Mediaboss Marketing

After helping Democrats win control of New York States government two years ago, progressives envisioned 2020 as the year to expand their foothold in the State Capitol in Albany.

They would use a proven playbook: Progressive groups would recruit liberal-minded newcomers to challenge entrenched Democratic state legislators whom they regarded as too moderate, and who had run unopposed for years.

But just as they were getting their grass-roots campaigns off the ground, the coronavirus descended on New York, dampening efforts to push the State Legislature leftward in the June 23 primary elections.

Because of the virus, in-person campaigning abruptly ground to a halt, stripping progressive challengers of the organizing tactics essential to counter the advantages of incumbency.

I really counted on grass-roots, door-to-door engagement, and thats been disrupted, said Jessica Gonzlez-Rojas, an insurgent candidate vying to topple Assemblyman Michael G. DenDekker, a six-term Democrat from northwestern Queens. And given the reality in our district, and how hard we were hit with the coronavirus, Im not sure peoples head space is on an election right now.

With about 30 Democratic lawmakers facing primary challenges next week, some more serious than others, left-wing groups from the Working Families Party (W.F.P.) to the Democratic Socialists of America (D.S.A.) have focused most of their efforts on a slate of seats in the State Assembly they deem ripe for the taking.

Some of the most viable challenges have unfolded in parts of Brooklyn and Queens that felt the brunt of the pandemic, and where gentrification and demographic shifts have helped fuel notable insurgent candidacies before, like those of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tiffany Cabn, who narrowly lost the Queens district attorney primary last year.

The recent weeks of protests against police brutality have added a new dynamic to the elections; many insurgents are hoping to transform the civil unrest into support from voters upset with the status quo. Lawmakers have quickly altered their campaigns to include references to their records on criminal justice, while challengers are calling out incumbents who have received campaign contributions from police unions.

The pandemic is expected to depress in-person turnout at polling sites on Tuesday: More than 625,600 voters in New York City have requested ballots to vote by mail, giving well-run campaigns the opportunity to specifically target that pool of voters.

That should benefit incumbents, but it is not a clear-cut advantage: In Pennsylvania, insurgents defeated six Democratic state legislators in the June 2 primary.

But successful insurgent campaigns, like those that helped Democrats regain full control of the State Senate in 2018, have tended to rely on a robust ground game of volunteers and canvassers, impossible to replicate in the era of social distancing.

In early March, candidates were in the throes of collecting signatures to get on the ballot when they were suddenly forced to recall volunteers from the field.

The new reality vexed challengers like Ms. Gonzlez-Rojas, 44, whose bid as a Latina community organizer to unseat a longtime white and male incumbent in an increasingly diverse part of Queens has drawn comparisons to Ms. Ocasio-Cortezs candidacy. She even has her own three-letter nickname, J.G.R.

With handshaking and in-person fund-raisers no longer options, Ms. Gonzalez-Rojas and other insurgents were forced to repurpose their campaigns. Virtual town halls and fund-raisers were held over Zoom. They shifted to digital media and set up phone-bank operations.

Its about reminding people that there is a very safe way to vote this year, Ms. Gonzlez-Rojas said, referring to the states expansion of absentee ballot voting. I really want to bring in voters who feel apathetic. This is a community that is 60 percent Latinx and weve never had anyone that understands the Latinx experience.

In a statement, Mr. DenDekker singled out his support for the so-called green light law passed last year, which allows undocumented people to apply for drivers licenses. I am proud of my record of standing up for my immigrant neighbors and people of color, he said.

Three other candidates are on the ballot against Mr. DenDekker, increasing the chances of a fractured vote that will presumably benefit the incumbent. But Ms. Gonzlez-Rojas, who received the W.F.P. endorsement, has raised over $150,000, more than the three other challengers, and not far behind Mr. DenDekkers $195,000 haul.

Still, there are limits to connecting with potential voters through digital means: Poorer and marginalized communities may be harder to reach. And it can often be more expensive than relying on an army of volunteers to knock on doors.

Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist taking on Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas in Astoria, facing her first primary challenge since she assumed office in 2011, said his campaign has had to pay 5 cents for every phone call and $1 per click for Facebook ads.

