Neighbor News
Samra Brouk, Candidate for NYS Senate, Expands Voter Engagement
Baker Project Volunteers Using Tech to Reach Voters to Elect Democratic Womxn While Keeping Community Safe and Healthy
Samra Brouk, candidate for New York State Senate in District 55, today launched a new wave of volunteers to engage local voters in the ramp up to early voting and Election Day. As one of the nine state Senate candidates across the state endorsed by Eleanor’s Legacy and the Baker Project 2020 initiative, Brouk will leverage the contributions of volunteers committed to electing pro-choice Democratic womxn up and down the ballot in 2020.
Baker Project 2020 is aimed at increasing the number of pro-choice Democratic womxn in the New York State Senate. The slate of nine candidates also includes Laura Ahearn (SD-1), Christine Pellegrino (SD-4), Karen Smythe (SD-41), Kimberly Davis (SD-45), Michelle Hinchey (SD-46), Thearse McCalmon (SD-49), Leslie Danks Burke (SD-58) and Jacqui Berger (SD-61).
“We launched the Baker Project in 2018 to flip the New York State Senate by electing womxn. And it worked. The number of Democratic womxn in the state Senate doubled from seven to 14, Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins made history as the Majority Leader, and the New York State Senate passed voting and campaign reforms, the Reproductive Health Act, the Child Victims Act, and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This is the difference it makes to elect womxn,” said Eleanor’s Legacy President Brette McSweeney. “In 2020, the Baker Project is again investing in nine candidates running to flip Senate seats and build the power Democratic womxn hold in Albany. Our statewide network of volunteers knows that this is the most consequential election of our lives. They are ready to give their all to elect Democratic womxn up and down the ballot.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "Eleanor's Legacy played a crucial role in the 2018 elections and helped elect a historically large freshman class of women Senators. The Baker Project 2020 will help the Democratic Majority grow and welcome more strong women into the Senate Chamber. Electing more women will ensure our state keeps moving forward, and I thank Eleanor’s Legacy for endorsing these great candidates and stepping up to help them win in November.”
“I’m running to represent the District where I was raised and that I’m proud to call home. We shouldn’t have to settle for less than we deserve, and I’m committed to making sure all of our families have a real voice in Albany,” said Samra Brouk. “The people of this community want representation that will listen to them and fight to make sure they have fully funded schools, quality healthcare, affordable housing, and good-paying jobs.”
“Samra Brouk is exactly the kind of leader our community needs to elect right now -- she’s smart, grounded in the needs of our community, and a great listener,” said campaign volunteer Donna Alexander of Perinton, NY. “I’ve been a proud volunteer working on Samra’s campaign since early 2020. I want my daughters to see strong women like Samra in the room where decisions are being made. That’s how we move our community forward.”
In order to maximize connecting candidates with voters during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing need to limit the risk of physical contact, the Baker Project 2020 has recruited and trained volunteers who will use mobile texting, phone banking, and social media to engage voters. The initiative will also focus on early voting opportunities and absentee ballot programs.
Womxn represent only 30% of the New York State Senate and 32% of the New York State Assembly, making it 19th in the nation for womxn in the state legislature and putting it behind California, Connecticut, and Michigan. On the federal level, womxn hold just 30% of New York State’s congressional delegation, putting the state again behind California and Connecticut.
Advocates and elected leaders such as New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (SD-35), Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Chairman Mike Gianaris (SD-12) and others have supported the Baker Project since its first roll out in 2018. During that election cycle, it proved to be a force in the races that ultimately flipped the New York State Senate to a Democratic majority, including Monica Martínez (SD-3), Anna Kaplan (SD-7) and Jen Metzger (SD-42).
The Baker Project is dedicated to Martha Baker, a founding director of Eleanor’s Legacy and an activist for womxn's equality, and to Constance Baker Motley, the pioneering civil rights lawyer who in 1964 became the first Black womxn elected to the New York State Senate.