As a lifelong Democrat, I am proud to have been Chair of the Greenburgh Democratic Town Committee for 18 years. Greenburgh is one of the most active, energized, and diverse committees in the County. We are Westchester’s second largest committee, with 13 Village and Area Chairs reporting to our executive committee, 162 District Leaders, and some of the highest-turnout election districts in the County. Under my leadership, we have elected and supported a diverse slate of candidates for office.
These are a sampling of our many efforts and successes:
* Championed Greenburgh’s first two campaigns to successfully elect N.Y. State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, defeating a 30-year Republican incumbent in 2006. Senator Stewart-Cousins is that body’s first African-American female Senate Majority Leader, elected in 2019.
* Elected the Hon. James Hubert, the first of-color judge to serve on the Greenburgh Town bench, in 2004. Hubert is now a judge of the N.Y. State Supreme Court, 9th District.
* Elected the Hon. Arlene Gordon-Oliver, the second of-color judge to serve on the Greenburgh Town bench, in 2007. Gordon-Oliver is now a Westchester County Family Court Judge.
* Elected the Hon. Alfreda Williams to the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ 8th District in a highly competitive primary, in 2009. Williams is now Vice Chair of the Board of Legislators.
* Elected the Hon. Delores Scott Brathwaite and the Hon. Walter Rivera, the third and fourth of-color judges to serve on the Greenburgh Town bench, in 2011. Brathwaite continues to serve in Greenburgh. Rivera is now a N.Y. State Court of Claims Judge.
* Elected incumbent Councilman S. Ken Jones and Councilwoman Gina Jackson, as a first-time candidate, to the Greenburgh Town Council in 2019, making the Council more diverse in race, gender, and age.
* Endorsed Maria Portilla for Greenburgh Town Clerk and, in collaboration with the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester, helped her run a strong campaign as a first-time candidate, in 2019.
* To creatively address the large primary field for N.Y. Congressional District 17 in 2020, Greenburgh Dems experimented with an “approval voting” process, in lieu of making an endorsement, to narrow our focus to four preferred candidates among whom District Leaders could choose to carry petitions. A week before Primary Day—to inform undecided voters—Greenburgh and its partner committees and leaders commissioned a public poll that correctly identified Mondaire Jones as the frontrunner and closely forecast all of that election’s outcomes.
And some of my outreach over the last few years:
* Panelist at N.Y. State Bar Association’s continuing legal education program, Representing a Candidate under New York’s Election Law, in 2014
* Panelist at County Government 101, co-hosted by Indivisible Rivertowns and Indivisible White Plains in 2017
* Member of Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s Transition Committee, Operations, in 2017
* Created District Leader Petition Training Seminar (with Joy Haber and Bruce Campbell) and District Leader Petition Training Manual (with Haber and Jill Rembar), in 2018, to help the new generation of District Leaders do their best work for our committees and our candidates.
* Featured speaker at State of the Resistance, co-hosted by 29 Westchester Democratic committees and activist groups in 2018
* Presented at Campaign School for Women in Westchester, events for prospective pro-choice Democratic women candidates, organized by Eleanor’s Legacy in 2018 and 2019
* Presented at Petitions: Getting on the Ballot, hosted by Eleanor’s Legacy and Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Votes in 2019.
* Featured speaker at What Does It Take to Be a District Leader, hosted by SWAC PAC in 2020.
* Founding member of the N.Y. Democratic Lawyers Council (NYDLC)’s Westchester/Lower Hudson Valley Chapter
* Moderator at numerous local candidates forums and town halls
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Many of my goals for the Westchester County Democratic Committee are based on the progress we’ve already achieved in Greenburgh. It would be my privilege to put this experience to work for all of Westchester, with your support on Thursday, September 17th.
If you have any questions or feedback, or would just like to talk to learn more, please contact me at SuzanneforWcdcChair@gmail.com.
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