FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Timothy Foley, Committee of Interns & Residents
Political Director
212-356-8100
tfoley@cirseiu.org

CIR/SEIU Healthcare Announces Endorsements in Six Key NY Legislative Races

The Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare announced today its endorsement of candidates in six key state legislative races in the New York Primary Election on Tuesday, September 13.

“With a truly impressive collection of men and women running for office in these races, the physicians of the Committee of Interns and Residents are proud to endorse these candidates as the best of the best,” said Dr. Eve Kellner, national president of CIR/SEIU Healthcare. “We are fully confident that they will be champions for fair funding of the healthcare safety net that their constituents so desperately need, thoughtful advocates on public health issues like affordable, safe housing and preventing gun violence in our communities, and ethical, mission-driven public servants, dedicated to the value that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. They have the doctor’s seal of approval!”

• Tremaine Wright (D-56th Assembly District, Brooklyn): As an advocate for the vital safety-net hospitals, as a small business owner, and as chairperson of Community Board 3, Tremaine Wright has ample experience fighting for the institutions that Brooklyn residents depend on.  In addition to successfully advocating alongside CIR members to keep Interfaith Medical Center from closing, Ms. Wright is a champion for affordable housing.
• Paul Newell (D-65th Assembly District, Manhattan): As a lifelong community advocate born and raised in the district, Paul Newell has always answered the call to ensure his community has the healthcare resources they need and deserve, from spearheading Obamacare enrollment on a local level to co-founding the Coalition for a New Hospital after the closure of St. Vincent’s.  With an uncertain future for Beth Israel Hospital, the 65th Assembly District will need a proven advocate.
• Victor Pichardo (D-86th Assembly District, Bronx): Prior to his election to the State Assembly, Assemblymember Victor Pichardo worked under Senator Charles Schumer as well as State Senator Gustavo Rivera (also recently endorsed by CIR/SEIU in his bid for reelection).  Recognizing the importance of stable and affordable housing on health outcomes, Assemblymember Pichardo has delivered for Bronx residents, helping to pass bills regarding safe smoking distances from after school programs and advocating for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund to research gun violence as a public health issue.
• Toby Ann Stavisky (D-16th Senate District, Queens): In seeking her eighth re-election to the State Senate, Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky is primed to continue her work as a leader on the Senate Health Committee and an advocate for all residents in her diverse district.  She has been a staunch supporter of resident physicians seeking to unionize and the local healthcare facilities her constituents rely on.
• Micah Lasher (D-31st Senate District, Manhattan): With years of experience and accomplishments as Chief of Staff to NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Director of State Legislative Affairs for the City of New York under Mayor Bloomberg, Micah Lasher brings an impressive track record of navigating the politics of Albany on behalf of working people, as well as a proven dedication to providing access to affordable housing for all members of the community.  
• Gustavo Rivera (D-33rd Senate District, Bronx):  (Previously endorsed in June)  In the State Senate, Senator Rivera has worked towards a healthier Bronx by introducing and passing legislation to ban smoking within 100 feet of all school entrances and exits, in order to prevent secondhand smoke exposure right outside of schools. He has served for the years as the Ranking Member of the Senate Health Committee, and has been in the forefront of debates around access to care, support for safety-net healthcare institutions, and wellness.

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Founded in 1957, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU Healthcare) is the oldest and largest housestaff union in the U.S., representing more than 14,000 physicians in public and private teaching hospitals across the country. CIR empowers resident physicians to have a voice in their employment and training and to be advocates for their patients.