Why We Are Launching New York Forward
The legislators who keep New York running are not always the loudest or most visible. They are the ones advancing key legislation, helping nonprofits serve their communities, and doing the day-to-day work that keeps state government functioning. Their work is essential even if it rarely attracts attention or earns the kind of online engagement that increasingly shapes today’s political environment.
Yet these members are increasingly vulnerable in primaries within a climate that rewards performance and purity tests over the coalition-building and compromise that is essential to governing. This dynamic was on display recently, as Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani each faced criticism from their respective bases and political opponents for their efforts to reunite factions within the Democratic Party following the bruising New York City mayoral election.
The backlash they encountered reflects a broader problem: a political culture that is quicker to punish attempts at collaboration than to reward the painstaking, often unglamorous work of governing. For our state leaders to serve New Yorkers productively, we need to reorient the incentives that drive our political culture and recognize that real progress requires cooperation, not constant conflict.
That is why our firm, Brown & Weinraub, is launching a new independent expenditure committee: New York Forward. Our mission is simple. We will support effective state legislators who take their responsibilities seriously and have a demonstrated record of delivering for their districts, no matter where they land politically. Ideology is not our filter. What matters is whether a legislator shows up, works hard, engages stakeholders, and understands the complexities of governing a state as large and diverse as New York. Our purpose is to ensure that the people doing the real work of governing are not drowned out by the most strident voices or by challengers focused only on making a splash.
We have already seen how meaningful this type of support can be. In Albany’s recent mayoral primary, Dorcey Applyrs had a strong record of service but faced an opponent with more financial resources. Our work helped voters clearly understand the stakes, and Applyrs won decisively. Her victory shows how important it is to uplift leaders who bring substantive experience to the job and who have demonstrated their ability to translate community needs into effective public policy.
Structural changes have also reshaped the landscape. It’s easier than ever for candidates without any governing experience to quickly mount competitive primary challenges. In a state where Democrats now dominate both chambers, these primaries often determine the final outcome. This leaves even highly effective legislators in constant campaign mode and discourages the long-term planning that good governance requires.
As we look toward 2026, New York Forward will monitor races where capable lawmakers face well-funded challengers. Our goal is not to defend incumbents for their own sake or enforce any ideological standard. It is to help ensure that voters can choose among candidates who are prepared to govern on day one and who put their communities ahead of online popularity or partisan theatrics.
New York is strongest when its leaders focus on solving problems rather than performing for attention. Many legislators embody that approach every day. New York Forward is committed to standing with them so they can continue serving the people who rely on their work.
Evan Rantzaklis, Brown & Weinraub
