Blue America just started running 4 new Facebook and Instagram ads on Long Island this weekend— in the open 3rd congressional district, where progressive champion Melanie D’Arrigo is facing off against 3 conservative stooges, Josh Lafazan, Robert Zimmerman and Jon Kaiman. One of the ads is up top. The winner of the August 23rd primary will go head to head with Trumpist Republican George Santos in a newly redrawn district that went from a partisan lean of D+6 to D+4.
This is what we’re trying to make sure voters in the district, particularly women voters and males who like and respect women, know by primary day. First off, that Melanie D’Arrigo is a healthcare advocate, mother of three, and fierce defender of reproductive justice and universal health care. To her, health care is a human right— and health care includes the right to choose. That’s why she supports universal healthcare and always says she is proud to have put herself on the frontline for abortion access multiple times. And that’s why, “in a race full of wealthy, conservative men, you can trust a working-class mom to fight for reproductive justice. “I know all too well the frustration Americans have in our government. For decades, we’ve voted in the same kind of politicians," she told me, "who make the same kind of promises, all the while pocketing money from the same health insurance execs and gun lobbyists I’ve fought against. This past year has reminded us how important it is to elect unbought representatives. We do not need to be represented by coal barons. We don’t want to vote for opportunists, who want to go to Congress to build their stock portfolios. We need are leaders with principles. Fighters who have put their bodies on the line for our
rights, unafraid to challenge the status quo and stand up for the communities we call home. Democrats who understand that it's time to end corruption and bring the Party back to its FDR roots-- protecting and helping working families. For too long, we’ve let both parties-- Republicans and Democrats-- get away with it."
Parents across the 3rd district recognize that gun violence is an epidemic— and so does Melanie. To combat the NRA and their dark money, no one can rely on politicians who take the same kind of corporate dollars. Long Islanders need bold, unbought leaders and, clearly, Melanie is that candidate, and it’s why she’s the only candidate for federal office in New York to be endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety and who is a long-time Moms Demand Action volunteer.
Melanie grew up in a union household, and organized in this district for years before running for Congress— fighting for universal healthcare before it was popular, and fighting to make unions stronger so every family has a chance to make a livable wage.
While her opponents rush to outraise each other with the help of lobbyists, real estate developers, and dark money interests, Melanie is running a corporate-free campaign. She’s running on the most comprehensive anti-corruption platform in the field because she knows that corporations have no place in Congress or our courts. You can’t buy her votes, because she’ll represent working families like her own.
I want to focus on just one of the stooges right now— Josh Lafazan, a fake Democrat who switched parties to run in this race and who has run on the Conservative party line every time he has run for office. Further, Lafazan takes money from corrupt police unions, who support taking COVID relief money meant for schools, health care, and working families and using it to further enrich police budgets. Lafazan is probably best known in the district for having championed an unconstitutional bill that would allow cops to sue protestors.
We still have time to help Melanie boost her Get Out the Vote program, beat the 3 stooges and take on the Trumpist in November. Please consider contributing to her campaign here.