You plan for the world that you have seen, and then youre given an entirely different one, said Mr. Mamdani, a foreclosure-prevention housing counselor from Uganda, noting a $12,000 investment on a campaign office he has barely used because of the pandemic. Im proud of how weve adapted, but the only way you can now contact voters, it comes with costs.

Mr. Mamdani was among the first legislative challengers in New York to use the growing anti-police sentiment as a cudgel against his opponent: A day after his campaign highlighted thousands of dollars that Ms. Simotas had received in contributions from police-affiliated groups, she said she would donate the money to charity. Ms. Simotas, however, said that she had made the decision after learning that police had pepper-sprayed two fellow lawmakers.

Ms. Simotas previously ran on the W.F.P. line, but the party did not make an endorsement in the race this year. She has spent more than $250,000 so far, more than her opponent, and said that her campaign has made over 182,000 phone calls to voters. But Mr. Mamdani has received 3,670 more individual contributions in the past eight months than she has in 10 years, according to his campaign.

Though she is being challenged by a democratic socialist, Ms. Simotas has a progressive record around issues of sexual violence, health care and criminal justice, and a platform that in many ways is not that different from Mr. Mamdanis.

Ive worked incredibly hard in Albany to pass progressive legislation that actually makes a difference in peoples lives, Ms. Simotas said.

Senator Julia Salazar, a progressive lawmaker who took office in 2018, has endorsed Mr. Mamdani and two other challengers. But most of her colleagues in Albany have avoided endorsing like-minded progressives taking on establishment legislators.

There are other races that do not fit the perfect mold of left-wing insurgent versus moderate incumbent, exposing rifts within the progressive movement.

Updated June 16, 2020

The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.

The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who dont typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the countrys largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.

So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was very rare, but she later walked back that statement.

Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus whether its surface transmission or close human contact is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.

The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nations job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.

Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.

States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you arent being told to stay at home, its still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.

Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.

If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people dont need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks dont replace hand washing and social distancing.

If youve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

In Brooklyns 57th District, Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley was backed by the W.F.P., but is being challenged by Phara Souffrant Forrest, a nurse and tenant activist who has received endorsements from Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Salazar and the D.S.A.

Another W.F.P.-backed incumbent facing a primary challenge is Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol, 77, who has represented a section of northern Brooklyn that includes Greenpoint and Williamsburg since 1973.

Keeping the same person in office for that long is just to keep certain groups comfortable and veer away from dialogue and talking about power, said his challenger, Emily Gallagher, a self-proclaimed socialist who was endorsed by Cynthia Nixon and Zephyr Teachout, former candidates for governor.

Mr. Lentol has spent $342,000 on the race, more than any other member of the Assembly facing a primary. A good politician should run scared, said Mr. Lentol, whose father and grandfather were also assemblymen.

His constituents have been flooded with campaign mailers that tout his support of criminal justice reforms and emphasize that he is a progressive Democrat. An independent expenditure committee, New Yorkers for Independent Work, backed by gig companies like Lyft, has also spent money on mailers to get Mr. Lentol re-elected, as the companies push back on proposals in Albany that would expand employment benefits to gig workers.

When the outbreak began in New York, many incumbents stopped campaigning and relied on the power of their office to help constituents and potential voters affected by the virus.

But many upstart candidates also changed tack: They transformed their campaign structures into so-called mutual aid networks, a community-organizing tool harnessed to help neighbors hit by the virus with medication, grocery runs and social services.

I knew thered be a massive amount of demand and assistance needed, said Katherine Walsh, an urban planner running against Assemblyman Flix W. Ortiz, a 25-year incumbent in Brooklyn. Our calls to our neighbors became check-in calls.

Ms. Walsh said the pandemic dampened her fund-raising efforts, but she still managed to raise over $115,000, more than Mr. Ortiz, who she noted had not received a single donation from people in his district, which includes Sunset Park.

Mr. Ortiz said he didnt ask for contributions from people in his community because they were suffering through the pandemic. Instead, he said, he has focused his efforts on helping hospitals procure ventilators and constituents receive unemployment benefits.

My contributions come from friends that dont have business with the state and the city, said Mr. Ortiz, the assistant speaker of the Assembly. I have a lot of friends. I call them and they help me out. I never pay attention to what other people are saying. I just tell people to look at my record.

