David Siffert Wins Assembly District 66 Dem Primary By 15 Votes

David Siffert was announced the winner of the downtown Assembly District 66 Democratic primary race, defeating the Establishment-backed candidate Jeannine Kiely by 15 votes.

The win, which was announced on July 15, came after the razor-thin race triggered a hand recount of the 17,172 ballots. On the night of the primary, Kiely was ahead by 56 votes with 15% of the ballots left to be counted.

However, Siffert was able to just squeeze by and overcome Kiely, who had received backing from much of the city’s Democratic establishment, including from incumbent Assembly member Deborah Glick, who has held the seat for over 35 years.

“This community has been my home for 20 years, and it’s my favorite place in the world,” Siffert said in a statement. “The best part of this campaign has been getting to know so many of my community members, and I’m consistently blown away by their passion, engagement, kindness, and values.”

Siffert, a civil rights lawyer and a progressive, will face a clear path to victory in November to succeed Glick. Currently, there are no Republican candidates running in the deep blue district, which mainly covers the West Village, Greenwich Village, Hudson Square, SoHo, and Tribeca.

Kiely, who is chair of Community Board 2, quickly congratulated Siffert on the win and thanked her supporters in a statement. “I look forward to working together on the many important issues facing our beloved 66th Assembly District,” Kiely wrote.

Senator Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and former Senator Carolyn Maloney were among some of Kiely’s endorsers.

“Jeannine and I were both grassroots candidates,” Siffert said in a statement to Straus News. “While Jeannine did have backing from the establishment, she used it to build out a real grassroots network of contacts and supporters.”

Siffert acknowledged that they have both dedicated themselves to the district over the years, which Siffert attributed to why the race was so close.

“If there’s a reason I came out ahead, I would credit my amazing staff, who were so tireless in knocking doors, making phone calls, camping out on street corners, and more,” Siffert said.

If Siffert wins in November, they will be the first nonbinary person elected to the State Legislature. When Glick was elected to the seat in 1990, she made history as the first LGBTQ+ state legislator.

Siffert said that having the opportunity to provide this representation means a lot. “We’re at a time when LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans people, are under attack by the federal government,” they said.

Protecting the LGBTQIA+ community and people’s civil rights are two of Siffert’s campaign priorities. In 2021, Siffert co-authored the Gender Inclusive Ballot Act, which passed in 2022, allowing nonbinary candidates to run for positions in New York State.

“While I give credit to New York for standing up for trans people, as far as I know, every elected government representative we’ve ever had in New York State history has been cisgender,” Siffert continued. “Making sure trans and non-binary New Yorkers are protected is personal to me, and hopefully I can use this position to provide some concrete protections and reassurances for my community during a particularly scary time.”

Siffert previously told Straus News their three top issues in the race are making housing more affordable, protecting immigrants, and regulating AI and Big Tech.

In their campaign pitch, Siffert said: “I took on big tech to pass legislation to prevent AI from causing catastrophic harm. I’ve written bills on civil rights, surveillance, police reform, elections, animal welfare, government transparency, and much more. And I’ve watched too many good bills get gutted by carveouts, weakened by exceptions, or killed entirely when legislators didn’t have the courage to fight for them.”

These stances and Siffert’s experience advocating for social justice gained Siffert the backing from several progressive groups and unions, including the Village Independent Democrats, New York Progressive Action Network, and Citizens Union.

“It was frustrating to run alongside a candidate pushing a strong progressive agenda who worked 24/7!” fellow candidate Ryder Kessler wrote in an Instagram post congratulating Siffert.

The primary was one of the city’s more crowded races, with six candidates running for the nomination. Candidates Ben Yee, Corinne Arnold, Furhan Ahmad, and Kessler previously conceded.

Siffert acknowledged their fellow candidates in their victory statement.

“I was lucky enough to run against 5 people I genuinely like and who are all dedicated to making the district and state better,” Siffert wrote. “I can’t wait to bring their voices, and the voices of everyone I met on the campaign trail, up to Albany with me.”