Looking to 2021: Meet our December 2020 Endorsement Class

The chaos-fueled year of 2020 hasn’t ended, but we’re already looking towards a brighter, better 2021. We’re endorsing 25 candidates running in New York, Florida, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. Of those candidates: 75 percent are women, 71 percent are BIPOC, and 29 percent are LGBTQIA+.

As with all of our endorsed candidates, our December hopefuls are deeply engaged with the needs of their constituents and have put in the work building strong grassroots infrastructures to help create change within their communities. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of this month’s endorsees:

• New York City Council candidate Jaslin Kaur got involved in local politics after the 2014 taxi-medallion market crash devastated hundreds of immigrant families (including her own) in her Queen’s district. Today, she is fighting to improve conditions for working class laborers across NYC.
• Amber Adler is an Orthodox Jewish single mother of two whose advocacy work around interfaith solutions and non-profit leadership supporting special needs children in South Brooklyn, inspired her to run for office.
• Diagnosed with lupus at 17 years old, Shahana Hanif became a disabilities and social justice advocate in New York City, fighting for better accessibility on public transportation, free immigration legal services, and the creation of shelters that adequately serve immigrant, Muslim, and limited English proficient survivors of domestic violence.

The 25 candidates we endorsed today represent some of the best our country has to offer. They are fierce, compassionate, and ready to lead. Scroll down to learn more about their campaigns, and if you want to help us recruit more candidates like Jaslin, Amber, and Shahana, contribute today.

(And don’t forget: We’ve already endorsed 5 other 2021 candidates earlier this year!)

CANDIDATES

COLORADO

Lisa Burns Smith
Arvada City Council At-Large
https://www.lisaforarvada.com

Lisa is running for Arvada City Council in 2021. Since leaving the military, where she served in the Air Force as a police woman, Lisa has lived a life of public service through her years of case management, serving low income, disabled and older adults. She spent nearly a decade in humanitarian and disaster work while simultaneously engaging in the community and advocating for smart housing policy.

Lisa has worked hard to create new programs for veterans, low-income, and minority populations through innovative, cross-sector partnerships spanning from the local level to national level. She piloted programs such as home sharing and universal referrals for homeless children through the Boston Mayors Office and joined several boards overseeing federal grant allocations and awards. She has been recognized for her dedicated community service through local awards up to the Presidential Service Award for two years in a row.

Aside from her work in Colorado and Boston, Lisa has worked internationally to help communities and families achieve the best life possible through medical support at refugee camps or building out effective social programs in Chile.

Lisa hopes to bring her experiences through her career and volunteer services to her community to build effective and smart policy where everyone has a chance to succeed and thrive.

FLORIDA

Kerri-Ann Nesbeth
Miramar City Commission, Seat 1
https://www.KerriAnnNesbeth.com

Kerri-Ann is running for City of Miramar Commission Seat 1 to ensure that residents have a seat at the table when city-wide decisions are being made. She wants to prioritize equitable and inclusive practices while increasing transparency and accountability between city leaders and residents.

She has lived in Miramar for over 25 years. She is a daughter, sister, and an education advocate, working to ensure a quality education for youth regardless of socioeconomic status or zip code. Kerri-Ann has served as Vice President of her homeowner’s association, advocating for fellow community members’ needs and raised thousands of scholarship dollars to support Miramar students’ post-secondary studies.

Kerri-Ann represents Miramar’s future and is running a campaign to ensure the long-term viability of Miramar as a growing and diverse city. She will serve the community by prioritizing residents’ access to economic growth through jobs, increase resources to small businesses to support them through the pandemic, and partner with frontline workers to ensure ongoing safety for all residents

ILLINOIS

Chaundra Bishop
Urbana City Council, Ward 5
https://VoteChaundra.com

Chaundra Bishop is a public health professional and community leader and has worked in both the non-profit and government organizations in her career. Her work has focused on creating strategies to increase visibility, participation, and the well-being of underserved communities through health education and promotion.

Chaundra has always had a desire to help people, especially those who may not be in the position to help themselves. Chaundra has led health education and promotion programs in several communities throughout the state with particular attention to the underserved communities. It is in these areas where quality of life decreases making Black and Brown communities particularly vulnerable to premature and preventable death; which is why she’s running for Urbana City Council. There have been many struggles uncovered by the current pandemic and the racial reckoning that began after George Floyd’s death. Racism is a public health issue. Poverty is a public health issue. Police brutality is a public health issue. Affordable housing is a public health issue. There is so much more that we could be doing better as a community and she remains committed to making things better.

