Amato wasn’t running alone

To the editor:

(re: “State makes big changes to the senate district lines,” May 26)

Unfortunately, thanks to redistricting, Christian Amato can no longer continue to run for the state senate seat in our district.

New York’s Democratic Party, as well as the Bronx Democratic machine, really messed this entire process up. And now we in Riverdale are left, as they say, to pay the piper. 

We are now part of the same district as the Grand Concourse and Bedford Park, which hopefully we will find some common ground with as we proceed in this primary. Let’s not forget how we got here, and hopefully we can make some positive changes for the future.

Christian Amato ran with a slate of four other pragmatic progressives — Aaron Stayman, Morgan Evers, Abigail Martin and Ramdat Singh. These individuals are still running for positions within the Democratic Party of our Assembly district — which have not been changed.

These four young people offer a breath of fresh air and new ideas, energy and outreach. Their goals are to widen the vote to more people, keeping us informed about what is happening in Albany on a regular basis, fighting for change within the Bronx Democratic machine, and most importantly, loosening the stranglehold the entrenched leadership of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club has had for years,

Singh, a local educator and activist, is running for male district leader. Martin — a parent, activist, former city council candidate and community organizer — is running for female district leader.

Together, if elected, these two can help set a new path for the Ben Franklin Club with a creative encompassing agenda and real outreach to our community.

The state’s Democratic committee is extremely important, and we need to elect young people from our area with new ideas. Our community is changing. Education is a critical issue. Business dynamics are changing. And there is much more.

Evers and Stayman are just the two individuals to represent us as female and male state committee members.

Evers is one of the leaders of the P.S. 24 parent association. She has her hands on the pulse of school issues and children’s education, not only at P.S. 24, but the other schools in our district as well.

She and Aaron fought for changes at the Ben Franklin Club, only to be defeated by an entrenched slate — the same folks who brought us Jeff Klein. Morgan knows the concerns of young families in Riverdale.

Stayman is a young Modern Orthodox Jew. He loves living in Riverdale, and has been an active participant in the Biden campaign, Bend the Arc, and many other local groups. He quickly learned the Ben Franklin Club was not a group to accomplish this.

Together Morgan and Aaron will work if elected to keep Albany and Riverdale in constant communication and contact, and make sure our issues are supported and understood.

These volunteer positions — while they may seem small — are extremely important. Please write their names down and bring them with you to vote during our governor and legislative primary on June 28.

Or, vote early.

Don Bluestone