RESILIENCE PAC MAKES INAUGURAL ENDORSEMENTS
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2021
For more information contact: info@resiliencepac.org
Resilience PAC, A Member-Driven Political Action Committee Led By Experts In Urban Planning, Climate Policy, Communications, and Resilience Makes Inaugural Endorsements - Maya Wiley for New York City Mayor
Organization Co-Endorses Kathryn Garcia and Shaun Donovan for #2 Selection In Ranked-Choice Voting and Endorses Brad Lander for New York City Comptroller
Announces Endorsements For Four Borough Presidents And Thirty-Three City Council Races
New York, NY - Resilience PAC, the city’s first political action committee focused exclusively on building climate resilience and ensuring equitable and expansive adaptation to climate change, today endorsed Maya Wiley for New York City Mayor in the 2022 Primary. The PAC also co-endorsed Mayoral Candidates Kathryn Garcia and Shaun Donovan for the #2 selection in ranked choice voting; and Brad Lander for Comptroller. Finally, it released endorsements for Borough President and City Council Races. Approximately 170 candidates from across the city sought the PACs endorsement in its inaugural year.
In announcing their selection, PAC leaders said: “Many candidates in these races have progressive climate plans. But the candidates we’ve endorsed today are true leaders who will not only directly address climate change - they will help solve the crisis in a way that also ensures all of New York’s residents can lead better lives, every day.”
Resilience PAC was founded to educate and elect candidates who will enact comprehensive policies that ensure all of the City’s people—especially people of color and those living in low income communities and neighborhoods—are able to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. All endorsed candidates participated in a two-phase endorsement process and were invited to participate in four “Resilience PAC Candidate Classes” which were created to teach candidates about the basis for the PAC’s policy platform, and the infrastructure challenges that NYC faces.
Through extensive research and interviews, the PAC found that the endorsed candidates possess deep knowledge of the risks climate change poses in New York City, have strong positions on actions needed to mitigate these risks, and offer holistic solutions that simultaneously address social, ecological, and physical vulnerabilities. Most importantly, they demonstrate their understanding of the intersection between the issues of climate change and social equity, and present solutions that solve for climate change by building urban resilience in partnership with the communities who are most affected.
In selecting Maya Wiley as the PAC’s first ranked choice spot, members emphasized Wiley’s excellent track record of placing equity and racial justice as central tenets throughout her career, and of expressing creative ideas for including communities in decision-making processes. Wiley’s plans for tackling the climate crisis are community-centered, and focus on partnerships at the local level, especially with communities experiencing environmental injustice.
Co-endorsed for the second spot, a veteran of New York City government, candidate Kathryn Garcia has extensive leadership experience. Garcia has held leadership roles in multiple City agencies and has a strong understanding of the environmental needs in our city. Ms. Garcia also has an extensive background in crisis management, which will be essential as our city experiences more severe weather events.
Also co-endorsed for the second ranked choice spot, candidate Shaun Donovan has a strong track record of leadership on climate resilience and on community development. When serving as Secretary for Housing and Urban Development and Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration, Donovan redefined how the Federal government responds to climate disasters and created strong policies for resilience planning. He also has key initiatives in his platform which will be essential to governing smarter in uncertain times.
In selecting Brad Lander, members noted that as the city’s chief fiscal officer, he has made a climate agenda the focus of his campaign, which includes a citywide risk assessment, pension investments to promote a green economy, keeping NYC accountable to its climate goals and innovative and participatory engagement.
With the endorsement, the PAC may offer support through policy expertise, volunteers to assist in get out the vote efforts, financial contributions from PAC funds, and encouraging members to donate directly to the candidates.
In April, the PAC named seven Mayoral candidates, two Comptroller candidates and 71 Borough Candidates “Resilience Builders” for the first phase of the endorsement process.
The City Council and Borough President endorsements are as follows:
Borough President
BROOKLYN
ANTONIO REYNOSO
MANHATTAN
BRAD HOYLMAN
MARK LEVINE
STATEN ISLAND
LORRAINE HONOR
CITY COUNCIL
DISTRICT 2
CARLINA RIVERA
DISTRICT 3
ERIK BOTTCHER
DISTRICT 4
KEITH POWERS
DISTRICT 5
KIM MOSCARITOLO
TRICIA SHIMAMURA
DISTRICT 6
GALE BREWER
DISTRICT 10
JOHANNA GARCIA
ANGELA FERNANDEZ
DISTRICT 12
SHANEQUA E MOORE
DISTRICT 14
PIERINA SANCHEZ
DISTRICT 16
ALTHEA STEVENS
DISTRICT 18
AMANDA FARIAS
DISTRICT 20
JOHN CHOE
DISTRICT 21
FRANCISCO MOYA
DISTRICT 22
TIFFANY CABÁN
DISTRICT 24
JIM GENNARO
DISTRICT 25
SHEKAR KRISHNAN
DISTRICT 26
AMIT S. BAGGA
DISTRICT 29
ALEDA GAGARIN
DISTRICT 32
FELICIA SINGH
DISTRICT 33
LINCOLN RESTLER
DISTRICT 34
JENNIFER GUTIERREZ
DISTRICT 35
CRYSTAL HUDSON
DISTRICT 36
TAHIRAH A. MOORE
DISTRICT 37
SANDY NURSE
DISTRICT 39
SHAHANA HANIF
BRANDON WEST
DISTRICT 40
RITA JOSEPH
DISTRICT 42
NIKKI LUCAS
DISTRICT 46
ZURI S. JACKSON
DISTRICT 48
MARIYA MARKH
DISTRICT 49
KAMILLAH HANKS
MICHAEL SCHNALL
About Resilience PAC:
The New York City Panel on Climate Change projects that we will see three to six feet of sea level rise, and an increased frequency of heat waves, which, left unabated, will exacerbate inequity. The members of Resilience PAC believe that we must solve all these issues, to solve one. The PAC will achieve this by supporting candidates who commit to 1) Embed climate science and equity in all land use policies and capital planning, 2) Prioritize disinvested communities, and 3) Make government actions transparent and accountable. The organization’s full policy platform can be found here and below. And a list of the founding members can be found here.