The following essay was submitted by Mikveh Warshaw, a nurse and mom and Jewish faith leader who lives in the 92nd State House District. Click here to read more about the Aug. 11 Democratic primary for that state rep seat. I first met Justin Farmer in 2018 working on the campaign for a Civilian R eview Board for the New Haven Police Department. Since that time, every time I get involved in local organizing, whether to protect our immigrant neighbors, support our teachers, or advocate for healthcare for all, I see Justin at the meetings helping to keep the crew focused on the goals at hand. Even as a new organizer entering into those meetings. The ones that happened at dinner time, the long ones, the boring ones, and yet he was always there welcoming and encouraging me to get involved. When I became a mother over three years ago, my view of this city shifted. I now cherish the free children’s concerts and the lady bug festival, but also cannot avoid the holes in our outdated playgrounds, the schools that close for lack of proper heating and cooling, and the libraries that are desperate for funding. We need a candidate that will prioritize the needs of our children, and who recognizes the struggles of single parents and housing insecure families. Our son goes to the only Black Women owned and run pre-k Montessori school in the city. Every time the school throws a fundraiser or gathering, I see Justin there asking how he can help, chatting with families, and making me and my kid laugh with an unending flow of dad jokes. He is not there as a politician but as a local person tapped into the needs of his community. As a Jewish mother who is involved in the local Jewish community, I also see the need for a candidate who can speak to our multifaith and diverse community. New Haven is home to a large and diverse Jewish population, ranging from Orthodox to Reform and Zionist to Anti-Zionist. As a Jewish person who stands in solidarity with my Palestinian friends and community, I know we need a candidate who understands that no religious community is a monolith, and who does not conflate support for Jewish people with support for Israel. This is a flash point in United States politics, which many candidates may try to avoid, including candidate Eli Sabin who, while a New Haven alder, was part of the majority that stopped the ability for a Gaza ceasefire resolution to be put up for a yes-or-no vote. He did so by voting to “read and file” a basic statement of peace and an end to genocide in Gaza. Right now in our state government, there are lawmakers and lobbyists working to make it illegal for our schools to teach my child an honest history of Israel/Palestine. We need politicians like Justin who are not afraid to stand for what is just, even if it means taking on the ire of the well-organized anti-Palestinian and pro-genocide establishment. And as a nurse that works in a community health center, I see every day the struggles of people attempting to navigate their wellbeing and health through broken medical and social systems. I see how food insecurity, lack of transportation, and overall unaffordability is impacting my patients’ ability to take care of themselves and their families. We need a candidate who understands this and will not give up when the policy seems impossible. We need politicians who know the impossible is the only way forward. I want to say I am excited by this robust election cycle with multiple candidates. Yet, I have been disheartened by all of the mainstream local Democrats’ complete sidelining of Justin’s campaign, as the party establishment and mayor go on to endorse the other two candidates. But let this be a sign of the strength of Justin’s campaign. As we see in our sister city of NYC, the tide is turning and we need politicians who are not beholden only to their wealthy donors or the political class in which they were raised. We need outspoken organizers who know how to take a punch and keep going. We need leaders who will not waver because their popular movement is unpopular with the political elite. Most importantly Justin understands that this campaign is not about him; it’s about the people of this district. I see Justin in my group chats about food bank work for our immigrant neighbors; I see him responding on the scene to check on families who are being harassed by ICE; and I see him showing up time and again to help out in my local shul with vital but overlooked tasks, like helping with finicky tech issues. He does all this while maintaining a delicate balance of serious focus and humor (often in the form of eye-rolling puns) to make the work possible for the long-haul. This is a time in history we cannot get back. Our children, my child, need us to make big changes NOW. This is a time we need working class people, immigrants, and brilliant dreamers inside the halls of our state government! Editor’s note: An earlier version of this essay incorrectly stated that Eli Sabin had voted against a Gaza ceasefire resolution when on the Board of Alders. He actually joined a majority of his colleagues in voting to “read and file” the resolution, which stopped the resolution from being taken up for further debate and a potential yes-or-no vote. The post Opinion: Now Is The Time For Organizer Politicians. That’s Why I’m Voting For Justin Farmer appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less