Ricardo Martinez
Lyons Township District 204 School Board
https://www.facebook.com/RicardoMartinezDist204

Ricardo is running for IL Cook County District 204 school board because he wants to give a strong voice for equity in achievement and access to opportunity. LTHS has a diverse student population (~28% non-white) but lacks racial equity. There is an immense achievement gap (37–56 pt gap comparing Latinx & Black students to White students). Ricardo researched K-12 racial equity plans and led a community activist group in speaking at a school board meeting to ask for action. LTHS also has not done enough to maintain facilities; after learning that students faint in classrooms that can be 90°+, Ricardo organized community members to advocate using a portion of the reserves to implement air conditioning. This led to a commitment to cool one school wing that year. The school has additionally failed to invest in technology; while schools that feed into LTHS have 1–1 computing, LTHS does not and are relying on a patchwork of devices to facilitate e-learning. Students have been encouraged to use their own device, which doesn’t serve the 11% of low-income students nor the 1% homeless.

Ricardo works in analytics and will use data to guide decisions. Current research in pedagogy suggests a strong link between belonging and achievement; students who feel discrimination both socially and due to a lack of resources will struggle academically. Ricardo could be one of the first elected minority members who also experienced poverty as a child and young adult, thus adding a fresh, diverse voice to the D204 school board.

PENNSYLVANIA

Danny Ceisler
Bucks County District Attorney
https://www.ceislerforda.com

Danny Ceisler has never been afraid to take on the toughest fights and win. In combat zones and in the courtroom, Daniel has dedicated his career to seeking justice for those who need it the most.

A civil rights attorney, army veteran, and Democratic activist, Danny has effectively and efficiently managed large organizations and military units.

Danny is running for District Attorney of Bucks County to create a justice system that works for every single citizen in Bucks County. By placing an emphasis on public health solutions for public health problems like addiction, mental illness, and poverty, Danny will tackle the root causes of crime and system discrimination while making our community safer and saving taxpayers millions of dollars wasted on incarceration that would be better spent on social services.

MISSOURI

Andrea Waner
Columbia City Council
https://andreawaner.com

Andrea Waner is a communicator and public servant with diverse experience in public health, human rights, public policy, and education. She is running to represent the Second Ward for the Columbia City Council, with a focus on protecting public health, preserving good-paying jobs, and creating a Columbia where everyone has the opportunity to prosper. Andrea serves as Chair of the Human Rights Commission for Columbia. As a leader on the commission, Andrea worked to broaden Columbia’s nationally recognized workplace, fair-housing, and civil-rights ordinances to include contractors. The ordinances led to Columbia earning an all-star rating and a perfect score of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index for the past three years.

Andrea is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion in the public sector, and prides herself on her commitment to transparency and accountability in all settings. She is a graduate of the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri and was inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha, a global honor society for public affairs and administration. She is the mother to son Henry, wife to Joseph, and proud owner of four chickens: Sandra, Ruth, Elena, and Sonia.

NEW YORK

Althea Stevens
New York City Council, District 16
https://www.althea4citycouncil.org

Althea Stevens is a proud New York native and a respected community advocate for the Bronx. As a dedicated single mother, she works hard to create a sustainable future for her child and for all children and families who live in under-resourced neighborhoods.

Althea began her career in civic service more than 15 years ago working for non-profit agencies and community centers that focused on giving a voice to the most vulnerable populations. She organized voting rights information sessions, led strategy workshops to address gang policing and created annual youth forums and community celebrations to bridge relationships between residents and neighborhood partners. Each step of the way, Althea’s natural leadership and organizing skills were honed while advocating for families, seniors, young adults and students on important issues, while identifying and allocating much needed resources to neighborhoods of the South Bronx.

Her dedication and passion to serve others has earned Althea seats on a number of Advisory Committees, including the New York City Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, New York City Housing Authority Tenants Association, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) Inc. and numerous government agencies. In 2019, she was also honored by Council member Ayala Women History Month Honoree for her exemplary community work. Althea will continue her life’s work — of motivating and inspiring, leading with passion and advocating for the community — as a member of the City Council representing the great residents of City Council District 16.

