Dear colleagues,
The results of the 2026 midterms could not be more clear: working people rejected authoritarianism and oligarchy. Voters turned out in record numbers to put Democrats in control of the House of Representatives and the Senate despite hundreds of millions of dollars in billionaire spending, blatant attempts to undermine our electoral system, and a racist plot to gerrymander key states. The American people delivered a victory for democracy with a margin too big to rig. Fellow workers elected Democratic governors in Ohio, Georgia and Texas, flipped at least seven US Senate seats and decisively rejected MAGA’s divide-and-conquer politics. Looking ahead, New York must help lead the nation with a bold progressive agenda.
The March for Our Democracy co-sponsored by the PSC and many other Hands Off coalition partners is this Saturday! We will celebrate together and recommit to ensuring that every ballot is counted, every race is certified, and there is a peaceful transition of power. Click here to tell us you’ll be there as we march from Times Square to 14th St. Meet us by 11:45 a.m. on West 46th St. near 7th Ave. The march steps off at 12:00 p.m.
Here in New York, PSC members mobilized for this election at an unprecedented scale. Our new Solidarity Captains program brought over a hundred members into action to mobilize our colleagues to win these critical midterms. All told, hundreds of PSC members from every CUNY campus participated in our union’s electoral actions this fall. We organized over a dozen PSC canvasses, phonebanks, and other campaign events for candidates across the city and beyond. We backed over a hundred state and federal candidates, nearly all of whom won, including decisive victories in Republican-held seats by priority endorsees Cait Conley in New York’s 17th Congressional District and Chris McCreight in Brooklyn’s Assembly District 46. Governor Hochul defeated a MAGA candidate by a 20 point margin. Our campaigning with the Working Families Party helped them surpass the Conservative Party to move up a position on future ballots. In the weeks to come, we will continue to expand our political and organizing infrastructure, building on these wins to power our coming contract campaign and the other fights ahead.
To every member who knocked on a door, participated in an endorsement interview, or made a phone call: thank you. I hope you feel today how powerful we are together, and that you continue to make our union your political home. It’s in this arena that we help determine state and city funding for CUNY. We can win a working people’s agenda for our government to build an equitable economy with robust support for all who need it. We can build our union toward full membership, so our presence and power is felt in every classroom and office across the university. We can deepen our ties with aligned politicians to build a deep bench of CUNY champions who will collaborate with us to build the people’s university we deserve. With solidarity, we can win the future we need: for CUNY, for our communities across New York, and for all working people in this country.
We’ll be bringing members together for conversation about the struggles to move ambitious political agendas in local, state, and federal government. These victories depend on each of us showing up and staying organized. Last night’s results make clear that no amount of billionaire money can overpower our solidarity – if we stay in the fight together. Thank you for being a part of our union. I hope to see you in the streets on Saturday.
In Solidarity,
James Davis
PSC President
