Delgado: “… we have a fight on our hands …”
KINGSTON – Congressional candidate Antonio Delgado picked up his most important endorsement to date on Thursday, with the public advocacy organization Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley lending their name to his election campaign.
Delgado is one of seven Democrats vying for the nomination to challenge Republican incumbent John Faso for New York’s 19th Congressional District. The other Democrats running for the June 26 primary are Jeff Beals, David Clegg, Erin Collier, Brian Flynn, Gareth Rhodes, and Pat Ryan.
Two other Democrats, Steven Brisee and Sue Sullivan, have dropped out.
Citizen Action has taken a keen interest in the NY19th seat since Faso was sworn in January 2017 along with President Donald Trump. The group regularly assembles activists outside Faso’s Midtown Kingston office, for weekly rallies known as Faso Friday.
“We know that this is one of the most important districts to win in the country,” said Stephen Pampinella, the Citizen Action member who announced the endorsement at Delgado headquarters in Midtown Kingston. He thanked all the other candidates as well. “After a careful and deliberative process, of our local endorsement committee and our state board of directors, we chose to endorse the candidate that we best felt represented our values, would fight for our issues, and can win. For Citizen Action of New York, that candidate is Antonio Delgado,” Pampinella said.
“This is without question, the biggest moment of our campaign to date,” Delgado said. “Our campaign is joining forces with Citizen Action. Make no mistake about it, we have a fight on our hands, a real fight, against an ugly, immoral, cruel Republican Trump – Faso led agenda.”
Issues discussed included racial and criminal justice, immigration, universal health care, funding public education, child care for all, and the environment. Ulster County Legislator Manna Jo Greene was at Thursday’s announcement lending her support. Delgado called her a legendary environmentalist.
Delgado stressed the importance of renewable energy, and climate change.
“There is a general toxic energy that I have seen taking over our country, with the attacks on women’s reproductive rights, the attacks on our immigrant community, the attacks on the Muslim community, the attacks on the LGBTQ community, and the rise of white nationalism – it is happening all around us,” Delgado said. “And where is Faso on these issues? Silent! The man is silent. That is not leadership, that is not accountability, that is not what we need and deserve right now, we are better than this.”
