Luján Seeks Re-Election to County Legislature

By Kevindaryán Luján

ORANGE COUNTY – As a lifelong Democrat, proud son of Newburgh, and sitting Legislator, I wish to express my commitment to continue fighting for Newburgh and the citizens of Orange County. As such, I humbly announce my candidacy for a second term as your Orange County Legislator for Newburgh – District 4. I have always been a progressive voice in the legislature for my community and for all of the residents of Orange County. In words and in actions, I hear my neighbors throughout Orange County demand for leaders who are unapologetically anti-racist, pro-environment, pro-union, pro-Newburgh, and determined to end the back-room, status-quo nepotism in politics. I will continue to be that leader as I fight Orange County’s one-party Republican rule. We cannot afford to elect leaders in the legislature who only show up around election season, who sit on community boards they do not attend or who have long lost the trust of their neighbors. Newburgh, in particular, cannot afford inactive, inexperienced and disconnected leadership. That is why you elected me in 2017, and that is what I have advocated against my entire term in office. This has made me one of the most accessible, vocal and present leaders in Orange County, intentional and unapologetic about fighting for all of our community residents and always ready to work with my neighbors on projects big and small.

Throughout my time in the Legislature, I have focused on improving our transportation system, advocating for affordable housing, expanding health and mental health services, increasing community college funds, and attracting much needed jobs and businesses to Newburgh. The pride I feel from the progress we have made is surpassed only by the success this work has brought to our community.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been leading the charge to expand opportunities in Newburgh. Currently, our planning department is working hard to expand a pilot program that will connect people to much needed jobs across the county and will bridge the disparities in our communities.

As the world continues to change, we see Newburgh continue to grow and develop. Over the past 3 years the budget for SUNY Orange has grown by hundreds of millions of dollars, prioritizing workforce development to help people gain the skills needed to obtain and maintain quality employment. While the world transitions to 21st century jobs and economies, new businesses have been appearing all over Newburgh; this strengthens our economy and provides opportunities for both current and future jobs. Simultaneously, while looking to the future, I have also worked to make it easier for county residents to obtain services, obtain housing if in crisis and connect to health resources in real time.

Despite this growth and potential, many of us are still hurting and struggling. Before the current global pandemic, Newburgh led the region in child poverty rates, saw huge numbers in unemployment and underemployment, and maintained the worst health disparity issues in the Hudson Valley. The ripple effects of the pandemic are morphing our local housing crisis, and STDs in Orange County amongst our youth are some of the worst in the state. Domestic violence is increasing and substance use disorder is rampant. Our economy is extremely fragile; small businesses continue to struggle and Covid-19 numbers continue to rise. As hard as the entire country has been hit, Orange County has been crushed and Newburgh has been decimated.

The challenges ahead are numerous, but I have been in the front lines and am committed to working to overcome them. Having worked with community organizers throughout this pandemic, I am in awe of the resilience and strength of Newburgh and Orange County residents and I am inspired to continue to serve. I am ready to continue to fight for the residents of Newburgh and Orange County. More than ever, we need leaders with the experience and knowledge to help chart these troubled waters and to protect our most vulnerable community members.

My top priority is to ensure that our residents are well informed every step of the way about how to protect themselves and others from this pandemic, to focus on getting our community vaccinated, and to continue routine Covid-19 testing to help stop the spread. I believe that we all need to focus on the health of our community, as well as our fragile economy. We have some of the most resilient, hardworking people in the world. Our people deserve opportunities to get back to work and to stay in their homes, even if a global pandemic dealt them a bad hand.

As a county, I believe we need to do everything we can to help people struggling with housing, childcare, food insecurity, and other challenges. 2020 highlighted our inadequacies as a country and as a county, particularly on issues related to racial equity and justice, but also in our fragile health system. Nevertheless, this only reinforced my dedication to making sure all our communities were getting the support they need, which is why I worked with numerous community groups to distribute food, face masks, and hand sanitizers throughout this year and to ensure that all our communities were getting up to date information about how to stay healthy during this pandemic. We can and we must do better, and I am confident that with a larger Democratic presence in the legislature, we will be able to accomplish that.

Being your Orange County Legislator has been a tremendous honor. Representing my hometown and living this journey with all my neighbors is more rewarding than I can adequately express. I hope the residents of Newburgh will look to my record and my work in the community and choose an experienced progressive to continue to represent them. I humbly ask the residents of Newburgh to once again look at my work in the community, my commitment to our neighbors, and my focus on making tomorrow’s Newburgh better than today’s. I ask you to again choose me to represent you. I also ask all residents across Orange County who have looked to me for leadership on the issues that matter to them, to also stand with me today as I run for re-election.

For more information on our campaign, to get involved, or to contribute, please follow me on Facebook at Orange County Legislator KevindaryánLuján, on Instagram: @kevindaryan, or connect with us via our website: www.Lujan4Newburgh.com