Amber Adler
New York City Council, District 48
http://amberadler.com

Amber Adler is a civic leader, non-profit CEO and Orthodox Jewish single mother of two young boys. She is known for being civically engaged throughout southern Brooklyn for over a decade. Her extensive volunteer efforts, interfaith dialogue and regular inclusion of her children in community based projects, inspires others and highlights her endearing commitment to the community.

Professionally, Amber has Directed Operations in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Her leadership roles at service-based non-profits helped children with autism secure vital services and resources. Amber is a County Committee member and the Chair of Neighborhood Advisory Board 15, where she works to alleviate poverty in the area by spearheading the allocation of hundreds-of-thousands dollars in federally funded contracts. In addition to this, Amber is also a fixture in the fight against antisemitism, hate and bigotry. In 2019, she helped secure approximately $170,000 in funding from the City of New York to educate public school students.

Amber is running to represent New York City Council District 48 to improve quality of life, ensure equitable pandemic recovery, establish a more robust childcare and early education, and strengthen unity throughout the district.

Amoy Barnes
New York City Council, District 49
https://www.amoybarnes.com

Amoy Barnes is a community advocate who has spent the last 15 years serving the North Shore. She believes that accessible healthcare, housing and education are the keys to prosperity in her community. Her dedication to public service began when she was a volunteer at St. Vincent’s Hospital (Richmond University Medical Center) and has included: NYC Parks, Special Education and Constituent Services. Amoy hopes to be the first City Councilmember from Staten Island to engage climate change as a priority for coastal communities like Staten Island and as an opportunity to build a resilient and more equitable community for everyone on the North Shore.

With a range of experience in local, state and federal government Amoy believes that with a well engaged constituency government can work. Amoy lives in West New Brighton.

Crystal Hudson
New York City Council, District 35
https://www.crystalforbk.com

Crystal Hudson is a public servant and community organizer committed to advancing change for the 35th District in Brooklyn, New York. Crystal’s commitment to public service is personal and began when her mother started exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s disease. As the only child of a single mother, Crystal quickly became the primary caregiver for her mother and experienced first-hand how difficult it is for working families to navigate complex systems to access services and resources needed to keep older New Yorkers safe and healthy at home.

Crystal is running for New York City Council because she believes the most marginalized New Yorkers should have a seat at the governing table. She is running in the 35th District because her family has been in the community for three generations, and she wants to ensure everyone can raise a family, have a good job with good wages, and age safely in place. As the next New York City Council Member representing the neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Bed-Stuy, she will fight for truly affordable housing; community safety led by those most impacted by over-policing and harm; a world class education for every child; and a safe, secure place to live. Most of all, Crystal is running to give back to a community that has given her so much.

David Benjamin Snyder
Saratoga Springs Mayor
http://www.davidsnyderformayor.com

David Snyder is a substitute teacher who has seen first hand how much untapped potential there is in Saratoga Springs. When he worked in the mayor’s office, he was disgusted not only by the treatment of local Black Lives Matter protestors but also by the total silence from local leaders on issues of justice and systemic racism. The elected officials David worked for did not have the courage, empathy, or strength to stand up for their community and the better future that we all aspire to.

David is committed to bringing the best of his community to city hall, which he sees in our schools every day. He is committed to restoring accountability and transparency to our local government by instituting regular newsletters and town halls. He will reform our boards and commissions system by appointing a diverse collection of Saratogians, not the friends and business partners of the powerful. He will work to give the people of Saratoga Springs a public health resource inside city hall by creating the city’s first-ever public health department, so the people of our city have places other than the police department to turn to when they need help. Over the course of his campaign, David will tirelessly work to register new voters and to give a voice to those who have long been ignored. It’s time to start demanding more from our government, and that’s exactly what David plans to do.

Elisa Crespo
New York City Council, District 15
https://www.elisacrespo.com

Born and bred in NYC, Elisa was raised by a hard-working, Latina mother who despite her best efforts, relied on Section 8 to keep a roof over her head and food stamps to keep food on the table.

Elisa developed a passion for community organizing and knew that she wanted to fight to elevate the needs of our most vulnerable. Elisa attended John Jay College, where she served as an elected student activist, sitting on various university-wide committees within the City University of New York (CUNY). She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in Human Rights. She is a proud union member of DC37 — Local 371.

