Mondaire Jones Announces Campaign for New York’s 17th Congressional District

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY - July 5, 2023 -- Today, former Congressman Mondaire Jones announced his campaign for New York’s 17th Congressional District. The district is composed primarily of Congressman Jones’ former seat, with 73% of residents included in the district he represented.

NY-17 is currently represented by Congressman Mike Lawler, who won the seat by only 1,820 votes, the smallest margin of victory in any New York Congressional race. President Biden won the district in 2020 by 10 percentage points, making it the fifth most Democratic district in the country held by a Republican and the fifth seat required for Democrats to take back the House. Internal polling from ECU showed the race between Jones and Lawler in a dead heat prior to Jones’ announcement and 18 months out from the 2024 presidential election.

He also released 109 endorsements from in-district elected officials and party chairs. The full list is below. Titles are for identification purposes only.

Rockland County Legislator Laurie Santulli (lifelong Republican) - “Mondaire Jones is a man of integrity and accomplishment. He represents the American dream, working hard to rise from poverty all the way to Congress as the first Rocklander to represent us in generations. As a teacher at Spring Valley High School, I know the importance of the $150 million Mondaire brought to public school students in the East Ramapo Central School District under the American Rescue Plan Act. Whether it’s bringing $2 million for Finkelstein Memorial Library or $295,000 for the MLK Multi-Purpose Center, Mondaire has never forgotten his Spring Valley roots. As a lifelong Republican, I am proud to endorse Mondaire to serve us in Congress again. We do not agree on every issue, but I know the people of Rockland are better off with him as our Representative.”

Joint Quote from Westchester County Democratic Party Chair Suzanne Berger, Putnam County Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Colamonico, and Rockland County Democratic Party Chair Schenley Vital - “Mondaire Jones has dedicated his life to fighting for the Lower Hudson Valley, whether as a community organizer, a litigator in the Westchester County Attorney’s Office, or more recently as the youngest member of House leadership in Congress. His record of bringing hundreds of millions of dollars for schools, housing, and health care, reducing prescription drug costs for seniors, and voting for record amounts of law enforcement funding to keep our communities safe are just a few reasons why we’re proud to endorse his campaign. We look forward to electing Mondaire as our Democratic nominee and helping him defeat Mike Lawler next fall.”

Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski (Rockland) - “Mondaire Jones is our native son here in Rockland County. From attending East Ramapo public schools to serving in the halls of Congress, his is a story that makes all Rocklanders proud. It has been a pleasure working with him in government these past few years. From solving constituent cases to funding our local school districts and special projects like the new health clinic at the Rockland Pride Center, Mondaire has delivered time and time again for our communities. We need him back in Congress.”

State Senator Pete Harckham (Rockland, Northern Westchester, and Putnam) - “As our member of Congress, Mondaire was a champion for the people of the Lower Hudson Valley and our values, bringing home hundreds of millions of dollars for local and county governments, fighting to protect a woman’s reproductive health care, taking on Republican efforts to undermine our democracy, and standing up to big corporations looking to exploit middle-class families. Our community deserves to have that type of leadership representing it in the halls of Congress again, and that’s why I’m endorsing Mondaire Jones to return as the Congressman for the 17th District.”

Putnam County Legislator Nancy Montgomery - “New York’s 17th District needs a leader to represent and protect our values. Mondaire Jones has a proven record of successfully advocating for all; he fights for working people and he’s an effective legislator, bringing back millions of dollars in infrastructure investments to the Hudson Valley. He’s been a champion for citizens’ rights at a time when extremism is chipping away at democracy, especially in Putnam County. I have confidence in Mondaire’s leadership. I look forward to helping him win next fall and having him serve as our boots-on-the-ground advocate in Putnam County and the U.S. Capitol in Washington.”

Rockland Working Families Party Chair Meredith Wisner - “The only candidate in this race with a proven track record of fighting for working families is Mondaire Jones. In Congress, Mondaire passed a $35 monthly out-of-pocket cap on insulin for Medicare recipients, provided stimulus checks to tens of thousands of low-income people in the 17th district during COVID, lowered energy costs through the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, and led the fight to get Big Money out of politics by passing the For the People Act through the House. Mondaire Jones is the representative Rockland deserves and that is why I will personally work day in and day out to get him re-elected.”

Westchester/Putnam Working Families Party Chair Peter Bernstein - “Mondaire Jones has proven his unwavering commitment to championing the needs of working families in the Lower Hudson Valley. From delivering hundreds of millions of dollars for our communities, to taking on the big oil companies Mike Lawler used to lobby for, to leading on Supreme Court reform before others recognized the far-right supermajority as an existential threat to our freedoms, Mondaire has been a leader for these times. His re-election is a top priority.”

Spring Valley NAACP President Willie Trotman - “Mondaire Jones grew up in this community and understands it. He got his start in politics as President of the Spring Valley NAACP Youth Council, working hard to pass a school budget in the East Ramapo Central School District (something other school districts simply take for granted). He served us well when he became the first person of color to represent our district in Congress, and I know he will serve us well again. When Mondaire made history, he inspired a generation of Black youth in our community to strive to reach their full potential. They saw themselves in him. The Democratic nominee in this district will need to excite and inspire Black and Brown voters in this community—voters who watched very closely how national Democrats treated our Congressman in redistricting last year. From my personal perspective, Mondaire Jones is the only choice.”

