The Jewish Voters Action Network has launched a $7 million campaign to rally Jewish voters for New York City’s municipal elections amid a local rise in antisemitism.
The group’s initiative will target voters in 12 City Council districts with the highest concentration of Jewish residents. This year, every council seat, as well as the mayor, comptroller and public advocate, is up for election.
“Jewish voters are waking up to the realization that Democratic primaries are determined by low turnout,” Maury Litwack, group founder and CEO of the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition, told the New York Post on Sunday.
The campaign will first utilize cable, digital, social media, text messaging and direct mail ads to urge independent and Republican Jewish voters to register as Democrats so they can participate in the June 24 Democratic primary.
The campaign’s second phase involves partnering with local institutions and volunteer groups to organize and mobilize Jewish voters in a “get out the vote” effort.
In the mayoral election, incumbent Eric Adams faces challenges from opponents, including city Comptroller Brad Lander; Zellnor Myrie, a state senator representing Brooklyn; and Zohran Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
“A majority of Jewish people don’t agree with the DSA’s positions and platforms and find many of their positions to be deeply troubling,” Litwack said. “The Jewish community is able to make positive change when they come out and vote.”