Elisa has advocated on behalf of parents whose children have been victims of bullying, along with those who have been deprived of vital special education services. In her current role as the Education Liaison at the Bronx Borough President’s office, Elisa had the opportunity to help countless families navigate NYC education system’s bureaucracy.

Elisa is running to represent Council district 15 in the heart of the Bronx — to fight for a public option for Employment, 100% permanently affordable housing and fully funded public schools.

Felicia Singh
New York City Council, District 32
https://www.felicia2021.com

Felicia Singh is a teacher and candidate for New York City Council in Queens District 32. She would represent the communities of Woodhaven, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach and the Rockaways.

She was raised in Ozone Park by working-class immigrant parents and was taught the values of education, courage and hard work. Her father is from Punjab, India and is a taxi driver and her mother is from Guyana and is a school bus matron. Felicia is an advocate of worker rights and believes that our work shouldn’t cost people their livelihoods or their lives, that’s why she’s running for office.

Felicia is looking forward to flipping her district from red to blue by leading with courage and empowering her BIPOC community. She is ready to lead with people power in District 32.

Jaslin Kaur
New York City Council, District 23
https://jaslinkaur.nyc/

Jaslin is a Sikh Punjabi organizer, survivor advocate, and lifelong resident of Glen Oaks in Eastern Queens. She is the daughter of a taxi driver and a union grocery store clerk, grew up in NYC public schools, and is a proud graduate of Nassau Community College and CUNY Hunter College.

For Jaslin, the 2014 taxi medallion market crash enshrined multiple city and state-level failures for working class immigrant families. Years of private brokers fixing markets for their own profits led to massive debt, leading Jaslin’s family into financial turmoil. It also meant that she would eventually drop out of university due to exorbitant loan debt.

But Jaslin knows we can no longer put markets over human dignity. Having spent her life in District 23, her goal is to shift political apathy into material change for her neighbors because she knows that nobody knows policy better than the people who have been disenfranchised by it. That’s why Jaslin is fighting to bail out gig economy workers and bolster strong unions, attain affordable housing without private real estate lobbyists, and champion a Green New Deal to protect our ecosystems and eliminate transit deserts in her district.

As an organizer with Know Your IX, Jaslin has dedicated years to supporting survivors of sexual violence in schools through Title IX policy and anticarceral political education. She has fought against the detention and deportation of immigrant families. And she has worked with Queens Democratic Socialists of America to help low-income families combat food insecurity during this pandemic. She is ready to expand the realm of what’s politically possible in the place she has always called home and fight for working class solidarity in the next City Council.

Jennifer Gutierrez
New York City Council, District 34
https://www.jennifergutierrez2021.com

Jennifer Gutierrez was born and raised in Queens to parents who migrated from Colombia. Her mother was a domestic worker and her dad was a baker before becoming disabled.

She began her tenure at the New York City Council in 2013 as the community organizer for Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Currently, as a Chief of Staff, Jennifer has organized around issues that impact her neighbors such as housing, equity in education, environmental justice and public safety. She has led six successful cycles of Participatory Budgeting with over 8,000 residents participating and close to $6.5 million dedicated to community projects. She is running because she has a deep responsibility to the residents and families of the 34th district and wants to make local government transparent and accessible. With a strong resume in coalition building, Jennifer wants to change the way government operates by electing more women and people of color, prioritizing people over profits, and dismantling the stronghold real estate has had on NYC.

Juan David Ardila
New York City Council, District 30
https://www.juanforthepeople.com

As a first-generation American and New Yorker, the son of a Colombian father and Honduran-Cuban mother, Juan understands the hardships of working-class families in the city.

Juan’s journey to public service started when the system failed him and his family. When Juan was 17, his mother, was unjustly denied her residency and nearly deported. A few years later, his family faced persecution from gang violence in Honduras. Rather than lose hope, Juan resolved to channel the fear and trauma of almost losing his mother to deportation and his family to gang violence into a career of public service. That’s why Juan is committed to protecting other families so that no one has to face the fear he endured.

Now, he’s running for City Council to organize his community on key priorities such as housing infrastructure, increased access to public transportation, and a more inclusive public education system.

Marti Gold Allen-Cummings
New York City Council, District 7
https://www.martiformanhattan.com

Marti Gould Allen-Cummings is a NYC drag artist, community organizer, and activist who has been on the front lines fighting for New Yorkers. Housing Justice, Education Equitability, Environmental Justice, Racial Justice, and the fight for our neighbors experiencing income, food, and housing insecurity, small business protections, and tenant rights have been just a few of the many issues Marti has been fighting for. They would be the first non-binary person elected to serve on the New York City Council.