Here is the complete list of endorsements:

ELECTEDS:

State Senator Shelley Mayer, District 37

State Senator Peter Harckham, District 40

Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky, District 92

Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, District 95

Assemblymember Kenneth Zebrowski, District 96

Putnam County Legislator Nancy Montgomery, District 1

Rockland County Legislator Jay Hood, District 3

Rockland County Legislator Toney Earl, District 8

Rockland County Legislator Harriet Cornell, District 10

Rockland County Legislator, Laurie Satulli, District 11

Westchester County Legislator Colin Smith, District 1

Westchester County Legislator, Erika Pierce, District 2

Westchester County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson, District 8

Rockland County Clerk Donna Silberman

Westchester County Clerk Tim Idoni

Supervisor Richard Becker, Town of Cortlandt

Supervisor Paul Feiner, Town of Greenburgh

Supervisor Howard Phillips, Town of Haverstraw

Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, Town of Lewisboro

Supervisor Elizabeth Feldman, Town of Ossining

Supervisor Kevin Hansan, Town of Pound Ridge

Mayor Brian Pugh, Village of Croton-on-Hudson

Mayor Michael Kohut, Village of Haverstraw

Mayor Don Hammond, Village of Nyack

Mayor Rika Levin, Village of Ossining

Mayor Vivian McKenzie, City of Peekskill

Mayor Martin Rutyna, Village of Sleepy Hollow

Mayor Robert D’Amelio, Village of West Haverstraw

Deputy Supervisor Victoria Tipp, Town of New Castle

Deputy Supervisor Brendel Logan-Charles, Town of Ramapo

Deputy Mayor Ann Gallelli, Village of Croton-on-Hudson

Deputy Mayor Gil Carlevaro, Village of Haverstraw

Deputy Mayor Lisa Absen, Village/Town of Mount Kisco

Deputy Mayor Joe Rand, Village of Nyack

Deputy Mayor Pat Riley, City of Peekskill

Deputy Mayor Jo Meegan, Village of Suffern

Deputy Mayor Rebecca McGovern, Village of Tarrytown

Board Member Andrés Castillo, Town of Bedford

Board Member Stephanie McCaine, Town of Bedford

Board Member Patrick Carroll, Town of Clarkstown

Board Member James Creighton, Town of Cortlandt

Board Member Cristin Jacoby, Town of Cortlandt

Board Member Robert Mayes, Town of Cortlandt

Board Member Ellen Hendrickx, Town of Greenburgh

Board Member Gina Jackson, Town of Greenburgh

Board Member Ken Jones, Town of Greenburgh

Board Member Francis Sheehan, Town of Greenburgh

Board Member Isidro Cancel, Town of Haverstraw

Board Member Johnny Ortiz, Town of Haverstraw

Board Member Mary Shah, Town of Lewisboro

Board Member Richard Sklarin, Town of Lewisboro

Board Member Daniel Welsh, Town of Lewisboro

Board Member Holly McCall, Town of New Castle

Board Member Jeremy Saland, Town of New Castle

Board Member Saleem Hussain, Town of North Castle

Board Member Jennifer Fields-Tawil, Town of Ossining

Board Member Gregory Meyer, Town of Ossining

Councilmember Dwight Douglas, City of Peekskill

Councilmember Brian Fassett, City of Peekskill

Councilmember Ramon Fernandez, City of Peekskill

Councilmember Robert Scott, City of Peekskill

Councilmember Kathleen Talbot, City of Peekskill

Trustee Rhea Mallett, Village of Briarcliff Manor

Trustee Grant Valentine, Village of Chestnut Ridge

Trustee Sherry Horowitz, Village of Croton-on-Hudson

Trustee Len Simon, Village of Croton-on-Hudson

Trustee Jonathan Bell, Village of Grandview-on-Hudson

Trustee Jane Lattes, Village of Grandview-on-Hudson

Trustee Rafael Bueno, Village of Haverstraw

Trustee Richard Sena, Village of Haverstraw

Trustee Karen Schleimer, Village/Town of Mount Kisco

Trustee Pascale Jean, Village of Nyack

Trustee Donna Lightfoot, Village of Nyack

Trustee Robert Fritsche, Village of Ossining

Trustee Omar Lopez, Village of Ossining

Trustee Manuel Quezada, Village of Ossining

Trustee Dana White, Village of Ossining

Trustee Paul Alvarez, Village of Pleasantville

Trustee Nicole Asquith, Village of Pleasantville

Trustee David Vinjamuri, Village of Pleasantville

Trustee Lauren Connell, Village of Sleepy Hollow

Trustee René León, Village of Sleepy Hollow

Trustee Jared Rodriguez, Village of Sleepy Hollow

Trustee Sandra Spiro, Village of Sleepy Hollow

Trustee Steven Alpert, Village of Suffern

Trustee David Kim, Village of Tarrytown

Trustee Thomas Mitchell, Village of Tarrytown

Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, Village of Tarrytown

Trustee Paul Rinaldi, Village of Tarrytown

Town Clerk Justin Sweet, Town of Clarkstown

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRS:

Putnam County Chair Jennifer Colamonico

Rockland County Chair (and Clarkstown Co-Chair) Schenley Vital

Westchester County Chair Suzanne Berger

Town of Clarkstown Co-Chair Monica Ferguson

Town of Cortlandt Chair Maria Slippen

Town of Greenburgh Chair Steve Bass

Town of Lewisboro Chair Jenn Castelhano

Town of New Castle Co-Chair Randee Glazer

Town of New Castle Co-Chair Jane Silverman

Town of North Castle Co-Chair Linda Fernberg

Town of Orangetown Chair Liza Barrie

Town of Ossining Chair Thomasina Laidley-Brown

City of Peekskill Chair Marina Ciotti-Hodges

Town of Somers Chair Christine Robbins

Town of Stony Point Chair Pete Reilly

Town of Yorktown Co-Chair Mark Lieberman

Town of Yorktown Co-Chair Marni Rabin-Marron

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY CHAIRS:

Rockland County Chair Meredith Wisner

Westchester County-Putnam County Chair Peter Bernstein