New York’s progressives are not all concentrated in New York City. They exist all over the state, particularly in upstate New York cities like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Ithaca, and Binghamton. Dan Livingston (he/him), a millennial former city councilmember, dropped out of college during the Iraq War in the early 2000s and hitchhiked across America and Canada for two years. Dan’s despair over the war turned to resolve, and he returned to college and became politically active. He founded a Habitat for Humanity chapter, organized relief trips to hurricane-hit Louisiana and Mississippi, and worked for several organizations which provided meals to the hungry. In later years he protested at the Occupy Wall Street and Standing Rock protests.

On the Binghamton city council, Dan advocated for collective bargaining rights, creating apprenticeship programs in public schools to encourage young people to go into the trades, and he successfully fought back against a privatization scheme at a wastewater treatment plant, keeping the workers there unionized. Today, his platform is fourfold: taxing the rich, providing clean water for all, ensuring affordable housing, and protecting immigrants from ICE. Dan is running on the Working Families Party ticket, and he has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders.

Where are you based?
Binghamton, NY

What position are you running for?
New York State Assembly, 123rd District

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
Tax the Rich. Dignity for Immigrants. Clean Water for All.

What inspired you to run?
Watching masked secret-police invade cities and towns across America, coupled with the knowledge that the local County Sheriff had signed a collaboration agreement with ICE, making everyone in Broome County complicit in a nationwide human-trafficking operation. I have long stood up to bullies, and have fought for transparency and against corruption in government. I was originally inspired to run for office in 2017 because of corruption in local government.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I hope to bring new investment for critical infrastructure including housing, transportation, and utilities to my district so that a new generation of young people will look to the valley of opportunity, as it was known in the 1920's, as a place to live and raise their families once again.

What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I served on the Binghamton City Council for one year. During that time, I uncovered and successfully fought against a $100m privatization scheme at the region's wastewater treatment facility. I was organizing from a legislative super-minority, within a City Hall dominated by Republicans. I worked effectively with the unionized workforce at the facility, members of the community, and statewide organizations like Food and Water Watch to thwart the effort. Now, seven years later, the facility remains under public ownership, with a unionized workforce that has won awards for their exemplary performance in operating the facility. In 2023 I was hired by the NYS Democratic Committee to run a coordinated campaign in the City of Binghamton. During that year, while Democrats lost key elections all over the state, I orchestrated a clean sweep of the City Council, including a City Court Judge position. All seven seats are now represented by Democrats for the first time in decades.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
The price of everything is rising, while the Federal and State governments allow cuts to trickle down to counties and municipalities during a time when working families are struggling harder than ever to survive. The only way to make our communities more affordable right now is to generate progressive revenue by taxing the ultra-rich. I support the Invest in Our New York (IONY) package of bills, and I also support putting the question of taxing the rich on the ballot so that voters across New York State can have their voices heard on the matter.

With a grotesque abuse of power on full display as the Federal Government enacts its cruel and unusual immigration policy — indiscriminately sweeping up law-abiding citizens and non-citizens alike — it's time for New York State to take a stance on the moral crisis of our generation. I support the package of bills — NY for All, Dignity not Detention, and the MELT Act — which would end local law enforcement collaboration with ICE on the streets and in our jails, and would compel ICE agents operating in our state to do so without wearing a mask.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
I am a lifelong student and practitioner of conflict mediation. My winning political campaigns all have one thing in common — a focus on deep canvassing grounded in active listening and nonviolent communication. I believe that these methods not only win elections, but have the power to transform society by training people to talk to, and listen to one another while engaging in honest conversations about controversial and contentious political and social issues. I plan to continue my active and prolific outreach to my constituents while in office, to ensure that policy in Albany isn't just being directed by lobbyists for special interests, but by individuals and groups representing the people most impacted by those policies.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
Growing up in a conservative, rural community, while being schooled at a young age in nonviolent communication, I learned early on how to be effective even while my progressive politics often put me at odds with those around me. Political colleagues have remarked, throughout my career, that I am able to take complex political issues and policies, and make them understandable to ordinary people. My capacity for listening, and my ability to communicate with diverse political audiences has been my one of my greatest assets over the years, and it will continue to serve me well in office.

What is your motto in life?
I'm torn between, "Are you going to eat that?" and "The answer to every question you never asked is, no."

Where can we find out more about you?
Website: https://peopleforlivingston.org
Facebook: peopleforlivingston
Instagram: @peopleforlivingston

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/marijuana/2023/05/people-to-know-in-ny-cannabis-dan-livingston.html

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Dan Livingston, New York Assembly District 123