BTRTN Endorses Democrat Alison Boak for New York State Senate, District 40. Pass It On!

Time to get out the vote for Alison Boak in the crucial New York State Senate District 40 race...one of the Democrat's best shots at flipping a seat to take control of the NYS Senate.

It may surprise you to learn that the New York State Senate has a Republican majority caucus.  The Assembly is heavily Democratic, but not the Senate.  That means that New York State, correctly viewed as Deep Blue in national elections, is far from within state politics.  Progressive legislation is often thwarted and there are situations that are, in fact, shocking – for instance, New York has never been able to pass a law aligning state abortion legislation with Roe v Wade, so that if that law were ever overturned by a conservative U.S. Supreme Court – heaven forbid – New Yorkers would be exposed to far more restrictive abortion rights.

And, of course, New York, like California, is a highly influential state:  what happens in Albany, like Sacramento, is often a bellweather for other states across the nation.  So, the bottom line is we need to flip the Senate to create a true Democratic majority.  And to do that, we need to win “swing” races like New York’s 40^th district.  Like our U.S. Congress, relatively few New York State Senate seats are actually “in play.”  And one of them is New York’s 40^th.  The Republicans have won the last two elections in this district by a mere two points, so it is a prime target in the quest for Senate control.

And that is why BTRTN is supporting Alison Boak for New York State Senate in District #40.

New York Senate District 40

Ali Boak has made a career of public service, starting from her time as a Peace Corps volunteer and Fulbright Scholar in the Baltic States, where she set up health centers and worked with vulnerable youth. She has a Masters of Public Health from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and co-founded the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of human trafficking and exploitation of adolescents.

An internationally recognized expert on human trafficking and a longtime advocate for adolescent health, Ali is co-founder of the Westchester Anti-Trafficking Task Force and her work in combating the exploitation and trafficking of children and youth has been recognized by Michael Bloomberg, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Representative Nita Lowey and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Ali is an active citizen in her community, having served on the Pound Ridge Town Board; founder of the Pound Ridge Partnership; member of the Bedford Central School District Budget Advisory Committee, the subcommittee on School District Budget Comparison, Chair, and a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

A centerpiece of Ali’s candidacy is her role as a longtime and vocal advocate for the rights of women and girls in New York and around the world. In the State Senate, she will continue this fight and will:

·         Safeguard Reproductive Rights: Ali is pro-choice and will strongly advocate for the Passage of the Reproductive Health Act, which would guarantee a woman’s right to control her reproductive health.

·         Stand up for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking: As State Senator, Ali will ensure that survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking have the resources and support they need to seek justice and rebuild their lives.

·         Support Equal Pay for Equal Work: Women still earn only $0.79 for every dollar earned by men in comparable jobs. This means lower pay, less family income, and more poverty, especially in households headed by a single mother. Ending wage discrimination is not only vital for women and their families, but also for our local economies.

Ali has the endorsement of the Planned Parenthood Hudson-Peconic Action Fund.  Her opponent has an agenda that is opposed to woman’s health rights and has consistently voted against the types of measures that Ali will fight for.  If this issue is important to you, your choice is a no-brainer.  She will work tirelessly with George Latimer and their colleagues to achieve a progressive women’s health agenda.

Here are links to Ali’s website and for donations to her campaign.  Those of you who live in Westchester, Dutchess and Putnam counties, please pass this on to friends, like it on Facebook and retweet it on Twitter.  Vote for Ali!

Find out more:  https://boak4ny.com/

Donate:  https://boak4ny.com/contribute/