November 26, 2018
Betsy Gotbaum, Executive Director of Citizens Union, a leading good government group committed to reforming New York City and State government to foster accountability, accessibility, and transparency, reacts to Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins being selected Senate Majority Leader:
“Citizens Union would like to congratulate Senator Stewart-Cousins and, by extension, all New Yorkers on this historic fall of gender and racial barriers. No longer can we assume that the three leaders in ‘the room’ will all be men. That alone is a huge step forward. As the first woman elected to lead the Senate Majority, Senator Stewart-Cousins is a trailblazer, chipping away at the status quo traditionally led by men in power. In addition to being a strong and tireless advocate for her constituents, Senator Stewart-Cousins is a champion of change to restore and strengthen New York’s democratic institutions. We look forward to working toward meaningful reform in the areas of voting, ethics, and open government with the new Senate Majority Leader and her colleagues in the coming legislative session,” said Betsy Gotbaum, executive director of Citizens Union, and former Public Advocate of New York City.