After Lafazan backs BLM, he gets Conservative support

                                                                          

Legis. Josh Lafazan

A unidentified video is making the rounds in Nassau that shows county Legis. Joshua Lafazan of Woodbury supporting Black Lives Matters during a  rally last summer, apparently soon after George Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The video creator is not identified, nor is the location or date of the video.

Lafazan, who is not registered in any political party but caucuses and votes with Democrats, two years ago ran on the Democratic, Conservative, Independence and Working Families ballot lines.

Then, George Floyd's death roiled the nation last May. And Lafazan attended a rally where he gave a citation to a community activist.

According to the video, Lafazan said, "In 2020, institutionalized and systemic racism is alive and well in this country and in 2020, it's alive and well in this county.  It's about time our elected officials say three words: Black Lives Matter."

He also said, "As your elected official, I am working on a package to make sure what happened to George Floyd never happens again in this country."

Those were strong statements. See video below.

You might think Lafazan's sentiments would get the support of the left-wing, racially diverse Working Families Party and turn off the right-wing police-supporting Conservative Party.

You'd be wrong. Lafazan this year did not receive the Working Families line but kept the Conservative Party endorsement.

Working Families did not endorse most Nassau Democrats this year, including County Executive Laura Curran  who is running for re-election. Some speculate that her close ties to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has feuded with the Working Families Party, may have cost Curran the endorsement as well has her support for a police reform plan that was opposed by community activists.

Lafazan voted for the police reform plan. Besides BLM, he also has honored veterans, police and rallied against Asian-American hate.  

Lafazan said today in an email that he did not seek the Working Families endorsement this year.

"I didn’t apply for the WFP line, and like County Executive Curran and many of my colleagues in the legislature, I didn’t receive it," Lafazan said.

Meanwhile, never-dull Nassau Republican elections lawyer John Ciampoli is helping Republicans across the state to challenge the Working Families Party candidates -- except in Nassau. More to come on this.







 



 

 

 


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