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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Annalisa Wilde, press@socialists.nyc

Socialists Propel DA Candidate Tiffany Caban to Historic Win in Queens

Today, the anti-establishment and socialist left in Queens New York appear to have claimed another major upset. Career public defender and DSA member Tiffany Caban appears to have edged out a crowded field of candidates for the District Attorney Democratic primary nomination and proven that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grassroots success over the Queens Democratic Party machine exactly a year ago was no fluke. NYC-DSA is building a movement of people-powered campaigns that can beat big money.

WASHINGTON

Today, the anti-establishment and socialist left in Queens New York appear to have claimed another major upset. Career public defender and DSA member Tiffany Caban appears to have edged out a crowded field of candidates for the District Attorney Democratic primary nomination and proven that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grassroots success over the Queens Democratic Party machine exactly a year ago was no fluke. NYC-DSA is building a movement of people-powered campaigns that can beat big money. DSA volunteers contributed over 45,000 door knocks to the win, about 40% of total doors.

"Our victory is a people's victory," said Bianca Cunningham, NYC-DSA Co-chair. "It is the result of the hard work of hundreds of dedicated volunteers who came together to fight for systemic change and economic and social justice. We are so proud of all the activists who knocked on tens of thousands of doors, made countless calls and texts, and demanded real, transformative change on behalf of everyday people in Queens. By proving that socialism is a winning platform, we can transform the nation."

Socialist Caban accepted no corporate or real estate donations and rejected traditional "tough on crime" rhetoric in favor of a platform explicitly against mass incarceration. Recognizing that Caban's "people-powered" approach to criminal justice resonated with constituents, most of the other candidates in the race adopted similar positions, such as ending cash bail and closing Rikers Island. But Caban, born in Queens to Puerto Rican parents and identifying as a queer latina, stood out, vowing to end racist law enforcement practices that criminalize poverty, to fight corporate crimes, decriminalize sex work, and prosecute ICE.

"A significant obstacle was that her opponents recognized the popularity of Tiffany's platform and tried to claim the mantle of progressivism themselves," said David Lee, NYC-DSA Member and Caban's Deputy Finance Director. "But voters saw through the charade. You can't be brought up through the machine, cozy with big real estate and take tons of money from wealthy donors and then claim you're an advocate for change and for improving the lives of the working class. We held the powerful to account, forced their inner workings out of the backrooms, and made clear that ignoring structural racism and community harm by law enforcement is unacceptable. I look forward to a Queens where we have decriminalized poverty and are prosecuting harassing landlords."

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has over 55,000 members and 200 local groups (as of November 2018) building working class power while establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in American communities and politics.