Last year, the F.B.I. arrested Mr. Ortizs chief of staff, who was accused of stealing $80,000 in cash from a campaign account. The arrest opened Mr. Ortiz to criticism, and to two other primary challengers, Genesis Aquino and Marcela Mitaynes, a housing activist who has racked up endorsements from the D.S.A., the W.F.P. and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.

Mr. Ortiz and Ms. Walsh have raised more money than Ms. Mitaynes, but she leads the field in small-dollar donors.

I refuse all money from real estate developers, corporations and police unions, Ms. Mitaynes, who is originally from Peru, said in a statement. I am a tenant organizer and former undocumented immigrant who is running for Assembly to be a voice for working class people in Albany.

See the article here:
Will the Pandemic Slow New Yorks Progressive Momentum? - The New York Times

Steven Lewis is an adjunct professor of health policy at Simon Fraser University.

When author J.K. Rowling recently voiced her concerns around transgender activism, the criticisms and pile-ons quickly reached a fever pitch. Ms. Rowling is on trial because she thinks that sex and gender ought not to be entirely decoupled. The attempt to limit debate and the vilification of the debater is yet more worrisome evidence of the problematic culture among too many on my side of the political spectrum.

Im a boomer, and the circles I travel in lean pretty heavily social democratic. A lot of us are Canadians-for-Bernie types, readers of The Guardian and Vox, a bit ashamed about our fossil fuel consumption, enthused about long-overdue reckonings with racism, appalled by police brutality. Some of us march in Pride parades and donate to Mdecins sans frontires. We are progressives, but I suspect that some would dispute that claim because our brand is insufficiently pure.

Story continues below advertisement

Ive about had it with the way too many progressives go about their business. Liberal democracies are admirable precisely because they are liberal, in the classic sense. Freedom matters, especially freedom of expression. I am a John Stuart Mill liberal: the silencing of an opinion even and especially one without much merit robs humanity of the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth produced by its collision with error.

A sign that a movement has become sclerotic and dangerous is when it stifles debate and turns on its own. Totalitarians such as Stalin and Mao wrote the manual on silencing dissent and dissenters. The progressives have not sent Ms. Rowling to the gulag or Margaret Atwood to a re-education camp, but their hegemonic impulses flow from the same well.

Ms. Rowlings view that sex and gender should not to be entirely decoupled is not an issue about which there is settled science (and there may never be). It is not like climate change or Confederate statues. It is emergent, fluid and intellectually contested; some impeccably credentialed feminists argue that de-linking gender from sex is dangerous ground for women. Ms. Rowling is obviously and famously progressive, and her views are informed by both her politics and her own experience.

Ms. Atwood was pilloried for daring to state the obvious: that the University of British Columbia prematurely and improperly fired Steven Galloway on the basis of sexual-assault allegations that have proved unsubstantiated, in a deeply flawed process that equated being heard with being uncritically believed. It doesnt matter that Ms. Atwood was right; what matters is that too many progressives turned on her because she refused to overlook a travesty of procedural justice.

Not every opinion deserves a hearing and not every proponent deserves respect. Some want to limit immigration because they are racists; others want to limit immigration because they dont want to deprive developing nations of their best and the brightest. Such differences matter, and motive and past behaviours are often critical to understanding the argument being made and its subtexts. But excommunicating or censoring thoroughly decent people for raising perfectly legitimate questions sends an ominous signal.

Truth emerges from relentless scrutiny exactly the kind of questioning and challenges to orthodoxies that have fuelled so many progressive causes. Churches are exempt from taxation. Can I create my own church and declare my house a tax-exempt temple? Surely its right for someone to question the legitimacy of my claim even if it offends my sensibilities just as it is reasonable to ask why churches are tax-exempt, period. There is nothing unfair or disrespectful about probing discussions of gender and sex, or the presumption of innocence or guilt.

One cause of much of this piling on is humourlessness. Tyrants dont laugh, but the tyrannized use humour to sustain hope and show their contempt for their oppressors and the lies of their regimes. It is possible to be committed and serious without being dour and dogmatic. We are all inconsequential specks in an absurdly vast universe. Our very existence is cosmically laughable, and amusement is an essential coping mechanism. I am much more inclined to trust leaders and fellow adherents who laugh especially at themselves.

