Author: rebecca

2019 County Comptroller Endorsement Process

Posted on by rebecca

Ulster People for Justice and Democracy is now accepting applications from candidates seeking our endorsement in special election for Ulster County Comptroller.

We ask that candidates seeking our endorsement complete our 2019 Candidate Questionnaire and submit a resumé and candidate bio to runforoffice@ulsterpeople.org by Saturday, June 1.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT attempt to fill out the application form in your web browser. It will not save your answers. Review instructions below.

Our endorsement committee will reach out to candidates to schedule an interview after receiving their questionnaires.

Candidates will also have the opportunity to address our voting membership at a general meeting. Our next meeting is on Monday, May 20 from 6-8 PM in Rosendale. Candidates may request a speaking slot upon submitting their questionnaire.

The committee will make a recommendation based on platform support and viability as a candidate. Final endorsement decisions are determined by a vote of our voting membership. That vote is tentatively scheduled for the evening of Monday, June 24.

Application Form Instructions

First, download the form (right click the link and select “Save As” or “Save Link As”). Do not attempt to fill out the form in your web browser.

After saving the form to your computer, open it with software such as Adobe Acrobat (PC or Mac) or Preview (Mac only). Test that you can save your answers before filling out the entire form.

If you run into any technical difficulties, we encourage you to print out the form and complete it by hand. You can snap a picture of the pages with your phone, or scan the document and send to us. You are welcome to type up answers to the longer questions in a separate document using the word processor of your choice (Word, Google Docs, etc)

Ulster People endorses 12 candidates for Ulster County Legislature!

Posted on by rebecca

Our County Legislature makes decisions that affect our daily lives—from infrastructure, policing, and public health, to our environment, economy, and rights. Ulster People is proud to endorse 12 candidates for Ulster County Legislature (UCL) who, if elected, will shift the balance of power and make real change possible:

  • A thriving and inclusive local economy that supports ALL our residents.
  • Protection of the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable among us.
  • A healthy, sustainable environment for now and generations to come.

Ulster People is pleased to announce our endorsement of:

  • John Schoonmaker – District 2 (Saugerties)
  • Abe Uchitelle – District 5 (City of Kingston)
  • Peter Criswell – District 7 (City of Kingston)
  • Laura Petit† – District 8 (Espous)
  • Mici Simonofsky – District 11 (Marlborough)
  • Betty Diorio – District 12 (Plattekill)
  • Adriana Magaña – District 14 (Shawangunk/Wawarsing)
  • Julius Collins† – District 15 (Town of Wawarsing, Village of Ellenville)
  • Carolyn Hansen – District 18 (Town of Hurley, Town of Marbletown)
  • Manna Jo Greene† –District 19 (Town of Marbletown, Town of Rosendale)
  • Eve Walter – District 20 (Town of New Paltz, Village of New Paltz)
  • Kathy Nolan† – District 22 (Towns of Denning, Hardenburgh, Olive, Shandaken)

†Incumbent

Anyone who wished to seek the group’s endorsement, regardless of party, was asked to complete a questionnaire which was reviewed by the Ulster People screening committee. If the responses showed a strong alignment between the candidate’s views and actions and Ulster People’s platform, candidates were invited to interview with the screening committee, after which, the committee voted to recommend endorsement (or not). Candidates were also given an opportunity to address the membership of Ulster People at a general meeting. The voting members of Ulster People made the final endorsement decisions.

About Our Endorsement Process

Any candidate who wished to seek the group’s endorsement, regardless of party, was asked to complete a questionnaire. An endorsement committee comprised of voting members reviewed the questionnaires. If the responses showed a strong alignment between the candidate’s views and actions and Ulster People’s platform, candidates were invited to interview with the endorsement committee, after which, the committee voted to recommend endorsement (or not). The voting members of Ulster People made the final endorsement decisions. A candidate must receive the support of at least two-thirds of all voting members to receive an endorsement.

Ulster People may consider additional endorsements for county legislature at our May meeting.

Ulster People Endorses Bernie Sanders for President!

Posted on by rebecca

Rosendale, NY – By a huge majority, the members of Ulster People for Justice and Democracy voted on Monday night to endorse Bernie Sanders for President.

Ulster People member Todd Wolgamuth explained, “Bernie Sanders has been a powerful and often lone voice for justice, fairness and equality in a sea of political actors self-centered and corrupted by money with hidden agendas.”

Wolgamuth’s enthusiasm for Sanders exemplifies the strong thread of
political activism that runs through Ulster People, which was founded in the
aftermath of the Sanders presidential bid in 2016.

