FORMER PEEKSKILL MAYOR ANDRE RAINEY ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN FOR NYS ASSEMBLY
As Mayor of Peekskill, Rainey Presided Over Unprecedented Growth and Investment in the City of Peekskill, Securing Over $24 Million in State and Federal Grants While Keeping Taxes Consistently Low
If Elected, Rainey Would be First African American to Ever Hold the Assembly Seat
Former Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey, who just completed two successful terms as Mayor, announced today he will run for New York State Assembly in the 95th District, to represent Peekskill, Cortlandt, Ossining, Phillipstown, and Kent. Sandra Galef, who was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1992, announced today that she would retire at the end of this session. As Mayor, Rainey worked successfully with local community, business, and youth advocacy leaders to secure $10 million in New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant money, secured substantial financial support from the public and private sectors to bring a new Boys & Girls Club to Northwest Westchester/Hudson Valley, and oversaw the largest investment in affordable housing in northern Westchester in decades.
“Sandy Galef is an institution and there isn’t a person who doesn’t know her, hasn’t been touched by her, or who has not benefitted from the work she has done on behalf of all of us. I am so appreciative of the partnership we have had over the years and the work she has done to make all of our communities better,” said Rainey. “As we move forward, we need to ensure this district has a representative in Albany with a proven track record of delivering for the people they represent: fighting for our youth and ensuring our public schools are appropriately funded for the long-term; ensuring residents can afford to continue living here by investing in affordable housing for working families and our seniors, keeping property taxes low for homeowners, and ensuring we have strong rent regulations that protect tenants. At the same time, New York State must move forward leading the country in advancing a climate agenda that secures the future of our state and our children.”
Andre Rainey was elected to the Peekskill City Council in 2015, making him at the time the youngest person to ever be elected to Peekskill City hall. Two years later, he ran for mayor, defeating incumbent Conservative Republican Frank Catalina, despite being substantially outspent in the race, and becoming the youngest mayor ever elected in Peekskill. He went on to win re-election two-years later against a former Republican Councilman with one of the widest margins in Peekskill history. He decided not to seek reelection to Peekskill last year and supported the candidacy of Peekskill’s first African American female mayor, Vivian McKenzie. He has consistently been named to City & State Magazine’s Power 100 in Westchester and is part of a new class of African American leadership that has emerged in the Democratic Party in the region.
“Andre Rainey is the future of the Democratic Party,” said Peekskill Democratic Chairwoman Drew Claxton. “He is a dynamic, accomplished, positive force in this region, who has actually gotten results. I cannot think of a more qualified and more positive addition to the New York State Assembly than Andre Rainey.
Rainey will launch an official kick-off to his campaign in the coming weeks.
