In this episode of People Before Politics, Damon K. Jones and AJ Woodson ask a growing question in New York politics: Can independent voters—especially Black independent voters—change elections?
With unaffiliated voters representing a significant part of New York’s electorate, Damon and AJ examine the political landscape and the race for governor between Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman. The conversation moves beyond Democrat versus Republican to ask whether independent voters should be viewed as their own political constituency, with priorities that neither major party can afford to take for granted.
They discuss affordability, property taxes, energy costs, education, public safety, jobs and the overall direction of New York. They also examine why some voters are becoming dissatisfied with traditional party politics and whether Black voters are beginning to measure candidates by results rather than party loyalty.
The central question for Black New Yorkers is simple: What does a candidate actually have to deliver to earn your vote?
It’s People Before Politics—where the conversation is about issues, accountability and what political power should actually produce for our communities.
