Brooklyn City Councilmember and Borough President hopeful Antonio Reynoso has picked up the endorsement of a number of progressive women leaders in the city, who have formed the group "Progressive Women for Antonio."
Included are activist Cynthia Nixon; Councilmembers Helen Rosenthal and Margaret Chin; State Senator Jessica Ramos; Assemblymember-elect Marcela Mitaynes; City Council candidates Jennifer Gutiérrez and Sandy Nurse; and District Leader Shaquana Boykin.
Already backing Reynoso are Teamsters Joint Council 16, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Maritza Davila, and District Leaders Kristina Naplatarski and Samy Nemir Olivares.
Reynoso said he was honored to have the support of the "progressive champions," and the borough's future depended on working together to ensure a just recovery for working families.
"The challenges facing our borough and our city are daunting, but I know that we can come back stronger," he said. "I've been delivering for my community and our city my entire career, I am ready to be the Borough President all of Brooklyn can count on."
Nixon said the city needed progressive fighters, and said she was excited to endorse Reynoso because of his record fighting for and delivering progressive victories. "From increasing resources for our public hospitals and women's health to funding for our schools to demanding police accountability -- throughout his career," she said. "I know he will continue and build on this work from the BP's Office,"
Reynoso's agenda includes advocating for fair rezoning and comprehensive planning "to fix the development problem," he told BK Reader. Through comprehensive planning, the city can assess and address racial and economic disparities in land use. He wants all communities to share the burdens equitably.
Reynoso also wants to reform Brooklyn's community boards. They are supposed to be a forum for community input but have become places for political appoints by elected officials, he said. He envisions organizing educational sessions on issues like rezoning, as well as education and transportation policies. As a city councilmember, Reynoso is one of the strongest advocates of police reform and for reallocating NYPD funding.
"Brooklyn right now, I believe, is the progressive capital of this country. It's where many of the great ideas and policies and movements began. I want to be not just a leader in what's happening in the city or the state. I want to be a leader in the work that's happening in the country, in how we define Democrats moving forward," Reynoso said.
Also in the race for Borough President are Councilmember Robert Cornegy Jr. and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.
