Chair's Letter

We hope you and your family are doing well as we deal with the latest chapter of the COVID pandemic. 

 

We wanted to take a moment to communicate with you about what is happening in this year’s elections and political calendar, and the important role that local District Leaders play in this process. In March dozens of folks who serve as Ossining Town Democratic Committee District Leaders will be knocking on their neighbors’ doors asking for signatures to help get endorsed Democratic candidates on the ballot. 

 

As required after the decennial US Census, this year new district lines were drawn and approved by the state legislature for US congressional districts and NYS senate and assembly districts. While the new district lines have drawn a lot of attention state-wide, Ossining will experience similar district lines as we have had for the past decade. 

 

The midterm elections that control the US Senate and House of Representatives will have a significant impact on our national government’s ability to move forward a progressive, or even moderate, agenda to pass legislation and appoint Supreme Court justices that will protect people, the planet, and our democracy. Both Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman Mondaire Jones are up for re-election.

 

Statewide elections this year will take place for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and State Comptroller. Our NYS Senator Eljiah Reichlin-Melnick is running for re-election, and his district lines remain exactly the same. Long-time NYS Assemblywoman Sandy Galef has announced her retirement. It appears there will be a primary to decide the Democratic candidate to run for that seat. The Ossining Town Democratic Committee has unanimously endorsed Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg to be our next Assemblywoman.

 

If a member of the Ossining Town Democratic Committee knocks on your door in the coming weeks, their clipboard will include petition sheets for endorsed Democratic candidates running for state, county, town, and village positions. Village Mayor Rika Levin and Trustees Manuel Quezada and Dana White are running for re-election. Jennifer Fields-Tawil is running to fill an unexpired term on the Town Council.

 

The person who knocks on your door may also have a sheet with their own name on it as they seek to serve as the District Leader for your neighborhood. The Town of Ossining, including the Village of Ossining and most of the Village of Briarcliff, is comprised of 30 Election Districts, and each may have 2 District Leaders. Though most Town or Village elected officials also serve as District Leaders, most District Leaders are simply volunteers choosing to actively participate in local politics in this way. If anyone in your household needs to register to vote, or update their registration, District Leaders will have voter registration forms with them as well.

 

We recognize that your lives are busy with careers, family, and pursuing your own interests. We hope that having this information will encourage you to take time to sign petitions and then vote in the primaries and general election. Here’s what to expect for the 2022 election calendar:

• March:  District Leaders and other volunteers will collect petition signatures to qualify candidates for the ballot.

• April:  At some point this month we will know which races have Democratic primaries.

• May:  School Board & Budget Elections happen.

• June:  Primary Election Day is June 28, Early Voting takes place June 18-26.

• November:  General Election Day is November 8, Early Voting takes place October 29-November 6.

 

Keeping you informed about candidates and elections is our job, and we are working hard to expand our communication. You can browse the rest of this website and like the Ossining Town Democratic Committee Facebook page for more information and resources.

 

We look forward to communicating with you again in the weeks to come. Thanks for your interest!

 

Sincerely,

Chairwoman Thomasina Laidley-Brown and the Ossining Town Democratic Committee