In the last three years, UP has thrown its volunteer power into several local
political races; with their powerful grassroots connections and multi-pronged approach, UP volunteers were a key contributor to the election of a wave of Democrats to the Ulster County Legislature in 2017.

Now members of Ulster People are eager to focus their energy on a presidential campaign again. “Bernie’s platform aligns with my values and his candidacy promises much needed excitement and optimism,” Penny Coleman, UP member and Vice Chair explained.

With this endorsement of Bernie Sanders, Ulster People positions itself as the organization providing local support and local structure to the Sanders campaign. UP members are seasoned grassroots activists familiar with the turf that needs to be covered for Sanders to succeed. Bernie Sanders won 63% of the vote in Ulster County in the 2016 Presidential Primary; with the added energy of people joining now, UP plans to do that well or better in 2020.

For those interested in volunteering for the Sanders campaign locally, Ulster People for Justice and Democracy can be found at https://ulsterpeople.org.

In the words of UP member Max Grieshaber, “Bernie Sanders represents the substance of valuing community over corporate selfishness.”

The combination of Ulster People’s experienced volunteers and the activists who join now will make a formidable force here in the Hudson Valley.

2017 Ulster County Legislature Election Results & Thank You!!

Posted on by rebecca

Big thanks go out to the many volunteers who got involved in these vital campaigns, and to the candidates endorsed by Ulster People. You’re an inspiration to us all! Thank you for stepping up and running for office: Laura Hartmann, Lynn Eckert, Jennifer Schwartz Berky, Glenn Geher, Andrew Zink, Julius Collins, Tracey Bartels, James Delaune, Doug Adams, Manna Jo Greene, Hector Rodriguez, Kathy Nolan, and Jonathan Heppner.

Ulster People Wins Big in Yesterday’s Primaries!

Posted on by rebecca

While it will still be some time before the results of the write-in campaigns are known, we are pleased to announce that all 4 candidates Ulster People endorsed in the Democratic primaries for Ulster County Legislature won last night – and all with over 69% of the vote!

Congrats to the candidates & thank you to all the volunteers who wrote letters, made phone calls, and knocked on doors! Together we can achieve a just, prosperous, and sustainable Ulster County – onwards to the general election!

PS. We need your help to win in the generals! Please join us and get involved!

Announcing Ulster People’s endorsed candidates for Ulster County Legislature!

Posted on by rebecca

Our County Legislature makes decisions that affect our daily lives—from infrastructure, policing, and public health, to our environment, economy, and rights. Ulster People is proud to endorse 13 candidates for Ulster County Legislature (UCL) who, if elected, will shift the balance of power and make real change possible:

  • A thriving and inclusive local economy that supports ALL our residents.
  • Protection of the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable among us.
  • A healthy, sustainable environment for now and generations to come.

In competitive primary races, Ulster People is endorsing four candidates for UCL:

  • Lynn Eckert – District 5 (City of Kingston)
  • Julius Collins – District 15 (Town of Wawarsing, Village of Ellenville)
  • Doug Adams – District 18 (Town of Hurley, Town of Marbletown)
  • Kathy Nolan – District 22 (Towns of Denning, Hardenburgh, Olive, Shandaken)

And in the general election for UCL, Ulster People endorses:

  • Laura Hartmann – District 4 (Town of Ulster, Town of Kingston)
  • Jennifer Schwartz Berky* – District 7 (City of Kingston)
  • Glenn Geher – District 12 (Town of Plattekill)
  • Andrew Zink – District 14 (Town of Shawangunk, Town of Wawarsing)
  • Tracey Bartels* District 16 (Town of Gardiner, Town of Shawangunk)
  • James Delaune* – District 17 (Town of Esopus, Town of New Paltz)
  • Manna Jo Greene*† –District 19 (Town of Marbletown, Town of Rosendale)
  • Hector Rodriguez*† – District 20 (Town of New Paltz, Village of New Paltz)
  • Jonathan Heppner*† – District 23 (Town of Hurley, Town of Woodstock)
  • Incumbent
    †Running Unopposed

Anyone who wished to seek the group’s endorsement, regardless of party, was asked to complete a questionnaire which was reviewed by the Ulster People screening committee. If the responses showed a strong alignment between the candidate’s views and actions and Ulster People’s platform, candidates were invited to interview with the screening committee, after which, the committee voted to recommend endorsement (or not). Candidates recommended for endorsement were invited to attend a meeting of Ulster People members. The voting members of Ulster People made the final endorsement decisions.

So now that we’ve endorsed them, let’s help get them elected!

Phonebank Bernie Supporters to let them know about our Ulster County Legislature candidates!

REGISTRATION REQUIRED! All you’ll need to bring is a cell phone and a pen and there will be snacks.