Story continues below advertisement

When your cause becomes your dogma, you have entered dangerous psychological territory. What drives the search for truth is curiosity and doubt. Shouting down speakers, stifling classroom discussions and having a black-and-white view of the moral universe are wrong, unnecessary and fatal to the prospects for building a progressive majority.

Political correctness is a mocking term; the irony is that its substance is indeed (mostly) politically correct. It is correct to acknowledge and try to redress historical wrongs. It is important to broaden representation in the halls of political and economic power. It is just to remind all of us that lifes playing field is disturbingly uneven. The comportment of many by no means all progressives is a gift to opponents, who can make the politics about the behaviour rather than the substance.

I dont want to choose between my substantive politics and my even more fundamental beliefs. If I have to, I will. And Im not alone. Enough scolding, enough censorship, enough dogma and enough beating up on good people. Cannibalism is a lousy recruitment strategy. Progressives everywhere need a lesson in the importance of not being so angrily earnest.

Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.

Here is the original post:
J.K. Rowling backlash shows how progressives are turning on their own kind - The Globe and Mail

Its progressives versus moderates in the race to be the Democratic candidate for New Yorks 16th Congressional district and both sides are pulling out all the stops.

In the moderate corner is 16-term incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), who is facing the primary challenge of his career despite the endorsements of establishment figures like Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

On the progressive side is Jamaal Bowman, a 44-year-old former middle school principal with the backing of heavyweights like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Bowman has seen a surge in progressive attention and support in recent weeks, most certainly thanks in part to the string of disastrous headlines Engel, 73, has faced since May.

In an effort to maintain that momentum, progressives are uniting in spite of wounds that are still healing in the wake of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, where moderates were able to get their candidate of choice across the finish line.

With Sanders and AOC behind him, Bowman was able to secure the support of fellow 2020 progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and AOCs fellow squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).

Former aides to Sanders and Warren have also publicly thrown their support behind Bowman.

Warren said of Bowman in her endorsement Tuesday that he was exactly the kind of person we need in Congress fighting for big, structural change.

Whether progressive endorsements will help Bowman land the plane remains to be seen, but the effort to oust Engel has united the recently-fractured wing of the Democratic party.

Two of the most prominent progressive organizations Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party announced earlier this month that they would be uniting to spend over half-a-million dollars to elect Bowman.

During the Democratic presidential primary, Justice Democrats endorsed Sanders, while WFP endorsed Warren.

While the united effort is likely an understandable concern for the powerful incumbent, he is not going down without a fight.

Engel, who serves as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has seen a wave of moderates stick their necks out for him during this election cycle.

Aside from Pelosi and Clinton, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have all endorsed Engels reelection bid as his progressive challenger gains steam.

In Jeffries endorsement, he did not mince words about a recent controversy plaguing the embattled politician, calling Engels if I didnt have a primary, I wouldnt care remark from earlier this month inartful.

Jeffries went on to defend the House Democrat, saying that his words were weaponized against him and taken out of context.

Engel has defended the remarks since, arguing that he wanted voters to know he cared deeply about the unrest roiling the city.

In the context of running for re-election, I thought it was important for people to know where I stand, thats why I asked to speak, he said.

The Congressional Black Caucus came under fire with its endorsement of Engels re-election bid, due to the fact that Engel is white and Bowman is black.

The caucus, however, is a strong defender of seniority within its ranks, and has previously endorsed white incumbent lawmakers over black primary challengers.

Regardless, some Democratic insiders have noted to The Post that Bowman is a much better fit for the political moment as the nation experiences civil rights protests not seen since the 1960s in the wake of George Floyds death.

Hes following the Joe Crowley playbook, said one Democratic source, referring to the party stalwart who was infamously unseated by Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.

Clyburn spoke to that in his endorsement of Engel, saying at the time, During the South Carolina primary several months ago, I endorsed our partys presumptive nominee, Joe Biden for President, because of his long and distinguished record of standing with us. The same goes for Eliot Engel.

