Democratic lieutenant governor candidate touts progressive support in Ithaca

Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor Ana María Archila campaigned in Ithaca Friday afternoon where she appeared alongside the city’s liberal Solidarity Slate candidates and held a roundtable discussion on environmental issues.

Archila’s visit came shortly after two major unions – New York State United Teachers and the New York State AFL-CIO – endorsed her competitor, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.

"Those endorsements don't actually change at all, my commitment to the wellbeing of teachers or the wellbeing of supers and janitors,” Archila said.

Archila, a longtime activist, said she believes the recent endorsements for Delgado came following pressure from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration.

"I think they were sitting it out until the governor's office made the call,” Archila said.

While in Ithaca, Archila appeared outside a recently-unionized Starbucks location where she reaffirmed support for workers there.

"The company chose to send a message to all workers across the country that their organizing efforts will be squashed,” Archila said, referring to the closure of one of the recently-unionized stores earlier this month. “They decided to close the Starbucks, one of the other Starbucks here in Ithaca, but we are here to tell the workers that they are not alone. They have never been alone. They will not be alone. We stand with them. What Starbucks does not understand is that the courage of workers cannot be extinguished."

Archila formally accepted the endorsement of the Solidarity Slate candidates outside the Starbucks. She also held a roundtable discussion on environmental issues with Assemblymember Anna Kelles and other stakeholders.