Dave Clegg for Ulster County D.A.: Vote Tomorrow, 6am-9pm
The Sunday before Election Day 2019, I found my “muppet coat,” a loop wool coat that makes me look like a digital noise cookie monster. The last time I wore it was to Dave Clegg’s campaign launch on the steps of the Ulster County Courthouse in January 2019, where he announced he was running to be our next District Attorney.
The launch day was freezing. But my husband, Justin, and I dragged our then 7-month-old son Ray out in the subzero temperatures to hear what Dave had to say. We were not alone — we were among many, many community members who had also braved the cold to support Dave in his vision for criminal justice reform in Ulster County and in our country. Needless to say I got an earful from my mom about bringing a small baby to politick (“Did you cover his ears?!”).
This wasn’t the first time we heard Dave speak. Justin and I are lucky to have gotten to know Dave personally during the past two years through our work with our New York Congressional District 19-focused podcast, Spotlight 19. In writing my endorsement today in support of Dave, I had an opportunity to reflect on why this race is so important to me.
My first legal internship was in 2007, with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office under District Attorney Charles Hynes in stop-and-frisk era Bloomberg New York City. Although there were feeble attempts by that office to implement innovative methods to address racial disparities in our criminal justice system, attorneys’ worth was measured by who got the most convictions or negotiated the most plea deals. Even in a progressive city, in a forward-thinking prosecutor’s office, the historically entrenched “tough on crime” mindset was pervasive.
The next summer, through work with the New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, I learned firsthand about the school-to-prison pipeline, the complete absence of rights given to incarcerated people, and the ruinous consequences of our cash bail system — somehow, a family’s entire financial position could be decimated even before the State had proven guilt. It was a shocking and necessary education.
I felt inspired and ready to take on the system after that. In law school, I served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate to at-risk teens in the foster care system. One of my mentees ended up in Rikers Island, languishing there for over 10 months before he got a court date. Sadly, during this time, I developed an apathy for politics because it seemed as though changing a system ingrained in punitive measures disproportionately applied to only black and brown people was impossible.
It took the 2016 election to reinvigorate my commitment to activism and political involvement. I still remember the day we met Dave Clegg in October 2017 during his Congressional campaign. Immediately, Justin and I knew that Dave was special. He was one of the few candidates without pretense, who seemed genuinely interested in shifting the status quo, who had an extensive record of community service and had lived his life dedicated to removing the strong barriers that were inhibiting the rights of others.
Since then, Dave has always spoken to me and my husband as people, rather than the candidate seeking votes. When I tried to balance baby and a plate at the Rosendale Fish Fry, Dave was first to lend a hand. Last week, at a Pray and Vote event held at the Kingston New Progressive Baptist Church, Dave insisted on giving us a jump start when our car battery died in the pouring rain, in his Sunday best even though he had to get to many other, more important events.
You obviously should not vote for a candidate because they offered a jump start to a friend, or made sure a plate of fried fish did not fall on the floor. But you should vote for the candidate that has committed to addressing head on the crises that I mentioned earlier — the school to prison pipeline, the treatment of addiction as a crime instead of a disease, and abandoning the stale mentality that the best prosecutors are the ones with the highest numbers of convictions. Dave has the plans and firsthand knowledge of the communities most impacted by our broken system. He has the experience of being a victim himself and representing the underserved through his law practice. The number one sentiment I heard while knocking doors this weekend was: “Oh, I know Dave from this community group. He will make an excellent D.A.”
Ulster County is so close to truly reforming the criminal justice system, with the election of Sheriff Juan Figueroa and County Executive Pat Ryan, who have both committed to tackling these systemic problems through restorative justice. This is a County that includes multiple prisons, where the opioid crisis is ravaging communities and one that desperately needs a new approach.
This past weekend, my mom came up from Southern New Jersey to help out with watching now 18-month-old Ray. Despite her continued grumbling that activism should be set aside when you have a small baby, she came so we could dedicate the weekend to getting out the vote for Dave. I think in her heart she knows what we are doing has true value, that this level of effort is necessary to make a change for future generations like the one her first grandchild is part of. And as I reflect on the many, many volunteers who have powered this campaign, I know we are doing all of this because we carry that same feeling in our own hearts. This is not just about Dave. This is about this County serving as a model for a nation that has allowed the wrong approach to permeate and destroy communities for far too long.
So now, I ask you to vote if you haven’t already, call your friends if you haven’t already, and tell them to please vote for Dave Clegg on Tuesday, November 5, 6am-9pm.
I will see you Tuesday night as the results come in, I’ll be the one in the muppet coat.
There is still time to help the campaign or donate for last minute expenses, like water for volunteer canvassers. Find out here: www.cleggforda.com
