Why I’m leaving the N.Y. Senate

On Election Night 2008, as our taxi crept through Times Square’s spontaneous celebration, my fiancé and I whooped out the window. We were inspired by Barack Obama’s election and excited about my own. I had defeated a 30-year incumbent to become the youngest member of the state Senate, part of the first Democratic majority in more than 40 years. I believed in state government’s potential.

I still do. But over the years, I have seen it thwarted by a sliver of heavily invested special interests. In the state Senate, for example, Democrats have repeatedly been denied control of the chamber by cynical political deals, despite winning an electoral majority — including in 2016.

And the status quo has proven extraordinarily durable: It barely shuddered when the leaders of both legislative chambers were convicted of corruption.

I have many truly exceptional colleagues, in the Senate Democratic Conference and across the Legislature. But rankand-file legislators face structural barriers, including “three men in a room” decisionmaking, loophole-riddled campaign finance rules and a governor-controlled budget process.

For many of us, the job’s biggest impact is in the district, helping the constituents who hire us. I have been proud to work with colleagues and community leaders to secure millions for public housing, new waterfront parks and flood resiliency after Hurricane Sandy; make local improvements, like bringing a pool to enliven Brooklyn Bridge Park and cherry trees to beautify Chinatown, and advocate for constituents in need — to save a home, pay for life-changing surgery or cut through bureaucratic red tape.

Of course, while New York is a particularly seedy example, ours is not the only state where a combination of political dealmaking, big money and public distraction have allowed corruption to fester. Once considered laboratories of democracy, too many states have become petri dishes of corruption; rather than increase economic opportunity, they serve the most opportunistic.

Allies in the U.S. Senate and House have done some fine work beating back President Trump’s corrosive priorities, despite a congressional map designed to predetermine control before anyone votes. But states should be stepping up to do more.

The last election reflected a growing divide — based on geography, background, opportunity and even truth — that threatens our democracy and our future.

It’s not the inevitable consequence of living in a huge country with diverse interests. Rather, this divide has been manufactured for the financial gain of the Koch brothers and very few others. For decades, they have invested in campaigns on the local, state and national levels, as well as think tanks, legislative development and media outlets, building a unified front to advance their self-serving agenda.

In fact, it was recently reported that their network is “warming” to Trump, at the same time that his actions are an increasing cause of alarm for anyone worried about our country’s institutions.

Simply engaging presidential campaigns every four years cannot solve this crisis. By the time national campaigns sprout, too many poisonous seeds have been sown. Policies focused on creating a better, healthier, fairer future scatter on the wind.

There are no easy answers, but I believe stronger candidates, a sharpened approach and better policies at the state level can help turn the tide nationally. In the coming months, along with entrepreneur Adam Pritzker and Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, I will launch a national effort focused on addressing this crisis — joining others already doing important work toward 2018 and beyond.

It is not possible to devote myself to this goal and serve my constituents at the level they deserve. For this reason, I am announcing my resignation from the state Senate. My decision will not impact the partisan balance of the chamber. The 26th District is safely Democratic, and I am stepping aside with enough time to ensure it will be filled on Election Day this November. And I will remain committed to doing all I can to support an empowered Democratic majority. Resigning is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have had the good fortune to serve the best people and neighborhoods on Earth, and to work with the most dedicated and effective staff.

Holding an office that you only inhabit because of people’s votes — and can lose if the people decide to vote you out — is humbling and inspiring, a daily reminder of the power of democracy.

I will miss waking up every day working for my constituents. But across my district, and across the country, people are engaging with civic and political life in a way that seemed unthinkable a year ago. Our future — what kind of nation and world our kids grow up in — is at stake.