Assembly Member Michael Benedetto Endorses Cuomo for Mayor
Benedetto Builds on Growing Support for Andrew Cuomo After Endorsements from Rep. Espaillat and Bronx Leaders
Now, when there’s a crisis of confidence in our City government and the stakes couldn’t be higher, it’s even more important to put someone in City Hall who has a strong track record of delivering for New Yorkers. That person is Andrew Cuomo.
- Assembly Member Michael Benedetto
Governor Andrew Cuomo, candidate for Mayor of New York City, today announced the endorsement of Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, who represents the Bronx’s 82nd Assembly District, which includes the neighborhoods of Co-op City, Throggs Neck, Westchester Square, City Island, Country Club, and Pelham Bay sections of the East Bronx. Assembly Member Benedetto, a former public school teacher who has focused on educational and child protection issues as a state legislator, praised Cuomo for his emphasis on public safety and rebuilding the ranks of the NYPD.
“Time and again, when people said policy issues and causes were impossible to get done, Andrew Cuomo proved them wrong- Marriage Equality, a $15 minimum wage, the nation’s strongest gun control bill - the SAFE Act, and codifying Roe v. Wade, this all happened under Andrew Cuomo,” said Assembly Member Michael Benedetto. “Now, when there’s a crisis of confidence in our City government and the stakes couldn’t be higher, it’s even more important to put someone in City Hall who has a strong track record of delivering for New Yorkers. That person is Andrew Cuomo. Also, on an issue of vital importance to my constituents, Andrew Cuomo has pledged to grow the NYPD by 5,000 officers. For the communities I represent, the 45th and 49th Precincts, these new resources are vitally needed. His leading opponent, Zohran Mamdami, is a “Defund the Police” extremist who would jeopardize the public safety of our city. As we have seen over the last 100 days, elections have consequences, to save the city we love, I encourage all of my constituents to get out and vote for Andrew Cuomo!”
“I thank Assembly Member Benedetto for his support and his longtime track record of delivering for his constituents in the northeast Bronx,” Governor Cuomo said. “Michael understands that government is about performance, it’s about getting things done – and we need to get this city back in the business of producing results. We need to make our streets safer, make public safety a priority, build more affordable housing, and when I become Mayor, I look forward to working with the Assembly Member to ensure the Bronx receives the attention and respect it deserves.”
These endorsements follow other Bronx elected officials that support Cuomo for Mayor, including Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Rep. Ritchie Torres, former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia, Assembly Member George Alvarez, and Assembly Member John Zaccaro, Jr.
Throughout his career in public service, Governor Cuomo has been a champion for working New Yorkers. He raised wages for millions and protected the right to organize when the Supreme Court tried to break the back of the labor movement. Governor Cuomo increased access to healthcare, enacted the nation's strongest paid family leave program and expanded apprenticeships, vocational training, and workforce development programs. He also advanced the most substantial infrastructure program in a generation, including the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall and the new Kosciuszko Bridge and the new JFK and LaGuardia Airports – all major projects built with union labor.
Assembly Member Benedetto joins Democratic Organization of Queens County and Chairman Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, former New York State Comptroller Carl McCall, New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., New York State Senator James Sanders Jr., New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Brooklyn Democratic Chair and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs, Assembly Member Charles Fall, Assembly Member Latrice Walker, Assembly Member Erik Dilan, Assembly Member Jordan Wright, Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, Assembly Member Sam Berger, Assembly Member Vivian Cook, Assembly Member William Colton, Assembly Member David Weprin, Assembly Member Edward Braunstein, Assembly Member Clyde Vanel, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, Council Member Lynn Schulman, Council Member Kamillah Hanks, Council Member Farah N. Louis, Council Member Susan Zhuang, Council Member Darlene Mealy, Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, Uniformed Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association, Uniformed Firefighters Association, United Fire Officers Association, 1199SEIU, Teamsters Joint Council 16, LIUNA NY, New York State Iron Workers, 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Fire Inspectors Local 2507, the New York City Deputy Sheriffs’ Benevolent Association, New York City Coalition of the International Union of the Operating Engineers, the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, Teamsters Local 237, Local 3 IBEW, New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, 35 District Leaders across the city, former National Director of the Anti-Defamation League Abe Foxman, the Village Reform Democratic Club, Taminent Regular Democratic Club, American Jewish Congress, 27 NYCHA Tenant Association Presidents, The Coalition of Community Concerns, over 95 prominent clergy members, and the Italian American Leadership Council in endorsing Governor Cuomo for Mayor of New York City.
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