Progressive Women: Aborn Will Prevent Crime and Protect Justice
NEW YORK- Richard Aborn, candidate for Manhattan DA, rallied with heavy hitters from New York’s progressive core to unveil the broadest and most diverse coalition of women of any candidate. Heavy weights like Katrina vanden Heuvel (editor of the Nation magazine), Catherine Abate (former NYC Corrections Commissioner, Senator, and candidate for DA), Assemblymembers and Councilmembers spoke out publicly for the first time about why they’re supporting Aborn in the city’s most contested race.
“Richard Aborn is a gutsy progressive and a criminal justice reformer whose long history of coming up with smart ideas and getting them done will make New York an even safer city. We all know there’s something wrong with a criminal justice system when nearly 1 out of 3 African-American men end up spending some part of their lives in prison. Richard has the experience and vision to effect real change, and has shown himself to be a steadfast progressive-consistent on key issues of substance like the death penalty and Rockefeller Drug Law reform,” said Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor of the Nation.
“The DA’s office requires a person of strong moral character to lead it. As someone who has been steadfast on issues of substance, Richard is lead by principles, not political expediency, consistently standing up against the Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Death Penalty. He will run a District Attorney’s office that will be pro-active about stopping crime before it happens – by getting guns off our streets before they’re used, providing alternatives to at-risk kids and treating drug addiction as a public health rather than a criminal justice problem. We need a DA who will not only be hard on crime but smart too. That person is Richard Aborn,” said Catherine Abate, former Chair of the New York State Crime Victims Board, New York City Corrections Commissioner and State Senator.
“Richard Aborn has been out front on equal rights: marching against Proposition 8, proposing a Hate Crimes Bureau long before the recent assaults on gay men in our city, and calling on the Human Rights Commission to investigation accusations against the NYPD of profiling in gay bookstores. Richard’s true leadership, and progressive vision to prevent crime by addressing high risk individuals like the children of domestic violence victims, will make him a leader among district attorneys,” added Assemblymember Deborah Glick.
“Manhattan needs a progressive and effective DA like Richard Aborn. A true leader in the fight against gun violence, a progressive committed to helping prevent our youth from becoming entangled in the criminal justice system and a committed supporter of women’s rights and issues, he has a sterling record as a steadfast ally against the death penalty and as a proponent of Rockefeller drug law reform. Richard has the record and the values we can trust,” continued Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal.
“I support Richard Aborn for Manhattan District Attorney because he cares about justice while protecting the rights of all regardless of race, sex, age, sexual preference, religious belief or national origin. He will work with us to get at the root of the gun violence besieging the youth in our communities,” concluded Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito.
The support for Aborn comes as he has cleaned up in the race for endorsements. Despite being a political newcomer – and the current DA reportedly lobbying officials and clubs to support another candidate—Aborn has picked up 17 endorsements by currently elected officials, while no other candidate has more than three. The first-time candidate and national gun control leader has also been endorsed by the most political clubs, Commissioner Bill Bratton, several former candidates in the race, the Working Families Party, Legal Aid Attorneys, and others (more complete list below).
Aborn has devoted his career to innovative ways of fighting crime the right way. He started his law enforcement career prosecuting violent felonies under Robert Morgenthau. He masterminded the Brady gun control bill — and became the NRA’s worst enemy. He was a leader in the expansion of the use of DNA evidence to both convict criminals and exonerate the innocent. As the managing partner of a law firm, he has supervised scores of attorneys. And his independent investigation of the NYPD took on police misconduct and brutality.
In recent weeks, Aborn has been also endorsed by former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton; the Working Families Party; Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy; State Senators Bill Perkins, Eric Schneiderman, Jose Serrano, Daniel Squadron, and Eric Adams (also the co-founder of the city-wide group, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care); Assembly Members Jonathan Bing, Deborah Glick, Richard Gottfried, Brian Kavanagh, Daniel O’Donnell, and Linda Rosenthal; Councilmembers Gale Brewer, Miguel Martinez, Rosie Mendez, and Melissa Mark Viverito; former DA candidates Catherine Abate and Richard Davis; long-time progressive voice Katrina vanden Heuvel; and numerous political clubs.
For more information on Aborn and his surging campaign, please visit: www.abornforda.com.
