Kingston, NY — At a press conference on Thursday, Citizen Action of New York formally announced its endorsement of Antonio Delgado for Congress in the 19th District.
Delgado, a resident of Rhinebeck, is seeking the Democratic nomination and opportunity to unseat incumbent John Faso, who has been roundly criticized for his votes to strip health care from millions of Americans and cut taxes for the very wealthy.
Citizen Action members were impressed with Delgado’s commitment to progressive values and issues like investing in clean energy infrastructure, increasing wages for workers, ending mass incarceration, bringing more people into the democratic process, and rejecting corporate special interests.
Over the next several weeks, Citizen Action’s active membership will be talking to voters about Antonio and helping him to secure the Democratic nomination.
“Citizen Action and its members are excited to be standing behind Antonio’s campaign,” said Quintin Cross, Lead Organizer for Citizen Action of New York Hudson Valley Chapter. “Antonio has laid out a strong progressive vision for the region. We feel he will be a powerful advocate for struggling families and communities of color. The Hudson Valley is ready for a Congressperson who will put the needs of everyday people before the profits of rich donors.”
New York’s 19th Congressional District is one of the most watched districts in the country and will play a key role in electing a U.S. House that will reject the Trump agenda.
“This is a powerful moment for our campaign and I am proud to join forces with Citizen Action in our fight for equality,” said Antonio Delgado. “We are building a grassroots movement to create an America that works for all people, no matter their race, class, gender, religion or sexual orientation. I am excited to team up with Citizen Action as we fight for progressive values in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. For too long our politicians have listened to the voices of Washington special interests and corporate donors before the voices of working families who are struggling to get by. Just like Citizen Action, we are committed to shaking up the status quo with progressive activism, and I look forward to working alongside them as we fight for social justice through political change.”
“The past 15 months under the Trump – Faso partnership has been a disaster for our communities,” said Steve Pampinella, a Citizen Action member. “Today, we are endorsing the candidate we know shares our values, will fight for our issues, and will beat John Faso this November: Antonio Delgado.”
“Mr. Delgado speaks from the heart, whether is it discussing women’s rights, gun violence, injustice, or the dangerous or immoral actions of the current administration,” said Andrea Mitchell, resident of Catskill. “Antonio is a man I greatly admire. He has real achievable goals to bring jobs back to our area and help build the infrastructure here in Upstate NY. I am proud to endorse him today.”
“I stand here today as one of the people on the endorsement committee that made the bold decision to support Antonio Delgado as our candidate for Congress. Antonio shares our ideals of racial, social and economic justice. As Donald Trump and Jeff Session continue to push a crime and punishment agenda and peddle racism, I know we have a champion in Antonio who will stand up for all people,” said Nardia Bennett, resident of Kingston.
“I am incredibly proud of the members who came together to support Antonio Delgado in this fight for justice across NY-19. Antonio’s upbringing has given him the knowledge and experience to not just win and lead in Congress, but to bring together the working class to fight for a real shift in power dynamics across New York State,” said Callie Jayne, Kingston resident and Citizen Action Member.
###