UPDATE
(JUNE 4):
José
Cruz says that for too long the 137th Assembly District has lacked
effective representation, and that’s why he’s waging a primary
challenge against incumbent Assembly member David Gantt. Cruz
kicked-off his campaign at the Public Market on Saturday.
“We’ve
been waiting 30 years,” Cruz says. “We’ve been at the back of
the line because our representative has been at the back of the line
-” when he shows up.”
The
district is struggling with poverty and its businesses have been
ignored, while the state tells people to get jobs and takes away
child day care subsidies, Cruz said.
The
state also needs to find more efficient and effective ways to invest
in its people, like employee re-training, Cruz said. He also called
on the State Legislature and Governor Cuomo to pass a minimum wage
increase.
ORIGINAL
STORY:
José
Cruz will announce his candidacy for State Assembly tomorrow at 10
a.m. at Java’s at the Public Market. Cruz is the second Democrat to
announce a challenge to long-time incumbent Assembly member David
Gantt. The first was Monroe County Legislator John Lightfoot.
Cruz
is on the Rochester school board and is former minority leader in the
County Legislature. He is chief operating officer of the
Ibero-American Action League.
He
opposes mayoral control of the Rochester school district-
something Gantt has pushed for-and is in favor of raising the
state minimum wage. Cruz will also push hard for Rochester to get
state-aid parity with Syracuse and Buffalo, says Anthony Plonczynski,
Cruz’s campaign manager.
Gantt
is a powerful and influential figure in Albany and in Rochester. But
he also has a reputation for being divisive and overly political. He
has faced little more than nominal challenges in this 30-year
Assembly career.
Plonczynski
says Cruz will run an “old school” campaign with heavy emphasis
on going door to door.
“Jose
said this is a porch campaign,” Plonczynski says. “We’re going
to win this on the front porches. We are ready and up for the fight
of our lives.”
Cruz
will be introduced and endorsed tomorrow by fellow school board
member Melisza Campos.
This article appears in A cultural gem in a high-tech hub.