The New York Democrats primary race went from bad to worse when The Atlantic revealed how Engel was missing in action for over two months as his New Rochelle district battled the first COVID-19 outbreak in New York.

Instead, the magazine reported, he was hiding out at his Maryland home.

The vanishing act left political pundits scratching their heads and Bowman seized the moment to accuse Bronx-born Engel of having completely lost touch with the district he serves.

Read the original here:
Progressives scarred by 2020 divisions find common ground in ousting Engel - New York Post

ORLANDO Rep. Val DemingsValdez (Val) Venita DemingsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Candidates, lawmakers mark Juneteenth The Hill's 12:30 Report: DC moves toward Phase Two of reopening The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump under fire as SCOTUS, Bolton deal blows MORE (D-Fla.) is coming under intense scrutiny from progressives over her record as Orlando police chief a decade ago, posing a potential hurdle to her prospects of becoming Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump mocked for low attendance at rally Trump makes defiant return to campaign stage amid controversies Trump, Pence scrap planned outdoor speeches at Tulsa rally MORE's running mate.

Biden is facing growing pressure to pick an African American woman as his vice president following nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd.

And many Democrats have pointed to Demings, a second-term Florida congresswoman, as someone who could straddle the emotional divide over police reform: a former police chief who can speak personally about police brutality and systemic racism against blacks but who insulates Democrats from GOP charges they are soft-on-crime liberals.

But as Demingss star rises, some Black Lives Matter (BLM) and other progressive activists are taking aim at her tenure as Orlando's first female police chief, which spanned 2007 to 2011, and they are questioning whether someone who spent a decades-long career in law enforcement is right for this moment.

While she was chief of police, I felt like public policies and changes to address community policing should have been done. It was not, said Lawanna Gelzer, president of the National Action Networks Central Florida chapter. Weve had a problem here for years."

I will go vote, but I will not vote for her if shes on that ticket, Gelzer added. Biden needs to listen to the people of Orlando and of Florida and elsewhere not law enforcement at this time.

Similarly, some BLM activists told The Hill that Demings, or anyone else who wore a police uniform, is a non-starter for them as a vice presidential candidate.

Shes a cop. She was a top cop at an extremely brutal police department. She was a vocal supporter of brutal actions by police, said Hawk Newsome, who co-founded BLMs Greater New York chapter with his sister, congressional candidate Chivona Newsome.

We are working to abolish police. We are working to defund police, Hawk said in a phone interview. When you are a police officer, you are not black anymore. You are blue.

He then turned to his sister and asked if Biden should pick a police officer as his VP. Hell no! she screamed from across the room.

A 2015investigationby the Orlando Sentinel into the citys police department found that from 2010 to 2014 a period partially overlapping Demingss tenure officers used force 3,100 times, including kicking, pepper-spraying or shocking suspects.

And Orlando police used force more frequently on black suspects, the newspaper found, mirroring findings elsewhere in the country. Some 55 percent of use-of-force incidents involved blacks, though only 28 percent of the citys population is black. Seven of the 10 people shot to death by officers were black.

In one case highlighted by the Sentinel, Marcus Cull, a black man, was shot in the back by Officer Carlos Villaverde in2011 after being mistakenfor a robbery suspect.Cull sued Villaverde, the city of Orlando and another officer involved in 2014, alleging they violated his civil rights, but a judge ruled that Villaverde did not violate Culls constitutional rights.

Demings, 63, was not available for an interview, a spokesman said. But she has consistently defended her tenure as police chief, and she did so again during a call with reporters this week.

Addressing the Sentinel report, she pointed out she was chief of police during only a year anda half of the five-year period analyzed.

Demings also noted that Orlando police may have been more transparent than other agencies in reporting use-of-force incidents, leading to higher numbers. Additionally, she said the majority of officers who used force during her tenure were working in downtown Orlandos bar scene between 12 a.m. and 3 a.m., posing "unique challenges for officers.

We hired the brightest and the best, with the right mind and right heart to do the job in that they had the training, including de-escalation training so they would not have to go hands on, Demings said on the call.

And as protests have raged in Orlando and other cities, Demings has positioned herself as a strong advocate of the bold police reforms that House Democrats will bring to the floor next week.

