Special Master Jonathan Cervas carved up NY Congressional and State Senate seats, Monday, May 16th moves Rep. Mondaire Jones‘ White Plains resident in Congressman Jamaal Bowman district. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney announces he is running for Mondaire’s NY-17 seat leaving many wondering would he be running for re-election against Maloney in NY-17 or Bowman in NY-16. On Saturday, May 21st, Mondaire put an end to all the speculation.
U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) announced Saturday his reelection campaign for New York’s newly drawn 10th Congressional District. Many in Westchester and Rockland were sad they would be losing they voted for and who served their district well. The New York Working Families Party released a statement immediately expressing their disappointment to Maloney’s announcement he would be challenging Jones for New York’s 17th District.
“The voters of the 17th Congressional District chose Rep. Mondaire Jones for a reason. He has been an exceptional leader in Congress, serving his constituents with his fierce commitment to voting rights, fixing the Supreme Court to work in the people’s interests, and protecting the climate. He’s earned the right to seek re-election in his home district. That’s what makes Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s announcement that he intends to run in that district so troubling—a district which includes Rep. Mondaire Jones’s hometown in Rockland County and is mostly composed of the electorate that Mondaire currently serves.”
Rep. Jones remained silent until Saturday.
“The final congressional maps were the result of partisan politics – drawn by an out-of-state, Republican court appointee who has shown utter disregard for cultural, social, and economic communities of interest. It is designed to reduce the number of Democrats serving New Yorkers in Congress. I have decided to run for another term in Congress in NY-10 to help Democrats maintain their representation in Congress.”
So why NY-10?
“New York’s 10th District is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Since long before the Stonewall Uprising, queer people of color have sought refuge within its borders. I was proud to be elected as one of the first openly gay, Black members of Congress and I’m excited to make my case for why I’m the right person to lead this district forward and to continue my work in Congress to save our democracy from the threats of the far right.
I helped pass the American Rescue Plan, and the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act to deliver critical investments in infrastructure for New York City. I have also worked to increase affordable housing and have led the fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and women. I look forward to championing the needs of the 10th District in Congress.”
Congressman Jones sits on the House Committees on the Judiciary, Education and Labor, and Ethics. He is vice chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet where he has led the fight to expand the Supreme Court through his Judiciary Act. As a staunch advocate for democracy reform and voting rights, Congressman Jones co-authored and helped pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act in the House. He has authored and championed proposals for universal childcare and lowering costs for working families through antitrust legislation. Recently, Congressman Jones delivered $8.2 million in community project funding for his constituents.
Congressman Jones will face several opponents including former NYC Mayor Bill De Blassio in the August 23rd Democratic primary for New York’s 10th District. Stay tuned to Black Westchester for more
About Mondaire: Mondaire Jones is the 35-year-old Congressman running to represent New York’s newly drawn 10th Congressional District. Since becoming one of the first openly gay, Black members of Congress in 2020, he has proudly served New Yorkers. Mondaire was born and raised in New York where he grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family. He later graduated from Stanford University, worked at the Department of Justice during the Obama Administration, and graduated from Harvard Law School. He is a co-founder of the nonprofit Rising Leaders, Inc. and has previously served on the NAACP’s National Board of Directors and on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union. He previously worked as a lawyer and resided in Manhattan for years before working as a litigator in the Westchester County Law Department. In Congress, Mondaire was elected by his colleagues and currently serves as the Freshman Representative to Leadership, making him the youngest member of the Democratic House leadership team. Jones is a Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a Co-Chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus. Mondaire was instrumental in securing critical votes to pass the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act, which will deliver essential resources to rebuild New York City’s infrastructure, and the House version of the Build Back Better Act, which included universal child care provisions he co-authored. He has also led the fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and women. As a member of the House Judiciary, Mondaire has led the fight for Supreme Court expansion by co-authoring and introducing the Judiciary Act and the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.
