FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2020
Contact: Paul Diamond, hello@wearerocklandunited.com, 914.420.6562
Rockland, NY — Rockland United has issued the following statement announcing its endorsement of Mondaire Jones, a progressive Democrat running for the Seventeenth Congressional District.
“Rockland United is thrilled to endorse Mondaire Jones in his campaign to represent the Seventeenth Congressional District of New York. As both an attorney and activist, Jones has tirelessly fought for the most vulnerable in our community. The values that Jones has shown throughout his career are the same values that serve as the foundation of Rockland United: equality, justice, compassion, and inclusion.”
“Mondaire Jones has a demonstrated record of community service, in Rockland and elsewhere. He was born and raised in Rockland; attending Spring Valley High School, where he remains involved in fighting for educational equity for the kids in that district and for Rockland at large. At Stanford he organized students against racial profiling in Palo Alto, and fair wages for staff at Stanford. Jones then worked at the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy for President Obama, assisting in judicial appointments, and following this earned his law degree from Harvard. Most recently he has brought his legal expertise home, working with the Westchester County Law Department, and co-founding Rising Leaders Inc., which teaches leadership skills to underserved middle school students. Jones is a passionate leader. We are impressed with his depth of knowledge on global issues facing our nation, as well as local issues that impact Rockland families.”
“Mondaire Jones’ progressive platform inspires us and aligns with our own beliefs. Residents of the Seventeenth Congressional District need a representative who will stand up to Donald Trump and his hateful agenda, and also work to protect the rights of working families, support bold legislation to protect our environment, and provide much needed social justice reforms so that the American Dream is available to all. We believe wholeheartedly that Mondaire Jones is that representative.”
“In this current political climate it is of the utmost importance that we send a candidate to Washington who is committed to Democratic ideals and who has not aligned with Republicans for personal gain.”
“The Seventeenth Congressional District deserves a representative that shows up - not just for Westchester - but also for Rockland. We need a representative with an unambiguous track record supporting our fellow Democrats and the values that Democrats hold dear. Rockland United is prepared to mobilize this district and do the work to send Mondaire Jones to Congress.”
To earn Rockland United’s endorsement, Jones cleared a multi-stage process, that included completing a questionnaire, which was designed in accordance with Rockland United’s stated mission and values. Based on each candidate's response, members of Rockland United’s Steering Committee held interviews with selected candidates to better inform their final decision. Jones earned an unanimous vote from Rockland United’s Steering Committee - a requirement for any endorsement to move forward.
Rockland United’s members will be launching weekend canvasses for Jones, and will be organizing postcarding, phone banking, and text banking events on evening and weekends.
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About Rockland United: Rockland United is a grassroots activist group aimed at moving our county and country forward and ensuring civil rights are protected for our most vulnerable communities. We do this through daily civic actions and outreach, fundraising to support local organizations and candidates who share our values, and organizing events to raise awareness and build community alliances.