April 26,2018
The era of cigar chomping old men in smoke-filled back rooms hand picking candidates for the voters is over. Nowadays a couple dozen members of Uptown Community Democrats nosh on cheese and fruit, studying flyers, and listening as political hopefuls make their pitch. Then they pick some to endorse. It’s a new way of doing politics in Northern Manhattan called “Community First” according to the group’s banner.
The setting tonight was the auditorium of Good Shepherd School on Isham Street. And when the ballots were counted, Robert Jackson and Al Taylor had won the club’s endorsements for NY State Senate 31 and State Assembly 71, respectively. Taylor is an incumbent running for a new term while Jackson is challenging the current officeholder, Senator Marisol Alcantara. Jackson spoke about the IDC, Simcha Felder, and rent stabilized apartments, adding that he lives in one. Taylor, former Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Denny Farrell, told the group that he fights “the good fight” on behalf of renters and senior citizens. He once walked all the way to Chicago from NYC, according to his bio.
