Interests of real estate and major corporations are investing in the re-election of state legislator Erik Dilan, who faces a daunting challenge from a man who continues to be like his father over the years the last four.
Young Dilan, who represents the Bushwick and Cypress Hills constituencies, has been the target of employers’ advocates over his failure to support the “Good cause” against dismissal.
He raised his opponent, Samy Nemir-Olivares, who relied heavily on junior donors.
The financial reports of Dilan’s campaign to the National Electoral Commission show that among his main supporters are the PAC of the New York State Association of Realtors, which has donated $ 4,500, and a large amount of houses, as well as large construction organizations.
Dilan also benefits from more than $ 30,000 spent by Common Sense New Yorkers, an independent expense committee, which invested in field workers to support Dilan’s campaign and to cover the district with publications that attack his ongoing opponent. , the main.
The writers – part of a city-wide brand against anti-social activists – accuse Nemir-Olivares of forcing to cut off “all sections of the police force” and colluding with socialists who “threaten public safety.” ” Nemir-Olivares is running with the support of the Democratic Socialists for America, the Working Families Party and other related groups.
The PAC-funded real estate fund has funded a letter from the invaders attacking Nemir-Olivares and other candidates in the run-up to the conference.
Campaign financial records show the PAC fund raised earlier this month from two real estate-related organizations, 360 SLD Management Co. LLC, affiliated with the Cappelli Organization construction company, and Muss Development LLC, a long-established Queens factory. in the New York development area.
Together, the two companies donated $ 80K to the PAC to support the big Democrats.
A First in Albany
Nemir-Olivares, a Puerto Rican-born immigrant rights activist and aid activist, ran on an unpopular ongoing platform, calling for increased legal protection for low-wage workers and employers. market conditions, including advocating for a Reason for Good bill that Dilan opposes. On the same subject : After a year of historic political gains, black women continue to push toward governors. . The insurgency also seeks to increase government funding for unstable population groups, including those who are not legally registered and trans New Yorkers.
If elected, Nemir-Olivares, who currently serves as the Democratic Party’s newly elected district leader in Bushwick, will be Albany’s first gender advocate.
“The big business and real estate industry see the organization we are building and want to stop it because they know we will fight for housing justice, protection of tenants and preventing rent. is rising, “said Nemir-Olivares. “So they are investing in the thousands of dollars available to try to prevent this organization from collapsing.”
Dilan’s campaign did not respond to voicemails, text messages or e-mails.
As the City Borders reported earlier, from last week, the Nemir-Olivares campaign had raised $ 151,000, about $ 90,000 less than Dilan. Over the past two years, records from the Electoral Board show that two committees in the name of Nemir-Olivares have made less than $ 50, much less than the average of $ 873 for the campaign committee. an existing person.
Independent use reports show that the PAC affiliated with the Working Families Party has also stepped up its insurgency campaign, investing about $ 20,000 in correspondence.
A Relentless Fighter?
For many years, Dilan, a former member of the City Council and son of Sen. See the article : US Attorney. Martin Malave Dilan, has faced criticism and protests from employers’ groups and immigrant rights for refusing to support their legal interests.
In 2020, activists from the immigration rights group Make The Road chased him down the aisle asking him to support the “Good cause,” a bill that seeks to prevent homeowners from evicting market rent employers unless they committed the lease as per the lease. .
During a rally this year in March, members of Make The Road and Housing Justice For All, two groups stormed into the Albany Convention member’s office to protest his failure to support the proposal.
“Erik Dilan has been an opponent of Best Practice since the moment it was introduced,” said Cea Weaver, co-ordinator of the Housing Justice For All campaign. “We have tried to meet with him on this bill for four years and we have never been able to find a meeting.”
On his campaign website, Dilan portrays himself as a “constant warrior who is not afraid to stand up to the people and do what is right for the 54th Congress district, New York City and New York State.”
His campaign says he is continuing to build a home for low-income people and reduce gun violence. Since joining the State House in 2015, he has introduced loans aimed at protecting homeowners from tax evasion and helping older people access affordable housing.
In addition to the support from the unions’ interests, Dilan also received numerous major donations and agreements from powerful trade unions, including AFSCME, one of New State’s trade unions. York, and the Hotel Trades Council, representing the staff of the hospitality and sports industry.
According to a recent district needs report from Bushwick, housing prices are one of the biggest problems in the region with rising rents putting pressure on employers, who make up the bulk of the district , as City Limits reports recently.
Between 2010 and 2020, the number of white, non-Hispanic people in the Bushwick community district increased by 14% while the population of the area where the majority of workers, “Hispanic / Latino” dropped by the same percentage.
In 2018, Dilan’s father, State Senator Martin Malave Dilan lost his primary election to Julia Salazar, one of the first members of the Democratic Socialists of America to enter Albany.
In this round, Salazar supports Nemir-Olivares, who has also won nominations from congressional representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez.
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