WHEREAS, after several special elections in 2020 and 2021, this year’s New York City local elections now feature 20 incumbent City Council members and 31 vacant City Council offices due to term limits with over 300 candidates having filed to run for office and represent their communities; and

WHEREAS, since 2020 the UFT has endorsed 45 City Council candidates campaigning across 45 of the 51 City Council districts in City of New York; and

WHEREAS, the UFT has yet to endorse in City Council districts 9, 10, 26, and 31; and

WHEREAS, City Council Member Bill Perkins started his career in elected office in 1997 as a City Council member representing the neighborhood of Harlem where he was born and raised. He went on to become a state senator and is now again seeking election as a City Council member. Bill Perkins has been an advocate for children’s health, including protecting children from lead paint and fighting pollutants and toxins that worsen childhood asthma. He has supported living wage campaigns for working families and has advocated for equal resources for all school communities. Over the years, Bill Perkins has fought for and allocated funding for computer technology, public libraries and the rehabilitation of school playgrounds; and

WHEREAS, Assembly member Carmen De La Rosa, a career public servant, has represented her Marble Hill, Inwood and Washington Heights community in Albany for the past 5 years, she has: fought for better public schools, lead the passage of the NYS Dream Act to provide access to education to all students regardless of immigration status, delivered real rent reform, and was the lead sponsor of a billionaires tax to ensure that the ultrawealthy finally pay their fair share; and

WHEREAS, Julia Forman, a former ADA in the Bronx DA’s office and the daughter of two public school educators, is deeply committed to public service and would prioritize funding for our schools, will make sure that students and teachers are set up for success both in the classroom and in remote learning, would build more schools to ensure smaller class sizes for all students, and in the aftermath of the pandemic, will ensure that each school is staffed with nurses, social workers and mental health professionals; and

WHEREAS, Selvena Brooks-Powers has represented southeast Queens in numerous leadership positions in government and labor, worked tirelessly to secure a Democratic Senate Majority, joined SEIU to run the Fight for a Fairer Economy campaign, and as communications director for the NYC Mayor, and as the winner of her recent Special Election in February, is known for getting the job done and will fight to support our public schools and make sure her community has access to quality health care and food; and

WHEREAS, Bill Perkins seeking to represent District 9, Carmen De La Rosa seeking to represent District 10, Julia Forman seeking to represent District 26, and Selvena Brooks-Powers seeking to represent District 31, have each demonstrated that they will be the best representatives for their districts and have pledged to support their local school communities and prioritize the needs of our union; and, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT endorses Bill Perkins, Carmen De La Rosa, Julia Forman, and Selvena Brooks-Powers to be the next City Council Members to represent their respective districts.