Activist Jonathan Tasini (D) announced this morning that he will abandon his bid for the NY Democratic Senate nomination to replace Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who has seen a series of potential challengers come and go. Instead, he will refocus his efforts on the House seat of the considerably more vulnerable Charles Rangel (D) in NY’s 15th Congressional District.
“I remain entirely energized about the mission to change our country and build a movement based on a vision of economic justice and a sharing of the great wealth of the nation,” Tasini said in a statement released this morning.
Tasini cited fundraising difficulties as a source of his withdrawal from the race, and, in a jab at Gillibrand, expressed his desire to see a “candidate of principles” enter the contest — “so we can have a qualified, visionary individual who we know will have core values we can rely on.”
He also referenced the “dysfunction” and “legalized corruption” that has plagued NY politics — and, specifically, Charles Rangel, the 39-year incumbent who has recently been the subject of various ethical investigations. “If Charles Rangel is on the ballot in November…he will cost the Democratic Party seats across the nation because his long list of ethical problems will be a highlight of Republican attack ads targeting the ‘Washington culture of corruption,'” Tasini said.
Tasini, along with several other democrats, will challenge Rangel in the Sept. 15 primary. The NY senate primary — in which Gillibrand is now currently running unopposed — will take place on the same day.
Here’s Tasini’s full statement:
Dear Friends:
This is just a note, to be followed up with more detail in the coming days, to let you know that I remain entirely energized about the mission to change our country and build a movement based on a vision of economic justice and a sharing of the great wealth of the nation.
But, at the urging of a wide circle of people, I will now be doing that in seeking election to the House seat in a district I’ve lived in for 23 years: the 15th Congressional District. You can see this video here for a short explanation.
But please read on…
The dysfunction of our political system has caused the greatest robbery of our lifetime of the wealth of the country. There is an incredible rumbling across among voters who are fed up. They have a right to feel that way.
Throughout the 15th Congressional district, whether you live in my neighborhood of Washington Heights, or you live in Harlem or the Upper West Side, people have been robbed–of their jobs, retirement, health care and the simple notion that you can expect a fair deal. We have the greatest divide between rich and poor in 100 years. One in four children are on food stamps–in the nation with the greatest wealth in human history.
The response of the political system has been astonishing. I’ll bet, like me, every day you read something that makes your head shake: executives get away with destroying jobs and wealth–and get hired for government jobs. Politicians vote to pour tens of billions of dollars into immoral wars–money that should be spent at home–and then demand that the workers (public employees, for example) pay with their jobs for the foolishness that bankrupts our nation. Insurance companies preyed on millions of people who sought decent, affordable health care–and now those same companies will get billions of dollars in new windfall profits because our political system chose cowardice over the peoples’ right to have real health care. Immigrants are targeted–even though they are economic refugees, forced off their land by the same “free trade” and globalization strategy that has hurt workers everywhere.
And my own party, the Democratic Party, has been part of the dysfunction, kowtowing to an economic system that has been a stupendous, monumental failure.
Part of the dysfunction of that system means that legalized corruption–meaning, campaign contributions–becomes more important than values and ideas. Sadly, that is true in our state as well: my now former opponent lacks any principles other than how to win an election, witness her willingness to sell the U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, whether the campaign cash has come from anti-union companies or Goldman Sachs or other special interests that have hurt our state and country.
Despite believing, back when I started campaigning, that I could raise enough money to be heard statewide in the campaign for U.S. Senate, I could not. I am still hopeful that a candidate of principles will get into the U.S. Senate race and become the Democratic nominee so we can have a qualified, visionary individual who we know will have core values we can rely on.
So, onward!!! I am excited about the possibility of campaigning to represent such a great, diverse district. Let me be 100 percent clear: every issue that I campaigned on to date will be precisely the message I bring to the House race. I believe that my vision for the district will be shared by people in every community.
On a number of issues, my vision will be different from the incumbent’s vision. I would oppose real estate developers and Columbia University, while the incumbent supported the Columbia expansion at the expense of Central Harlem residents. I have been a long-time opponent of so-called “Free trade”, while the incumbent has supported many bad trade agreements including George W. Bush trade deals. And, frankly, sadly, if Charles Rangel is on the ballot in November as the 15th Congressional District’s nominee, he will cost the Democratic Party seats across the nation because his long list of ethical problems will be a highlight of Republican attack ads targeting the “Washington culture of corruption”.
While money will be required, I am not a money-bags walking into the race. But this is the kind of campaign that I love and I have been part of my whole adult life: knocking on doors, looking people in the eye to talk about issues and debating real, substantive ideas. As the smallest Congressional district in the country by geography (10 square miles), I will get to walk every block and be on every corner many times over the next few months.
I can promise you this: no one will outwork me.
Thanks for all your support to date–and for all the work we will do in the coming days,
Jonathan Tasini
P.S.: the fundraising pitch will come later! It will take a few days to convert our website and other aspects of our campaign but…if you are moved to act, money contributed today can be used for the House race.
