On the last day of early voting, two days before the June 23 Democratic primary, City Council Member Sandy Nurse made a closing push for Antonio Reynoso. Nurse, who represents Bushwick, was out with Reynoso as voters cast early ballots on Sunday, and the same day she sent her mailing list a newsletter titled "10 Reasons I Support Antonio Reynoso for Congress." She endorsed him months ago. This was her final-stretch case for the NY-7 congressional seat.
Earlier she shared a preview of her own marked ballot, which showed her picks but left the comptroller race blank, a choice she said she is still weighing. What follows is her email in full. The words are hers.
Friend, With the Democratic primary just days away, I want to share why Antonio Reynoso has earned my vote after years of working together, and why I hope he'll earn yours too. I don't make endorsements lightly and for this race, I knew immediately that he was the right pick. I've watched Antonio show up for our communities again and again, not just in speeches, but in the decisions that actually matter to the most vulnerable. Here are ten reasons why I support Antonio Reynoso:
I don't make endorsements lightly and for this race, I knew immediately that he was the right pick.
Here are ten reasons why I support Antonio Reynoso
In her words
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He backs organizations doing the real work.
Antonio has supported BK ROT, the youth jobs program I started to support Black and Brown youth right here in our neighborhoods, and Mayday Space, a vital home for political organizing and mutual aid in Bushwick. These aren't flashy projects: they're now part of the fabric of our community. He didn't have to support them, but he went to bat for us when it wasn't convenient.
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He voted No on expanding NYPD's budget during the Black Lives Matter movement.
In 2020, Antonio voted no on the city budget because it expanded NYPD funding at a moment when communities were calling for real investment in housing, healthcare, and youth programs instead. That wasn't an easy vote. It was a values vote. This is the clarity and pushback we'll need in Congress.
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He didn't back down when ICE came to Wyckoff Hospital.
When immigration enforcement showed up at a hospital serving our neighbors, Antonio didn't stay quiet. He immediately jumped into action and pushed back, because healthcare spaces should be safe spaces, full stop. When the NYPD helped ICE kidnap the detainee, he wrote a letter immediately demanding accountability, while others waited.
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He's taken on the establishment his entire career.
Antonio started New Kings Democrats after Obama won the election, because he wanted to make the party deliver for working families, not corrupt insiders. He has consistently challenged corrupt establishment Democrats who put machine politics ahead of the people they're supposed to serve.
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He invested $45 million in Black women.
Most Brooklyn Borough Presidents spend their funds on hosting concerts. Antonio chose to invest in Black women instead. He invested $45M in Brooklyn hospitals to tackle Black Maternal Health and ensure Brooklyn is the safest place for a Black woman to give birth. He also matched funding that I invested in local public schools for 4 years in a row.
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Antonio was pro-housing way before the movement.
Years ago, I protested Reynoso because I was scared that more housing would create displacement. Now, I realize that because we haven't built more housing fast enough, we are losing the most vulnerable New Yorkers. He has been ahead of the curve on this for years.
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He kicked ICE off of Rikers.
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He fought for pedestrian safety.
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He passed the law to create criminal penalties for bad landlords.
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He started out as a movement organizer.
Organizing child care workers for higher pay and better working conditions.
Antonio chose to invest in Black women instead.
No other candidate in the NY-7 race comes close to this record of legislative or organizing accomplishments, nor his massive coalition. That's the truth. There's a lot of lies out there. The facts are Antonio Reynoso:
- Has never taken a dime of AIPAC money
- Does not take from big developers
- Rejects corporate pacs
He has support from:
- Nearly every labor union in NYC
- The Working Families Party
- Every homegrown grassroots institution in north Brooklyn
Years ago, I protested Reynoso because I was scared that more housing would create displacement.
Don't let your voice go unheard. Please make a plan to vote by June 23rd, and bring a neighbor with you!
In solidarity,
Sandy