| To all my supporters, my staff, friends and family:
I thank you. I thank you for believing in our campaign for reform and the possibility of politics. I thank you for your generous contributions of time and money, for volunteering, for spreading the word, and for being receptive to the end in a relentless storm of campaigning by seven candidates in the 33rd City Council District alone. For all of your extraordinary support I feel incredibly honored to have run and I am as optimistic as ever that we will see change we can believe in.
Although Tuesday’s results were not what we had hoped for,our campaign achieved many successes. In the last few days of the election I was approached by so many of you in the neighborhoods who thanked me for a strong, innovative, and inspirational campaign in a year defined by Albany “business as usual” politics. Just moments ago, somebody popped in the door of my Montague Street office to congratulate us for a great campaign. And frankly, we couldn’t have done it without your support. So here are just a few of the accomplishments of our “little campaign that could”:
- Hundreds in the community were drawn into our Montague St. office to connect with a potential representative free of charge.
- We got Squibb Park back on track for P.S. 8 students and beyond thanks to our petition and phone calls.
- Many P.S. 8 children canvassed for our campaign and participated in our “Open Door Series” events, getting a hands-on introduction to civics and a taste for engaging our democracy.
- Our "Open Door Series" was a huge success, from Author Mardi-Ellen Hill's lecture, to Lorena Turner’s “New Americans” photographic exhibition, the “Healthcare Uncovered” forum with Brooklyn Heights’ own Dr. Stephen Turner and Columbia University History Professor David Eisenbach, to our current art exhibition “Bus Boycotters & Freedom Riders” by Chalotta Janssen. What an amazing backdrop the artwork has made. When U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich saw Charlotta’s work, he declared that we must get it to Washington to be viewed by millions.
- We bought our lit., supplies, food and beverage from locally owned and established businesses with few exceptions.
- Our solar panel-powered sign light drew kids up our office steps to see a real solar panel up close, making "green" tangible for our next generation and setting the expectation that renewables will play a standard role in our future municipal projects.
- We defined healthcare as the local crisis it is and demanded of local leadership to address and shape the national debate. Mayor Bloomberg and Candidate Thompson have now seen how strong we did in the polls. Perhaps they will pick up the baton and lead the charge going forward.
- Based on our poll returns, we proved that ordinary people who bring a strong message of reform and dynamism can and will impact and win important races. We made this race exciting!
Finally, I want to thank all the other candidates and wish them well. It’s not easy campaigning. It's certainly not easy for their families either. My mother drove in a crew of volunteers from Long Island at 4 AM and canvassed at the polls all day. My brother Tom made our poster stands and didn't get back to Long Island until 3:30 AM only to be up for work at 6 AM. And my wife with 3 children made the P.S. 8 polling station by 6 AM... Lee you're an angel (she got less sleep than me the last five months). Tom, Mom, Al, Jessica, Tara, Tokey, Carol, G, Sean, ... and the family of all the other candidates I thank you and I salute you.
And I want to personally congratulate Steve Levin. When you do this you learn volumes. Despite my own criticisms of his association with Vito Lopez in this race, it must be said that he worked long and hard. I ran into nobody more frequently than Steve campaigning on the ground in all neighborhoods across this district. I think this speaks a little about both of our campaigns, but most of all that Steve was out there tirelessly greeting and listening to the people of our communities. It’s now our job to be the squeaky wheel and fight our hardest to leverage the machine, with its ties to Albany and Washington, to deliver for all of us in NYC in these tough times ahead. Steve is a good man, and I look forward to working with him on behalf of our communities in the future.
Thanks everyone for a wonderful opportunity in pursuit of my dream of public service. It’s been quite a ride and I look forward to continuing my service in the community.
P.S. Attached are some photos of "Team Biv" and the Kucinich endorsement at our office on Montague St.
Cheers,
Doug Biviano
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Kucinich and Biviano stop for a photo after formal endorsement in Brooklyn Heights.
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Former Presidential candidate and popular U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich gave his formal endorsement to Doug Biviano in the highly contested race for the 33rd City Council district this morning at Biviano's campaign headquarters. The endorsement lends a strong progressive voice to the growing chorus demanding reform in the District.
Biviano was humbled by the endorsement, citing Kucinich as an influential figure in his own political development. “Working for Dennis’ campaign last year was an awesome experience for me because I’ve always admired his willingness to take a stand against special interests and lead on so many important issues,” said Biviano. “Now to have his support in my fight for reform is just a tremendous honor. I invite everybody to come down to our office and meet this great champion of the progressive movement.”
Watch the video. |
