Last night, the Democratic National Convention was closed out with Hillary Clinton accepting her party’s nomination for President. Her speech marked the official start of the general elections and the time where most casual followers of politics begin to pay attention. The choice we make for president will decide the next four years of executive leadership in this country, so it’s important that all voters are engaged and active in the process, but it isn’t the only election we should be looking at.

No matter who is elected, if we are truly dedicated to passing legislation that gets us campaign finance reform, raises the minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour, and fixes our corrupt political system, we need to be engaged and active in every level of politics. In New York, we have the chance to elect progressive leaders to serve in the Assembly and Senate. The candidates we throw our support behind represent the kind of leadership we want in our state. The following are three candidates we believe will be great allies in the fight for justice.

Paul Newell is running to represent the 65th Assembly District, which was formerly represented by Sheldon Silver. Paul is lifelong resident of the Lower East Side

Newell, a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side, is currently a Democratic district leader and community activist. He has been fighting for reform in Albany since his 2008 primary challenge to then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. He has also worked to extend rent regulation to apartments in Lower Manhattan built with the 421-g tax abatements, an effort that has already brought hundreds of units under stabilization. Click here for the full release.

Tremaine Wright is running to represent the 56th Assembly District in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn.

Wright has worked as an attorney and for 9 years operated Common Grounds, a neighborhood coffee house that provided a place for various segments of the community to intersect and connect. If elected, she plans to fight for full funding of public schools, including the CFE settlement money due to school districts, promote parent involvement, and push for permanently affordable housing. Click here for the full release.

Nantasha Williams is running to represent the 33rd Assembly District in Cambria Heights, Queens.

Williams has worked as Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Diana Richardson, for former Assemblymember Karim Camara, and in non-profit advocacy. As the representative of Assembly District 33, she will work for state funding for education and youth development programs, foreclosure prevention for working families, and comprehensive criminal justice reform. Click here for the full release.

The three candidates listed above are just the beginning. The state of New York is ripe with progressive leaders who deserve an opportunity to run for office. Citizen Action will be doing our part by supporting the ones who truly have a vision for a more progressive New York. Stay tuned as more endorsements and opportunities to get on the ground will be available in the coming months.