HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2026!

Two January Club Meetings

The Youth Hostel, 891 Amsterdam Ave. at

W. 103rd St., Ballroom

 *** 7:30 pm ***

Complete information on candidates appearing at all endorsement meetings, endorsement voting rules, and voter eligibility can be found on the

Three Parks website here.

First January Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026

Candidate Forum 

Candidates for

NY State Comptroller

NYS Comp. Thomas DiNapoli (invited)

Adem Bunkeddeko

Raj Goyle ● Drew Warshaw

See candidate profiles here.

Candidates for

NY State Senate SD30

See District map here.

NYS Sen. Cordell Cleare

See profile here.

NY State Senate SD47

See District map here.

Council Member Erik Bottcher

See profile here.

Nominations for

Judicial Delegates AD69

Endorsement voting will take place at the

February 11 club meeting

Second January Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026

Candidate Forum



Candidates for

U.S. Congress NY-12

NYS Assembly Member Alex Bores

George Conway ● Laura Dunn

Jami Floyd ● Cameron Kasky

NYS Assembly Member Micah Lasher 

Alan Pardee ● Jack Schlossberg

Mathew Shurka

See candidate profiles here.

See District map here.

Endorsement voting will take place at the

February 11 club meeting

President's Report

By Daniele Gerard

Happy new year! “Let’s hope it’s a good one without any fear.” [John Lennon]

As the White House continues its daily campaign of fear mongering, hatred, cruelty, saber rattling, murder, and narcissism, we have a new mayor who promises hope and action on so many worthy fronts. Three Parks also has tremendous hope as we begin our campaign to take back Congress — not just the House, but also the Senate. This is the most important thing we can do this year. 

Three Parks looks forward to the help of our members, friends, and neighbors in what will be an army of warriors rolling up our sleeves on behalf of truth and justice who will prevail in the fight to take back our country from gross incompetence and tyranny.

Elsewhere in this newsletter, you will see announcements of upcoming endorsement meetings. When the dust settles, we will be postcarding, canvassing, rallying, and otherwise doing everything we can to defeat the sycophants cavalierly undermining our highest values in their eternal quest for more and more money for the few, and to leave the rest of us poor, sick, and stupid.

Be sure to join us!

Coming in January and February

Candidate Forums and Endorsement Votes  

What You Need to Know

At our club meetings in January and February, Three Parks will be holding forums for candidates in the 2026 congressional, state, and judicial elections. Candidates for each office will be invited to speak and to take questions from club members. To accommodate the number of offices and candidates, beyond the regular club meetings on January 14 and February 11, extra meetings have been scheduled for January 28 and February 18.

Endorsement votes for candidates will take place at the club meetings on February 11 and 18.

Here is the tentative schedule for candidate forums and endorsement votes:

January 14

Candidates for

NY State Comptroller

NY State Senate SD30

NY State Senate SD47

January 28

Candidates for

U.S. Congress NY-12 (open seat)

February 11

  Candidates for

NY State Assembly AD69 (open seat)

Judicial Delegates AD69

Endorsement vote:

U.S. Congress NY-12

NYS Comptroller

NYS Senate SD30 and SD47

February 18

Candidates for

State Committee Member (female)

State Committee Member (male) (open seat) 

County-wide Civil Court Judge

Surrogate Court Judge

Endorsement vote:

NY State Assembly AD69

State Committee Members

County-wide Civil Court Judge

Surrogate Court Judge

Judicial Delegates AD69

This schedule is still subject to change. Watch your email and the Three Parks website for further information about specific offices and candidates.

Then, starting at the end of February, we hope you will join us out on the sidewalks to do the vital work of petitioning to get our endorsed candidates on the ballot for the June Primary.



Make Sure You Are Eligible to Vote!

