Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jasmine Gripper from the Working Families Party against nonpartisan primaries
1:22:54
·
3 min
Jasmine Gripper, Co-Director of the New York State Working Families Party (WFP), testifies in strong opposition to the proposal to eliminate partisan primaries.
She argues that the current system is working, citing the diversity of the City Council and increasing voter turnout.
She frames the push for "jungle primaries" as an effort by billionaires to crush the power of organized labor and community groups and make it easier to buy elections.
- Gripper highlights the success of the current system, pointing to the diverse city council and rising primary turnout.
- She claims the proposal for nonpartisan primaries is backed by billionaires who want to weaken the power of unions and working-class people.
- She argues that parties play a vital role in the political process and that the WFP would be forced to explore legal challenges if the proposal moves forward.
Jasmine Gripper
1:22:54
Good evening, commissioners.
1:22:55
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
1:22:57
I'm Jasmine Gripper, codirector of the New York State Working Families Party, and I'm here in opposition to the proposal that would eliminate partisan primaries in New York City.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
1:23:07
For one second.
1:23:08
I'm gonna ask folks, and I I appreciate supporting each other, but it's it makes it hard to get through the testimony.
1:23:13
So if we can just let people speak, and I believe that you support her.
1:23:17
Thank you.
Jasmine Gripper
1:23:20
I'm here in opposition to the proposal that would eliminate partisan primaries in New York City and will replace them with nonpartisan jungle primaries.
1:23:27
Before we discuss what we change about the current system, let's first point out what is working.
1:23:32
We currently have the most diverse city council in New York City history with racial, gender, age, and economic diversity.
1:23:40
The number of elected female city council members, and more specifically, women of color, is at record numbers.
1:23:47
We have more voter turnout increasing in the Democratic primary compared to the last two decades, especially with the implementation of early voting.
1:23:55
And while you all were having hearings, many of us were out at the door increasing turnout, talking to voters, and making sure we were engaging in this current Democratic primary process.
1:24:06
This is the second time New Yorkers are using the ranked choice voting system, and overwhelmingly, it's a success.
1:24:12
Fewer people had their ballots exhausted this year than four years ago, and New Yorkers are learning increasingly how to use the new political the voting system of ranked choice voting.
1:24:23
Jungle primaries, on the other hand, have no history of significantly increasing turnout, which has been the original reason the commission gave to include this proposal.
1:24:32
Let me remind the commissioners and the public that jungle primaries were first proposed in New York City by Mayor Michael Bloomberg more than twenty years ago as he was fighting to crush public sector unions in the city.
1:24:46
The organizations pushing for jungle primaries across the country, like Unite America, are backed by billionaires, including Michael Bloomberg himself, who attempted to use their wealth to buy our democracy.
1:24:59
Because of organized workers and organized community members and Democrats and sometimes the working families parties, primates in New York City are one thing that are actually difficult for the billionaires to buy, and that's why they want to change the rules.
1:25:13
Instead of unionized nurses, construction workers picking their candidate, they want to open it up to their hedge fund billionaires and Republican neighbors on Park Avenue.
1:25:23
Let's be honest.
1:25:25
The proposal to implement jungle primaries is simply about limiting the power of everyday working class people in New York City by crippling political parties, confusing voters, and making it easier for billionaires to elect their preferred candidates.
1:25:39
Parties play a vital role in our political process, and we will not hesitate to strongly oppose any effort to stack the deck for the billionaire class more than it already is.
1:25:49
We also want to ensure that we protect New York State's fusion voting laws, which allow candidates to run on more than one ballot line.
1:25:57
If the commission goes forward with nonpartisan primaries on the ballot this November, the working families party will be put in a position where we would be obligated to explore legal challenges in the courts and mobilize our members, affiliates, and labor unions in strong opposition to the proposal.