NYSUT members deliver election Wins across New York

11,000 Shifts and Half a Million Contacts: NYSUT’s Ground Game Delivers Sweeping Election Wins Across New York

Tuesday night sent a loud message from New York voters, and the state’s largest teachers union made sure it carried. New York State United Teachers reported that its members logged more than 11,000 volunteer shifts and reached more than half a million voters in support of candidates committed to public education, working families and stronger communities. The effort stretched from Long Island to Buffalo, New York City to the North Country, touching races at every level of government.

While the marquee victory came in the Hudson Valley—where Cait Conley won New York’s 17th Congressional District and will head to Washington—the union’s influence showed up in state Senate and Assembly races across the map. NYSUT was the first union to endorse Conley’s campaign back in April, and members treated her race as a statewide organizing priority, making more than 150,000 phone calls and knocking on thousands of doors.

The Hudson Valley Blitz Behind Conley’s Congressional Win

NYSUT members organized seven labor walks in partnership with the Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Body and the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, and they brought more than 300 volunteers together in October for a Labor Day of Action. Many NYSUT local chapters also joined a relational organizing initiative built to reach union members directly.

Breaking down New York 2026 election results

“Voters across New York and across the country sent a message yesterday, and it was loud and clear,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “People want change. They want an economy that works for working families, strong public schools and leaders who understand the challenges everyday people face. And NYSUT members didn’t just vote for change. We helped make it happen.”

Person added that Conley is “exactly the kind of person we need in Congress — someone with integrity, a deep commitment to public education and genuine respect for working people.” She noted that members recognized that from the beginning, worked for it, and are now helping send her to Washington.

From Senate Districts to the Assembly Floor

Beyond the congressional race, NYSUT-endorsed candidates secured important victories in state legislative contests. In the State Senate, Larry He won in Senate District 17 and Lisa Kaul secured victory in Senate District 39, both benefiting from coordinated grassroots efforts by NYSUT members and labor partners. In the State Assembly, NYSUT-backed candidates Kim Keiserman, Joey Cohen-Saban, Chris McCreight and Ian Phillips declared victory in their respective races after members made thousands of calls, knocked on thousands of doors and devoted thousands of hours to voter outreach.

NYSUT members deliver election Wins across New York — Photo: yonkerstimes.com

NYSUT members were also actively involved in several closely contested races where final results remain outstanding, leaving the full scope of Tuesday’s outcome still settling into place.

Educators Taking Their Own Seats

The organization also hailed the election and re-election of NYSUT members to public office, underscoring the expanding role of educators and other public service professionals in government. Person emphasized that the impact extends beyond any single victory.

Election Night 2026: Results from across U.S. and New York state

“Behind every phone call, every door knock and every volunteer shift is a NYSUT member who believes that working people deserve a voice in their government,” she said. “These victories didn’t happen by accident. They happened because ordinary people did extraordinary things, together.”