New York, N.Y. -- Rocky Chin, City Council Candidate in District One, announced a unilateral pledge to not challenge the petitions of his opponents. The announcement was made at the Village Independent Democrats Candidates’ forum on April 26, the fourth such forum for the District’s City Council seat.
“Recent passage of the New York City Campaign Finance law has encouraged civic and grassroots activists of diverse backgrounds to consider public service, energizing the 2001 City Council race with new faces and new ideas. For those who bemoan the larger numbers of candidates, I respond by saying that this is truly the result of the best Campaign Finance Law in the country and a reflection of American democracy at its best. I expect all candidates in this race to qualify for the ballot and so I don’t believe it advances democracy to challenge each other’s petitions. I make this “no-challenge” pledge unilaterally. Of course, if everyone joins in, we all will be able to focus on what I anticipate to be an exciting primary. Regardless of the outcome in September, the ultimate winners are the voters of District One who will benefit from having us all focus our energies in reaching out for their votes. ”
Rocky Chin is a civil rights attorney, a long-time community advocate and a 20-year resident of the Lower East Side. He is a Board Member of Citizen Action of New York City, a good-government group that was instrumental in the passage of the New York City Campaign Finance Law.
