Last week in upstate New York, Tompkins County voters took a stand in favor of Rockefeller Drug Law reform when they elected a new district attorney, Gwen Wilkinson.
Wilkinson beat out 16-year incumbent George Dentes for the position in the wake of a campaign that prominently featured discussion of Rockefeller reform. Wilkinson publicly declared her support for repealing the draconian laws in speeches and writing, while Dentes maintained that the laws had already been sufficiently reformed. Debate swirled in the pages of the Ithaca Journal, with Alliance supporters writing letters to the editor in support of Wilkinson’s position.
Wilkinson’s victory marks the second year in a row that an incumbent DA in New York has been defeated in part due to support of the draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws.
In a bitter fight last year, political upstart David Soares defeated incumbent Paul Clyne in the race for Albany County District Attorney, sending political shockwaves throughout the state. Soares sailed to victory on platform that included repealing the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws and calling for expanded judicial discretion. In his concession speech, Clyne said he would have won were it not for his longtime opponent to reform of the laws. In recent polls, over 83% of New York residents said they think the Rockefeller Drug Laws should be repealed.
“Wilkinson’s victory shows that Soares was no fluke,” said Alliance executive director Ethan Nadelmann. “Sitting DAs should beware: Support for the Rockefeller Drug Laws could bring you a short-lived political career.”
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