Community Sign-On Letter Protesting Super PAC “Westside Progress” Spending in AD69

We, the undersigned residents, tenants, and lifelong Democrats of the Upper West Side, write to strongly denounce the recent reports of a super PAC spending corporate money to influence the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 69 and call for the SuperPAC to cease its outside-money spending in our community. 

On April 27th, New York Focus reported that a newly-formed super PAC called Westside Progress is attempting to influence the outcome of our neighborhood’s State Assembly race. The PAC is largely funded by another PAC, called Next NYC to avoid scrutiny. The article reveals deep ties between Westside Progress and large donors connected to Andrew Cuomo and the real estate industry–indeed one of the top donors is the co-founder of A&E Real Estate.

This reporting is confirmed by the fact that there is literature already circulating promoting Stephanie Ruskay’s campaign, created and paid for by Westside Progress, which many of us have received at our doors.  Including, as of May 4th when canvassers paid for by Westside Progress were handing out literature with Stephanie Ruskay’s name and face on it with a label saying “paid for by Westside Progress”, knocked on doors at 160 W 97th Street. 

This PAC’s presence in our local Assembly race is a threat to our democracy and our community.

Most concerning is A&E Real Estate’s involvement. A&E owns multiple buildings within our neighborhood, including the Holland Apartment complex on West 96th and 97th Streets. Tenants in these buildings have endured serious, ongoing issues for the last 6 months—from lack of cooking gas to unsafe and poorly maintained facilities, including unreliable elevator service that traps our elderly neighbors in their apartments for days. A&E was recently named the worst landlord in the city by the Public Advocates 2026 Worst Landlord Report, responsible for thousands of open housing violations across dozens of buildings. This record speaks for itself.

The fact that A&E is attempting to influence this election is of deep concern to us as community members. It constitutes a direct attempt to shape the outcome by boosting one candidate while undermining the other. In this case, this super PAC is spending to defeat the progressive choice: public defender and policy expert Eli Northrup. 

The use of layered PAC funding structures to mask who is funding this effort further prevents voters from fully understanding who is trying to influence their vote. Our elections should belong to the people who live here—not to millionaire donors, corporate landlords, or discredited political machines operating through opaque funding networks.

We are especially troubled that this spending is occurring without public rejection from the candidate benefiting from it. Our community deserves transparency and accountability, particularly when the interests involved have directly impacted tenants’ quality of life in our own neighborhood.

We call for:

• Candidate Stephanie Ruskay to publicly denounce and reject any ongoing super PAC spending on her behalf
• West Side Progress to cease its spending on this race in our community

The future of our district should be decided by us — not purchased by outside interests.

Signed,

Kenny Schaeffer, Met Council Action board chair and former AD69 Tenant Lawyer   

Jane Clark, President of Westgate Tenant Association (A&E housing in District 69)

Jill Hamberg, Upper West Side tenant advocate

Tenants PAC