WE STAND WITH ISRAEL

Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club

For immediate release: October 8, 2023

Media Contact: Virginia Krompinger (646) 265 1964

The leadership of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club along with State Committee Member Michael Heller unequivocally condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel and her people. We are further disgusted by pro-Palestinian groups in the United States that have applauded the horrific actions taken against Israel in the last 24 hours. We agree with the statements made by Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Congressman Ritchie Torres, and we call on all our New York public and party officials to immediately condemn Hamas as well as the Democratic Socialists of America for holding a rally in NYC today in support of Palestine while Hamas commits war crimes by attacking, kidnapping, and killing Israeli civilians- men, women, and children. We further condemn statements by The Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews for Racial & Economic Justice for blaming Israel for these attacks.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 PRIMARY CANDIDATES!

The landslide victory of Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark completes the 2023 election wins for the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club. Clark won re-election with 73% of the vote in the Democratic Primary. This huge victory capped a primary campaign that saw all of the candidates of the Ben Franklin Club achieve victory. Council Member Eric Dinowitz, who had landslide victories in 2021 in the Special Election, the Primary and the General election, did not face an opponent in this year’s primary, so he became the Democratic nominee without opposition. The three Ben Franklin-endorsed candidates for Judges of the Civil Court, Joaquin Orellana, Edit Shkreli and Carol Malcolm, were all nominated without opposition in the Primary. The 18 Ben Franklin Club candidates for Delegates and Alternates to the Democratic Judicial Convention were also elected without opposition in the Primary. The opposition slate was thrown off the ballot due to irregularities with their petitions. The winning candidates for Delegates were Eliot Engel, Randi Martos, Teresa Colon, Helen Morik, Delores Dixon, Johanna Edmondson, Nona Louise Dunbar, Sergio Villaverde and Jeffrey Dinowitz. The winning candidates for Alternate Delegates were Bruce Feld, Fredda Tourin, Michael Heller, William Weitz, Eleanor Oliff, Benjamin Jackson, Jaclyn Picciano, Jerald Kreppel and Ira Bigeleisen.