As a former woman in blue, let me begin with my brothers and sisters in blue: What in the hell are you doing? Demings wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post days after Floyds death.

The scrutiny of Demings comes as Biden himself faces pressure from the left to change his own policies on policing, in part over his involvement in drafting a 1994 crime bill widely seen as having led to a surge in the incarceration rates of African Americans.

Bidens teamisvetting a small group of potential running mates that includes four black women: Demings, Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisThe Hill's Campaign Report: Candidates, lawmakers mark Juneteenth Tulsa becomes battleground in latest Trump controversy 'The Senate could certainly use a pastor': Georgia Democrat seeks to seize 'moral moment' MORE (D-Calif.), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who herself is grappling with police-brutality incidents in her city.

Harris is seen as the battle-tested front-runner for the nomination. But like Demings, Harriss own law enforcement background as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general has come under focus as activists question her criminal justice record and the Golden State's disproportionate imprisonment of blacks.

Still, one alum from the Obama-Biden campaign called Demings an incredible talent and an excellent option. She connects well with everyday folks of all stripes." But the source added: The fly in the ointment may be her police record, particularly during these times.

Meanwhile, Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said Demings's police background could be helpful overall.

Her being able to speak to a broad range of issues, and being able to relate to them through her sets of experiences, I think that matters, Seawright said. I definitely think her law enforcement background is a positive attribute, and definitely being a black woman from a place where its important not only for us to compete, but possibly win, and thats Florida.

Demings grew up poor, the youngest of seven children born to working-class parents in Jacksonville. Her father worked the orange groves; her mother was a housekeeper. Early on, she attended segregated schools. Demings frequently recounts thatat her first integrated school, her teacher picked for her first position of authority: safety patrol.

After college and a brief stint as a social worker, Demings joined the Orlando Police Department in 1984 and climbed the ranks to become police chief in 2007. Her husband, Jerry Demings, whoheld the position before her, went on to win election as sheriff of Orange County and in 2018 became the first black mayor of that county. They have three children.

Progressives have voiced concerns over the central Florida power couples close ties to law enforcement.

Not only do I think a lot of misconduct happened on her watch, I also believe that that standard went into the policing that continues today, said Corrine Daly, an organizer at Orlando Revolution, an affiliate of progressive group Our Revolution.

Its clear theres been ties between the policing and our policy, Daly said. Theres definitely some heavy handed excessive police force.

To combat some of the criticism, Demingshas highlighted her personal experience with racism and her work as a social worker dealing with broken families and broken children.

Ive been on both sides of this issue, as a social worker and as a law enforcement officer, she said on the call. As a law enforcement officer, I took my social worker mind and heart to the job, quickly realizing that we could not arrest our way out of making better, stronger communities, that we had to address some of the social ills that occurred in the first place.

But activists say Demingss latest response to police brutality is no more than lip service.

Actions speak louder than words, Gelzer, of the National Action Network, said. She has yet to pick up the phone and call and talk to use about the issues that were dealing with.

Demings first ran for Congress in 2012 but was narrowly defeated by Rep. Daniel WebsterDaniel Alan WebsterFormer cop Demings faces progressive pushback in veepstakes Overnight Energy: Biden campaign says he would revoke Keystone XL permit | EPA emails reveal talks between Trump officials, chemical group before 2017 settlement | Tensions emerge on Natural Resources panel over virtual meetings Tensions emerge on Natural Resources panel over virtual meetings MORE (R-Fla.). Four years later, after redistricting, she ran again and won, taking office shortly before Trump was sworn in.

As a backbencher, Demings kept a low profile on Capitol Hill, but she burst onto the national scene in January when Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiNadler: House Judiciary Committee will open investigation into Berman firing White House says it plans to ensure Bolton gets 'no profits' from book Democrats pan Trump, Barr over dismissal of US Attorney Geoffrey Berman MORE (D-Calif.) tapped her as one of seven House impeachment managers in the historic Senate impeachment trial of Trump.

Demings is extremely popular in the House Democratic Caucus, especially among her female colleagues. Rep. Lois FrankelLois Jane FrankelFormer cop Demings faces progressive pushback in veepstakes Gloves come off as Democrats fight for House seat in California House members race to prepare for first-ever remote votes MORE, a fellow Florida Democrat who co-chairs the Womens Caucus, has been leading a group of lawmakers whove publicly and privately lobbied the Biden campaign to choose Demings.

