More than 92% of NYLCV’s 125 endorsed candidates won or are ahead in their elections last week and we congratulate each of them on a hard-fought victory. From Buffalo to Long Island and everywhere in between, voters chose candidates backed by NYLCV who will provide the kind of local leadership we need at this critical moment when the federal government is threatening our clean energy progress and rolling back decades of clean air and water protections.
In New York City, NYLCV congratulates Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani on his historic victory in the mayoral race. We applaud voters for choosing a candidate who will – as Mayor-elect Mamdani said during our candidate forum – prioritize the environment, fight climate change, and stand up to a federal administration that hopes New York City will give up on climate policy. From clean energy to buildings to parks to public transit to zero waste and more, we look forward to working with the Mamdani Administration as New York continues to march toward a more resilient, affordable and sustainable future.
Upstate, NYLCV endorsed three new mayors – Dorcey Applyrs of Albany, Sean Ryan of Buffalo, and Sharon Owens of Syracuse – each of whom are committed to tackling important issues like removing lead pipes and promoting clean energy projects. And we are thrilled that Michael Cashman was victorious in a special election for an Assembly seat in the North Country.
Finally, we are very pleased that Proposition 1 passed – a win-win for conservation and the Upstate economy – as did Proposition 3, which will spur quicker approvals for climate resilience measures in New York City.
We look forward to working with all of these candidates in the coming year to ensure New York remains a beacon of environmental progress and a national leader in the fight against climate change.