In In order to participate in endorsement votes, you must be a member of Three Parks Independent Democrats, and your dues must be current for 2026. In addition, you must have attended, as a member, at least one Club meeting in the six months prior to the endorsement vote. For new members, membership becomes effective one month after dues payment. A new member who paid dues after October 2025 will be also paid for 2026. For more information, click here.

To Fill a Vacant State Senate Seat:

• County Committee Meeting Jan. 11
• Special Election Feb. 3

By District Leader Theresa Canter

Last November, our State Senator in NY Senate District (SD) 47, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, was elected Manhattan Borough President, so there is now a vacancy in the New York State Senate. Governor Hochul has scheduled a special election to fill the vacant seat. Election Day will be February 3, with early voting starting on January 24. The winner will serve the remainder of the unexpired term, which will end on Dec. 31, 2026. To see the official rules, click here.    

In a special election like this one, the Democratic candidate is not chosen in a primary election but is instead nominated by the County Committee. The committee chooses a candidate through a majority vote of a quorum at a meeting. A majority of the committee members must be present for a quorum, and in this particular case they must be elected from within the boundaries of SD47. To see the map, click here. The County Committee meeting for this Special Election has been scheduled for January 11. All those elected in EDs in SD47 are expected to attend!

The club will still need to endorse a State Senate candidate to run in the Primary this June, and the winner will then run in the General Election and serve a 2-year term starting in January 2027.

Postcard reminders about the County Committee meeting will be sent to all committee members elected in EDs in SD47.

Worried About the Federal Assault on Science? Support a NYS-Funded Science Budget Proposal NOW

By Wendy Diller

Biomedical research, one of the pillars of United States’ prosperity and leadership, is in deep trouble. Real and threatened cutbacks in funding for early-stage research in particular—the source of all notable advances—is in jeopardy, throwing US academic medical centers and affiliated staff, vendors and, most of all, patients into turmoil.

In addition, shifts in priorities and criteria for reviewing National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, which are the lifeblood of basic academic research, and a general sense that the federal government is basing decisions on partisanship rather than on unbiased scientific expertise are roiling universities, industry, and local economies.

In response to the politicization of federally-funded science, NYCURES, a nonpartisan coalition of institutional leaders, scientists, clinicians, students, educators, patients, and everyday New Yorkers, is asking for $500 million in seed funding and $6 billion in long-term monies to start a new Empire Biomedical Research Institute (EBRI).

The proposal is on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk now. January is the make-or-break month, when Gov. Hochul is scheduled to publicly announce her latest Executive Budget.

Therefore, supporters need to ADVOCATE LOUDLY AND NOW! You can help by signing the petition here and sharing it with friends and colleagues. And consider writing to your local legislators, urging them to get on board.

Read more.

Festivities and Fun at the Three Parks Holiday Party

A large and festive crowd of Three Parks members, their families, friends, and numerous elected officials filled the ballroom at the Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue on December 7 for the club's 2025 Holiday Party. The program included a potluck supper with dishes contributed by club members, followed by music and dancing. In addition, partygoers generously contributed nearly $1200 to West Side Campaign Against Hunger. Many thanks to everyone who joined the fun, who provided the delicious potluck dishes, and who made this event a highlight of the holidays!

Thanks as well to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this event a success: Dan Cohen, Daniele Gerard, Chuck Wall and Michael Stearns for transporting all the supplies to and from storage; Corinne Constantine, Mary Ann Marks, Billlie Smith, Lorraine Zamora, Miriam Rabban, Irene Shrier, and many others for setting up the food tables and carving the turkey; Lynn and Steve Max for staffing the welcoming table; and everyone else who decorated the hall, strung the lights, served the food, and so much more. And special thanks to Theresa Canter and Dan Cohen for emceeing the event.

Below are selected photos of the Holiday Party.

(Photos by TPID Board Member Liza Cooper)

For more photos, click here.

Don't Miss Out!

Renew Your Three Parks Membership Now

Click here or mail in the membership form at the

end of this newsletter.