Moumita Ahmed
New York City Council, District 24
https://votemoumita.com

When Moumita was eight years old, her family immigrated from Bangladesh to Queens. Like most working-class families in her district, Moumita is a renter and her family has struggled with low wage jobs. In 2015, Moumita helped co-found Millennials for Bernie to engage younger voters in the electoral process by contributing to and volunteering for the Bernie Sanders campaign. She then helped start the New Reformers PAC to help elect progressive leaders to Democratic Party positions, especially in Queens. And, to maximize voting power, she formed the Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress (BAPP). When the pandemic hit, she sprung into action forming the all women-led Queens Mutual Aid Network to provide critical funding and aid to over 2,000 families.

Moumita went to PS 131 in Jamaica. She will fight for our children, so they can go to school safely and get a world-class education. When Moumita was 12, her father was arrested for the crime of having a Muslim name. She will institute an Elected Civilian Review Board to hold the police accountable. She is also a renter, and will fight against evictions and the non-stop harassment from greedy landlords. Moumita knows what it feels like to be exploited for a minimum wage job. She will fight to protect workers’ rights. After all, we are Queens. And when we are united, nothing can stop us from achieving justice and dignity. Nothing can stop us from living our dreams. Now, it’s time for us.

Nantasha Mone Williams
New York City Council, District 27
http://www.nantasha2021.com

Nantasha Williams is a community leader, advocate, and political organizer committed to affecting change in her community. It is her mission to serve her hometown of Southeast Queens, New York and sustain its legacy. Nationally recognized as a political strategist, she dedicates her life in service to marginalized communities throughout the country. In 2014, she was appointed the Executive Director of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus (“the Caucus”) one of the largest and most influential political entities in the State of New York. As the Executive Director, Nantasha demonstrated the intellectual rigor required to ensure that New York’s State Legislature designed policies and regulations aimed at improving the well-being and future advancement for people of color in low-income communities across the state. She helped to lead operations and organizing efforts for one of the largest demonstrations in American history as one of the National Organizers for the Women’s March on Washington, D.C. Nantasha also avails her time as an advisor to “Until Freedom” supporting important justice campaigns across the country, more recently the proceedings in the Breonna Taylor case. Nantasha continues her service through advancing her education.

She is currently a PhD student Program with a research focus on Social Movements, Public Policy, and Racial Justice. She acquired her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

Sara K. Lind
New York City Council, District 6
https://www.saralind.nyc

Sara is a former attorney, campaign staffer, and mother of two running for City Council in District 6 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She most recently served as Executive Director for 21 in ’21 — an organization dedicated to electing women to City Council to finally achieve gender balance.

Sara serves the community in many ways including as a member of the Community Board and the School Leadership Team at her son’s school. She’s also a leader in neighborhood programs to modernize the built environment and pilot green technology.

Sara believes that to fix some of the city’s biggest problems, every neighborhood has to do their part. She has released detailed plans addressing how her community can help with the housing crisis, lead the city in economic recovery, and move the city to Net Zero for a more sustainable, resilient future.

Shaeleigh Severino
New York City Council, District 32
https://www.severinoforcitycouncil.com

Shaeleigh Severino is an activist, advocate and public servant raised in Woodhaven, Queens. As a proud pansexual Afro-Latinx woman and the daughter of two immigrants, Shaeleigh first began organizing with her mother at eight years old. Growing up in a working class family, Shaeleigh has seen the devastating effects of segregation, declining educational quality, cultural division, food insecurity, and flood risk in District 32. She launched her City Council candidacy to end the hetero-normative, racially biased and disability-inacessible game of politics that favors corporate interests over families like hers. If elected, Shaeleigh Severino will serve as the first woman and first LGBTQIA+ individual to represent her district, and the youngest elected member of the New York City Council.

Shaeleigh has served her district as a paralegal specializing in immigration for over three years. She’s handled over 2,000 cases, working primarily to grant young immigrants asylum in New York City. Shaeleigh is a senior at St. John’s University studying Government and Politics and Legal Studies. Her experience and education have shown her the need for legal advocacy and legislative justice among New York City’s disadvantaged constituents.