We need people with impeccable moral clarity who are very strong and very brave, and that really defines her, Frankel, the former mayor of West Palm Beach, said. She was a sheriff in a big municipality for years so she knows the domestic issues very well, and as a member of Homeland Security and Intelligence committees, shes got her foreign-policy chops.

Here is the original post:
Former cop Demings faces progressive pushback in veepstakes | TheHill - The Hill

Recent protests over racial injustice and police brutality are fueling an eleventh-hour surge for Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker as he looks to overtake Amy McGrath in the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Kentucky.

Booker, a first-term legislator from Louisville, has largely flown under the radar since launching his bid in January to challenge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrade groups make lobbying push to be included in small business loan program Protesters gather at McConnell's Kentucky home: 'No justice, no sleep' Republican rift opens up over qualified immunity for police MORE (R). But he has emerged as a powerful voice as protesters have taken to the streets in Louisville and across the country after the police killing of George Floyd.

A growing number of Democrats have begun lining up behind him, believing he is better suited for the political moment than the well-funded McGrath, who rose to prominence in 2018 during her close but unsuccessful bid to unseat Rep. Andy BarrAndy BarrProgressive Booker emerges as late threat to McGrath in Kentucky primary Rep. Andy Barr's wife dies suddenly at 39 McConnell's 2014 challenger endorses Charles Booker in Senate race MORE (R-Ky.).

Charles kind of met the moment, said Mark Riddle, a Kentucky-based Democratic strategist and the president of the political nonprofit Future Majority. People seem to be for Booker right now in a way that I havent really seen them for Amy.

A recent internal poll conducted for Bookers campaign showed him trailing McGrath by 10 points ahead of the June 23 primary. While thats not an insignificant margin, a similar internal survey fielded in April showed him down by more than 50 points.

At the same time, interviews with nearly a dozen political operatives in Kentucky revealed a growing consensus that Bookers late-breaking momentum could prove fatal or at least highly damaging to McGrath.

Last week, Booker scored endorsements from two of the most prominent progressives, Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersFormer Sen. Kaufman to run Biden transition team Overnight Defense: Navy won't reinstate fired captain | Dems probe use of federal officers in DC | Air Force appoints woman as top noncommissioned officer Jamaal Bowman raises M, launches 0,000 ad buy ahead of New York primary MORE (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezJamaal Bowman raises M, launches 0,000 ad buy ahead of New York primary Warren endorses Booker in Kentucky Senate primary Texas lawmaker endorses Eliot Engel MORE (D-N.Y.).

And on Tuesday, Alison Lundergan Grimes, who challenged McConnell in 2014 and remains one of Kentuckys most prominent Democrats, threw her support behind Booker. Riddle said that endorsement could help introduce Booker to voters outside of Louisville, the most Democratic part of the state and the area where thelegislator is best known.

Those endorsements flew in the face of Senate Democratic leaders, who encouraged McGrath to challenge McConnell and eagerly backed her.

McGrath's high profile and early support from national Democrats has translated into unmatched fundraising success for the former combat pilot. Since January, she has raised upward of $24 million andhas more than $19 million in cash on hand, a sum matched by no other Senate candidate.

By comparison, Booker brought in less than $800,000 in that same time frame. His most recent filings, which span from April 1 to June 3, show roughly $285,000 cash on hand. But that was before Booker began picking up momentum, and since then he has raised another $1.5 million over the past two weeks, his campaign manager, Colin Lauderdale, said.

Booker has taken advantage of the last-minute cash injection with a foray into paid television advertising. Over a two-day period last week, his campaign spent more than $400,000 on cable and broadcast ads, according to Advertising Analytics. Prior to that, he had not invested in traditional paid media.

On Wednesday, his campaign unveiled a new ad spot highlighting McGraths absence from and Bookers presence at the recent protests that erupted in Louisville after the shooting of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was killed by police at her apartment in March.

Asked during a June 1 Democratic debate why she had not appeared at the protests, McGrath said that shewas spending time with her family an explanation featured prominently in Bookers latest ad.

