Thank you Central New York

When I announced my exploratory campaign for the New York State Assembly, I knew exactly what we were up against. Challenging a well-known incumbent is one of the hardest things you can do in politics. If I had a nickel for every time I was told “you should just wait your turn,” I’d have like 13 nickels. Which isn’t a lot of money, but it’s still a lot considering the moment we’re in. Most people said it couldn't be done. Some thought we were asking too much of volunteers. Others wondered whether voters were really looking for a different direction.

What happened over the next several months answered those questions. One conversation at a time, Syracuse built something remarkable.

Running as a member of the Affordability slate was the opportunity of a lifetime. We started by collecting petition signatures. We had over 100 people come to our initial canvas launch. Hundreds of people stopped to sign because they believed voters deserved a choice. Volunteers spent evenings after work and weekends walking neighborhoods simply to ensure democracy had another name on the ballot. By the time petitions were filed, we had done far more than qualify for the ballot. We had begun building a movement.

As the campaign grew, so did our coalition.

Community leaders, labor advocates, elected officials, neighbors, students, veterans, and organizations from across New York placed their trust in our campaign. Endorsements from organizations like the Working Families Party, Citizen Action of New York, the Syracuse University College Democrats, Democratic Socialists of America, and so many others reminded us that this campaign was becoming part of something larger than one Assembly race.

Then came a moment I will never forget.

Receiving the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders was deeply personal.

More than a decade ago, I was organizing for Bernie because I believed working people deserved a stronger voice in our democracy. To have someone whose campaign inspired so much of my own political journey stand behind our campaign was both humbling and energizing. It reminded me just how far this movement had come.

But endorsements never won elections.

People did.

Week after week, volunteers knocked doors across Syracuse, Geddes, and Van Buren. Thousands upon thousands of conversations took place on front porches, apartment buildings, sidewalks, and driveways. We talked about housing costs, healthcare, public schools, transportation, environmental protection, workers' rights, and making government work better for the people it serves.

Those conversations shaped every part of this campaign.

They shaped our policy proposals.

They shaped our debate preparation.

They shaped every speech I gave.

When debate season arrived, I wasn't walking onto those stages with talking points written in a conference room. I was bringing with me the voices of the thousands of residents who had shared their hopes, frustrations, and ideas with our campaign. Whether you watched online, attended in person, or followed along afterward, you helped make those conversations about the future of Central New York.

Not every chapter of this campaign was easy.

As Election Day approached, millions of dollars in outside interests continued flowing into politics across New York, including independent expenditures in our own race. Our campaign never changed course. We continued talking about affordability, housing, healthcare, education, public transportation, and building an economy that works for working people because those were the issues people raised with us every single day.

Then early voting began.

For months we had prepared for those nine days. Volunteers filled canvass launches, phone banks, text banks, visibility events, and literature drops. Some people joined their very first campaign. Others had been organizing for years. Everyone contributed something.

Every door mattered.

Every phone call mattered.

Every conversation mattered.

Then came Election Day.

I'll never forget that night.

Watching the results come in surrounded by volunteers, family, friends, and supporters felt like watching one of those unforgettable Knicks playoff games. Early returns showed us trailing. Then precinct after precinct reported. The margin narrowed. The room became louder. Hope grew with every update until, eventually, we had taken the lead.

It was one of the most exciting nights of my life.

Of course, Election Night is never the end of the process.

Absentee ballots and affidavit ballots still had to be counted, just as they should be. Every eligible voter deserves to have their ballot counted accurately. Throughout that week, our campaign remained patient, confident, and respectful of the process because democracy deserves nothing less.

Looking back now, I realize this campaign was never defined by one endorsement, one debate, one news story, or even one election night.

It was defined by thousands of people choosing to believe that change is possible.

It was defined by first-time volunteers discovering they could make a difference.

It was defined by neighbors opening their doors to complete strangers and having honest conversations about the future of our community.

It was defined by supporters who chipped in what they could because they believed campaigns should belong to ordinary people.

It was defined by the simple belief that Syracuse deserves bold, transparent, responsive leadership willing to meet the challenges of today instead of repeating the politics of yesterday.

Whether you voted for me or not, thank you for participating.

Whether you volunteered every weekend or simply encouraged us from afar, thank you.

Whether you donated, hosted an event, put up a lawn sign, shared a post, attended a debate, or talked to your neighbors about this race, thank you.

You helped write this story.

Public service has never been about a single election for me. Long before I became a county legislator, I was organizing because I believed working people deserve a government that works for them. That belief hasn't changed. It never will.

Campaigns end.

Movements don't.

I cannot wait to continue building the future that so many of us spent these past several months fighting for.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Syracuse.