor to climate change – including more electric vehicles as well as bike and bus lanes. Our greenspaces also need support because throughout the pandemic our parks have improved our public health while serving as one of our most vital environmental assets. These candidates have demonstrated that they will prioritize these policies and keep New York climate-ready.
Eric Adams has been one of our longtime partners in the fight against climate change. He supports our work to clean up New York City’s school and transit buses while demanding that our transition to electric buses prioritizes communities that bear a disproportionate burden of transportation pollution. As Brooklyn Borough President, he has invested in our greenspaces, expanded access to renewable energy, supported green job training for youth, and worked to make the borough more resilient. We know that he will continue to make these priorities while Mayor and we urge voters to elect him this fall.
George Latimer has years of experience as an environmental champion. First, as a state legislator, he sponsored bills to protect wetlands and promote renewable energy. Now, as County Executive, he is prioritizing removing toxins from the environment, protecting the Long Island Sound, and investing in vehicle electrification. That’s why we are proud to endorse him for reelection and urge voters to cast their ballot for him this fall.
Laura Curran is committed to protecting our environment. From banning styrofoam to investing in wastewater infrastructure to promoting offshore wind, she has a proven record of dedication to fighting the climate crisis. Curran also supports clean transportation and helped Nassau take the Climate Smart Communities pledge, some of NYLCV’s top priorities. We are proud to endorse her for County Executive and urge voters to cast their ballot for her this fall.
The endorsed candidates include:
New York City
- Eric Adams for NYC Mayor
- Brad Lander for NYC Comptroller
- Mark Murphy for Staten Island Borough President
- Oswald Feliz for City Council District 15
- Tony Avella for City Council District 19
- Linda Lee for City Council District 23
- Shahana Hanif for City Council District 39
- Rita Joseph for City Council District 40
- Mercedes Narcisse for City Council District 46
- Kamillah Hanks for City Council District 49
Westchester
- George Latimer for Westchester County Executive
- Ben Boykin for Westchester County Legislature District 5
- Catherine Parker for Westchester County Legislature District 7
- MaryJane Shimsky for Westchester County Legislature District 12
- Ruth Walter for Westchester County Legislature District 15
- Jose Alvarado for Westchester County Legislature District 17
- Warren Lucas for North Salem Town Supervisor
- Paul Feiner for Greenburgh Town Supervisor
- Dana Levenberg for Ossining Town Supervisor
- Matthew Slater for Yorktown Town Supervisor
Nassau County
- Laura Curran for Nassau County Executive
- Elaine Phillips for Nassau County Comptroller
- Siela Bynoe for Nassau County Legislature District 2
- Denise Ford for Nassau County Legislature District 4
- Debra Mulé for Nassau County Legislature District 5
- William Gaylor III for Nassau County Legislature District 6
- John Giuffre for Nassau County Legislature District 8
- Ellen Birnbaum for Nassau County Legislature District 10
- Delia DeRiggi-Whitton for Nassau County Legislature District 11
- Thomas McKevitt for Nassau County Legislature District 13
- Laura Schaefer for Nassau County Legislature District 14
- John Ferretti for Nassau County Legislature District 15
- Rose Marie Walker for Nassau County Legislature District 17
- Joshua Lafazan for Nassau County Legislature District 18
- Steven Rhoads for Nassau County Legislature District 19
- Donald Clavin, Jr. for Hempstead Town Supervisor
- Wayne Wink, Jr. for North Hempstead Town Supervisor
- Joseph Saladino for Oyster Bay Town Supervisor
Suffolk County
- Albert Krupski Jr. for Suffolk County Legislature District 1
- Bridget Fleming for Suffolk County Legislature District 2
- Kara Hahn for Suffolk County Legislature District 5
- Sarah Anker for Suffolk County Legislature District 6
- Rob Calarco for Suffolk County Legislature District 7
- Samuel Gonzalez for Suffolk County Legislature District 9
- Steven Flotteron for Suffolk County Legislature District 11
- Leslie Kennedy for Suffolk County Legislature District 12
- Kevin McCaffrey for Suffolk County Legislature District 14
- Jason A. Richberg for Suffolk County Legislature District 15
- Tom Donnelly for Suffolk County Legislature District 17
- Mark Cuthbertson for Suffolk County Legislature District 18
A list of these endorsements, along with candidates that were previously endorsed, can be found here.