I think if the McGrath campaign had a do over they probably would have been front and center on this a little bit more, lets put it that way, Matt Erwin, a Democratic strategist and former communications director for the Kentucky Democratic Party, said.

Terry Sebastian, a spokesperson for McGraths campaign, noted that she has attended several events and had conversations with local leaders about police brutality and racial injustice.

Based on these conversations, shes developed ideas on what can be done federally to start addressing police violence and systemic racism in the country including incentivizing states to require an independent investigation each and every time a police officer uses force that results in serious harm or death, banning chokeholds, training to recognize and counteract racial bias and guaranteeing every officer has a functioning body camera thats actually turned on, Sebastian said.

But several political operatives in Kentucky said that part of his recent rise also owes to lingering concerns about McGrath and the fact that Democrats in Washington lined up behind her so quickly. Some Democrats complained that other contenders, like Booker, were passed over in favor of McGrath.

Some people here were rankled because there were any number of good candidates, a Kentucky Democratic operative said. The party committee in Washington sort of handpicked her.

At the same time, some Democrats criticized early unforced errors by McGrath. In one of her first interviews after launching her campaign last year, for example, McGrath said that she would have supported Justice Brett KavanaughBrett Michael KavanaughActing DHS Secretary: Supreme Court DACA ruling 'usurps the clear authority of executive branch' Supreme Court surprises rattle disappointed right Senate confirms McConnell protege to D.C. Circuit MOREs nomination to the Supreme Court. She reneged on that statement hours later, saying she would have opposed his confirmation.

Her allies say she remains the candidate with the best chance of taking out McConnell in November, arguing that Bookers more progressive platform and endorsements from the likes of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are political liabilities in a state that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump mocked for low attendance at rally Trump suggests legislation that would jail people who burn the flag for a year Trump makes defiant return to campaign stage amid controversies MORE won by 30 points. The Senate race is rated as "likely Republican" by The Cook Political Report.

"Amy McGrath has a powerful grassroots campaign and a broad coalition of support across Kentucky that have made her the strongest candidate to defeat Mitch McConnell in November, said Stewart Boss, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has endorsed McGrath.

McGrath also has some key advantages. The presence of another liberal in the race, Marine veteran and farmer Mike Broihier, could split the progressive vote. Whats more, many voters may have already mailed in their ballots prior to Bookers recent surge.

Several county Democratic Party chairs agreed Bookers surge may be a moot point if too many Democrats have already voted. Many noted enormous expansions of early absentee ballots compared to prior years.

Crimson MacDonald, the chair of the Campbell County Democratic Party in northern Kentucky, said shes received a dozen emails asking how to change a vote.

The surge is real, and it would be enough to get him over the finish line, MacDonald said. I dont know how many people have already voted. If a majority havent, Id say the odds are in his favor. If the majority have voted, that might do him in.

If Democrats want a shot at taking down McConnell, theirstrategy will run through northern Kentucky, a string of counties in the Cincinnati suburbs that have historically voted Republican but flipped last year to deliver a victory to DemocraticGov.Andy Beshear over incumbent Matt Bevin (R).

Tom Elfers, the Democratic Party chairman in Kenton County, said Beshears victory energized local Democrats, proving that an unpopular Republican can be ousted. McGrath, as a native of Lexington, has an advantage in the area, he said.

She grew up about a mile from where Im sitting right now, Elfers said. That gives her a clear advantage over the other two, just because we know her shes a hometown girl.

Ousting McConnell in November will likely be a long shot for Democrats. McConnell is widely seen as an expert campaigner and fundraiser, and Kentucky has drifted further to the right over the years. The state hasnt elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1992.

McConnells allies are also quick to note that, despite Beshears victory, Republican candidates won every other statewide office that year.

Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and former campaign aide to McConnell, said who wins the Democratic primary matters little to his prospects, especially given that Trump will be on the ballot in November.

Ultimately, McConnell will run against someone who is hell no on Trump or hell yes on AOC and Bernie Sanders, Jennings said. So its fine either way.

Read this article:
Progressive Booker emerges as late threat to McGrath in Kentucky primary | TheHill - The Hill