Shaeleigh believes that no matter one’s income, race, or immigration status, they should have the ability to put food on the table, exist without fear of murderous racial profiling, have access to affordable housing, and live in a clean, environmentally just world. Her historic grassroots campaign seeks to bring systemic reform, generational change and racial diversity to District 32 and the New York City Council.

Shahana Hanif
New York City Council, District 39
https://shahanafrombk.com

Shahana Hanif is a Bangladeshi-American Muslim feminist and community organizer born and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn.

Shahana is a Lupus survivor and since diagnosis at 17, she has not rested in bringing her fight locally to protect communities in pain and build a City together that prioritizes care. Lupus nearly killed Shahana, from losing all her hair after aggressive chemotherapy to being rejected for the City’s paratransit services, having no choice but to go up and down the stairs of subway stations without elevators and escalators as a disabled woman. Now, with both hips and left shoulder replaced, Shahana is ready to bring the Cyborg energy into the City Council.

Known throughout her neighborhood as someone unafraid to take a stand for her community, Shahana has mounted organizing efforts around housing, the arts and criminal justice. She helped create the Avenue C Plaza, which has become a beloved gathering spot for community events; set up a free immigration law clinic; and was profiled in the New York Times for her work helping a young Bangladeshi woman escape from an abusive forced marriage to safety in a Muslim women’s shelter.

Shahana’s priorities are rooted in 1) defunding the NYPD to reinvest in the City’s schools, health care, and housing 2) desegregating schools and bolstering a City that shows up for youth, not abandon them 3) protecting families against predatory landlords and private developers, and a Homes Guarantee at the local level 4) a Green New Deal for Brooklyn, with the creation of green, union jobs.

Tiffany Cabán
New York City Council, District 22
https://cabanforqueens.com

Tiffany Cabán is a 33-year-old public defender, organizer, activist, and queer Latina who is running for City Council to ensure New York reaches its full progressive potential. A Queens native, Tiffany was born in Richmond Hill, Queens to Puerto Rican parents who grew up in Woodside Houses. She lives in Astoria.

Wilfredo Florentino
New York City Council, District 42
https://wilfredoflorentino.com

Wilfredo Florentino is a lifelong Brooklynite, and tireless community advocate. He is a husband, father, and US Army veteran. Wilfredo is a first-generation Afro-Latinx person of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. He is a product of NYC public schools and the University at Albany. While in the military he served as the Senior Officer of the Fort Totten Honor Guard. He has worked in community organizing, economic development, and grassroots advocacy.

Wilfredo is a founding board member of the New Kings Democrats, Board Member of the New lots Nehemiah Homeowners Association, Co-Founder of Rooted Theater Company, the only Theater Company in East Brooklyn, and in 2018 he was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel at Restoration Temple Ministries. For the past 11 years Wilfredo has served on his local Community Board as Chair of the Transportation Committee.

Wilfredo works for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”) as Senior Grants Manager. Formerly he was a Project Manager for Loans, Grants & Special Initiatives for Empire State Development where he managed a $3B portfolio focused on job creation and retention throughout New York State. Wilfredo is committed to bringing equity, justice and transparency in how government works for us.

He is running to serve as the next Council Member for the 42nd District, which includes portions of East New York and Brownsville in Brooklyn. He lives with his husband, daughters and dog in East New York, Brooklyn.

VIRGINIA

Briana Sewell
House of Delegates, District 51
https://sewellfordelegate.com

Born and raised in Prince William County, Virginia, Briana is the daughter of high school sweethearts from Selma, Alabama. After graduating from the local public school system, Briana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from American University. Coming from a military family, Briana’s parents instilled in her the importance of integrity, and service to others. Briana has always been drawn to a career in public service as she recognizes the unlimited potential for good when intelligent and ethical leaders are in office.

Once Briana graduated from college, she served as District Director for Congressman Connolly (VA-11), helping lead the office in community events and overseeing the strong constituent services team. In 2018, Briana accepted a new role to help establish the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy. In this position, Briana worked to bring all factions together to support policies like paid family and medical leave, lower-cost child-care, affordable college and job training programs, and more affordable elder care options.

As a District Director, a community organizer, and in her current role as Chief of Staff to the Prince William County Chair, Briana has been listening to the people’s concerns for the entirety of her professional life. She understands the issues of District 51 because she’s witnessed them, lived through them, and will be ready to legislate on day one.