Power Players in the 2022 Elections

Caitlin Kawaguchi is the president of New Kings Democrats, a progressive political club working for a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive Brooklyn Democratic Party. She is also a co-leader of Brooklyn Can’t Wait, the campaign to elect district leaders who are committed to reforming the party. This year, 13 Brooklyn Can’t Wait candidates won their district leader seats.

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over?
I’m excited to see how our endorsed district leaders make progress toward a Brooklyn Democratic Party that respects, empowers, and includes all Brooklynites. I’m also looking forward to continuing to engage Democrats with our partner organizations in the Brooklyn Can’t Wait coalition. During the midterms, in the absence of an active party mobilization effort, the coalition mobilized volunteers to knock on thousands of doors and connect with voters. Together, we can accomplish so much.

A Northeast Queens native, Brendan Klein enjoys over 12 years of experience in campaign management, strategic messaging, targeting, direct voter contact, and more. He has served as lead consultant for a number of political and private clients from New York to Los Angeles and helped secure victory for dozens of political and issue-based causes. He solves problems, large and small, to help clients navigate complex climates and amplify their message to the public. Brendan holds a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Baruch College.

What motivated you to pursue a career in politics?
I’ve held a deep passion for politics since a young age. As I began to explore career options in my early 20s, it became clear this was a journey worth pursuing. I enjoy learning about people and the issues they care about while helping clients connect with their community in a meaningful way.

What do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?
We need to protect our democracy and reconcile some of the political polarization that is damaging our society.

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over?
The next cycle! (and a good night’s sleep)

Monica Klein is the founding partner of Seneca Strategies, a New York-based and women-owned political consulting firm. Klein manages communications strategy and media consulting for progressive campaigns with a focus on diverse and female candidates. Klein previously served as the communications director for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election campaign in 2017 and as regional press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Ohio in 2016. Klein is also the co-founder and communications director for The Broad Room, an activist training camp for young women in New York.

Eric Koch founded Downfield in 2021 and has since worked on elections, issues, and causes in New York, nationally, and internationally. He has experience at the highest levels of strategy on political campaigns, crisis communications, government, public affairs, brand management, and corporate communications. Prior to founding Downfield, Eric worked at Precision Strategies and before that spent time at multiple levels of government, campaigns, and in the private sector.

What motivated you to pursue a career in politics?
Campaigns, elections, government, and politics determine our collective future, and growing up, I was always fascinated by how they all work together and what people do to create progress. Without politics, we can’t generate change, which is why it is so important. Winning elections is some of the best tools we have to build a better tomorrow. 

What do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?
Long term, the erosion of rights by the Supreme Court and lower courts is setting us up for a decades-long fight not just to reclaim them but also to prevent them from being repealed further. More immediately, the erosion of democratic norms and shared values and facts have placed the foundations of our democracy in a precarious situation where we are crossing our fingers with every election, wondering if one side will accept a free and fair outcome. This is wholly untenable and is a recipe for disaster. 

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over?
Rest! But the 2023 cycle is starting with some big governor races, and the 2024 cycle is also beginning soon…

Kwatra and his firm have increasingly been focused in the last few years on climate change related work and campaigns with a focus on the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Neal Kwatra’s Metropolitan Public Strategies is known for taking on some of the toughest issue campaigns in New York from Airbnb to Minimum Wage. In the 2022 cycle, Kwatra ran one of the largest IE’s in the cycle on the Democratic side on behalf of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.  The campaign focused upstate on support for Governor Hochul and 5 Democratic State Senators.

What motivated you to pursue a career in politics?
A desire to improve the lives of immigrants and their families, given my own family’s difficult journey and assimilation.

What do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?
The rise of right wing radicalism and anti-democratic forces.

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over?
Looking forward to not having to think about another election for this year.

Mike Lawler is a lifelong Rockland County resident. In 2009, he earned a degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College, where he graduated as valedictorian. Mike previously served as Orangetown deputy town supervisor, senior advisor to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, and executive director of the New York Republican State Committee. He is also a partner at Checkmate Strategies. In 2020, Mike was elected to the New York State Assembly, defeating a 14-year incumbent, and he now looks forward to serving New York’s 17th Congressional district. He and his wife, Doina, live in Pearl River with their daughter.

What motivated you to pursue a career in politics? 
Having interned for Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, I decided to pursue a career in government and politics. Senator McCain’s lifetime of selfless service to our country was inspiring and his reputation as a maverick and bipartisan problem solver is something I’ve sought to emulate. My work on the McCain campaign opened up opportunities for me later and made me realize my passion for politics.

What do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?
Record inflation, skyrocketing energy costs, surging crime, our porous southern border, and parental involvement in education are top-of-mind for Hudson Valley families and families across our nation. To get our economy back on track, we must cut out-of-control spending, lower taxes, enact regulatory reform and get back on the path to energy independence. On crime, we must stand with our police and ensure dangerous criminals are kept behind bars. I led the fight on these issues in Albany and addressing these crises will be my top priorities in Washington.

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over? 
Doing the job. With the elections behind us, I’m looking forward to serving the residents of the 17th District and tackling the issues impacting our country.

Anthony Lemma is the president of Lemma Strategies, a government affairs and political consulting firm. With 20 years of experience working in government and politics, Anthony now represents a number of nonprofit organizations and advises many elected officials and candidates. Prior to the launch of Lemma Strategies, Anthony served as district director and senior political advisor to Congresswoman Grace Meng and as a general consultant on Robert Zimmerman’s 2022 run for Congress. Anthony is the co-founder of White Lotus Collective, a nonprofit organization that provides free period products to individuals in need.

Zak Malik is a proud, fourth-generation Brooklynite who advocates for a wide array of non-profit and corporate clients to city and state governments, where he engages in budget advocacy, legislative analysis, and community affairs. In his role, Zak helps guide clients through New York City’s budget process, working closely with them to help secure government funding for programming and capital projects. He also monitors political, legislative, and regulatory activity, and lobbies for legislative changes at the city and state levels in a range of policy areas.

What motivated you to pursue a career in politics?
I’ve always been a people person who has had a strong desire to better my community, so politics has always been a natural fit. To be honest, I find this work to be so fun, as it is constantly evolving. The issues I’m working on, the people I’m working with, every day brings a new opportunity to make change.

What do you think are the most important issues facing the United States today?
In a political sense, I think the extreme polarization we see in politics often prevents the country from adequately addressing tangible issues such as the housing crisis, gun violence, affordable health care, climate change, and a woman’s right to choose. I hate to use this cliché, but I truly believe that we have more in common than that which divides us, and I’m hopeful that our politics can start to reflect our similarities rather than our differences as we strive to make the country a more just place.

What are you most looking forward to now that the elections are over?
I’m looking forward to working with this new class of elected officials at all levels of government and learning more about ways in which we can work together to advance their legislative priorities. I’m also looking forward to engaging with the new Democratic leadership in the House, and it’s fantastic to see Brooklyn play such a prominent role in both chambers with newly elected House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joining Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has served New York’s 11th Congressional District since 2021 and is the only Republican member currently representing New York City in Congress. Malliotakis was previously a member of the New York State Assembly where she served as the minority whip and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Governmental Employees. She is a graduate of Seton Hall University and Wagner College.

Senator Monica Martinez is a member of the New York State Senate representing District Four. Senator Martinez previously served as senator in the 3rd District, but left her position in 2021 and is now returning to Albany after her win in the 2022 election. In 2023, she will return to the capital and continue her work delivering for our families, children, environment and most vulnerable populations. Senator Martinez serves as the local government chair and is a member of the legislative women’s caucus.