Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by David Cherry, President of Chicago Faith Leaders Network, in favor of open primaries
2:21:27
·
3 min
David Cherry, President of the Leaders Network in Chicago and a native New Yorker, advocates for open primaries based on his upbringing as an independent activist in Harlem and his experience with nonpartisan primaries in Chicago.
He argues that forcing independent voters to join a party to vote is outrageous and that loyalty should be to the people, not parties.
Cherry highlights that Chicago's nonpartisan system has allowed for new coalitions and has led to the election of diverse leadership, including two recent Black mayors and a highly diverse city council.
- He views closed party primaries as a relic and urges New York City to adopt an open system.
David Cherry
2:21:27
Good evening, everyone.
2:21:28
My name is David Cherry.
2:21:30
I'm the president of an organization of faith and community leaders in Chicago called the Leaders Network and cofounder of the National Faith Leaders Collaborative.
2:21:40
I was born in New York City, where I spent the first thirty one years of my life.
2:21:45
My parents were independent activists in Harlem, and I proudly followed in their footsteps becoming independent voter and activist.
2:21:53
An important lesson I learned from them was about the goals of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and the 1960s.
2:22:00
The goal was not to become big shots of operatives for any political party.
2:22:05
The goal was to end racism and poverty and to win the fights for quality education, affordable housing, access to quality health care, equal employment, voting rights and safer communities.
2:22:18
As an independent, my loyalty has never belonged to political parties.
2:22:23
My loyalty and love has always been for the people in all the boroughs and communities in New York City.
2:22:33
It is the main reason why, as a native New Yorker, I detest partisan primaries.
2:22:41
It is outrageous to tell me and other independent voters that we have to join a political party to exercise our hard fought right to vote.
2:22:52
As a free American, I don't have to join any group if I choose not to.
2:22:57
After moving to Chicago, I started participating in nonpartisan primaries where you simply vote for your preferred candidate without being forced into a political party, which is how it should be.
2:23:11
Now, this system doesn't automatically solve all of our problems.
2:23:17
We still have to fight and advocate for the issues we care about.
2:23:22
But the important thing it does is it allows for new opportunities to create new coalitions with new people.
2:23:29
Individuals who self identify as progressives or moderates or conservatives can freely rally around the same candidates without the handcuffs and restrictions and limitations created by partisan political parties.
2:23:44
And for those who are concerned, and I've heard a number of people who expressed concern about the impact on black communities.
2:23:51
I do wanna say that the two most recent Chicago mayors were black candidates elected through this nonpartisan system.
2:23:59
And not only that, but the 50 members of the city council has become the most diverse in Chicago's history due to open nonpartisan system.
2:24:10
Younger voters are also increasingly declaring their independence.
2:24:15
The closed party primary is a relic from the past.
2:24:19
It's time for New York City to move into the twenty first century by adopting an open primary system for all New Yorkers.
Bob Kelly
2:24:30
Thank
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:24:30
you.