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The job description for the state Democratic chair is pretty simple: elect as many Democrats across as much of the state as you can. But actually, doing the job is not quite that simple.
New York, with its 20 million citizens, is a large diverse state with competing needs and agendas. Our constituency includes people of every race, religion, ethnicity and socio-economic background. Our “big tent” needs to be inclusive while at the same time its various interest groups must avoid being abrasive.
What attracts some to the party at times repels others. What floats in one district, sinks in another. And yet, the chair, whomever he or she may be, must balance all of that while promoting Democratic principles, supporting our elected officials and promoting our party’s candidates
This year, for the first time, I face a challenge for reelection. I take nothing for granted and welcome the challenge as a necessary part of the democratic process that our party both exemplifies and cherishes. I also have always believed that those seeking to lead must defend their records and put forward their vision for the future.
My opponent argues that I don’t have “a great vision,” that I have failed to provide a full-year, coordinated campaign, that the loss of four congressional seats in 2022 was my fault, and that the recapturing of four seats in 2024 happened in spite of me. She has said that this year’s coordinated campaign is nonexistent in her own 19th Congressional District.
I am not going to relitigate 2022, nor am I going to respond to every one of those arguments. I think, however, for the record, she should check with Rep. Josh Riley as we have seven full-time staff and five offices in her district as a part of more than 80 paid staff and 40 field offices throughout the state.
During my 10 years as state chair, we have implemented a county grant program which has distributed more than $1 million to counties. Among a host of other reforms, the state party disseminates weekly talking points to county chairs, has made an organizing and recruitment tool available for counties, employed full-time voter protection and data teams, and established a broad array of interest group caucuses within the State Committee.
I led the decade-long fight for even year voting, free postage on mail-in ballots, was the de facto chair of the Campaign Finance Commission that lowered maximum campaign contributions, implemented the first statewide campaign matching funds program, and fought raised ballot access thresholds which put an end to the transactional, phony Independence Party. My “vision” in all of those efforts was to increase voter participation and boost Democratic voter turnout throughout the state.
Three governors have asked me to work with them as state chair. Working with Gov. Hochul to build and strengthen our state party has been our greatest priority. Every faction in the party will agree that I am always willing to listen to and work with them even when we disagree. No one can argue that I have been silent or soft in my condemnations of President Trump and the Republicans who are both turning back the clock and turning their backs on what it truly means to “be an American.”
I have never been prouder to be a Democrat. Our storied past, our transformational achievements that have advanced the causes of equality, fairness, justice and economic opportunity, along with the shared values and principles keeps me believing that with all of our imperfections, our party is America’s best hope for an even brighter future for all.
Jacobs is chair of the New York State Democratic Party.
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