VICTORY: One down, seven to go.
Tonight we celebrate the defeat of Hiram Monserrate and the election of pro-equality Senator-elect Jose Peralta. Since we launched three weeks ago, Fight Back New York has been about you--you and hundreds of thousands of people across New York and the country who are tired of seeing LGBT New Yorkers treated like second-class citizens by the 38 State Senators who voted against marriage equality.
This victory is yours. Because of you, we were able to send out nearly 100,000 pieces of mail to educate voters, make 10,000 targeted phone calls to prime voters, launch an aggressive online information campaign, produce a powerful video message from Cynthia Nixon and finally defeat convicted criminal and anti-gay former State Senator Hiram Monserrate.
UPDATE: Final numbers below the fold.
You should be proud of this win. Your targeted anger and your ceaseless demand for equality paid off. This is our first clear message to the remaining anti-equality Senators that there are consequences to voting against equality.
In the next several weeks, we will together build a stronger, more robust campaign that will set its sights on where we can have the most impact for additional victories in the September primary elections and the November general elections. Each and every one of the remaining 37 New York State Senators who voted "no" to marriage equality-Democrats and Republicans-will be fair game.
Like we demonstrated over the past few weeks: our strategies will be smart, our tactics will be hard-hitting, and we will win a pro-equality New York State Senate in November.
But in order to win we will need you to stay invested and involved in this effort throughout the spring, summer and fall. The strength and tenacity of our campaigns will depend on how much support there is from all people-LGBT and straight-who want to see equality in the law books in New York. We need you to tell your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors about Fight Back New York. Our power is in our numbers.
Forward this email now to 10 people you know who are angry about the unequal treatment of LGBT people in New York. If you haven't yet, become a fan of Fight Back New York on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. If you are able, please consider donating to support the work of Fight Back New York. One hundred percent of every dollar that is given goes directly to taking out another anti-gay State Senator.
Stay tuned for more exciting ways to get involved in the weeks to come. We're glad you're with us in this fight. Working together, it's going to be an exciting year.
Update: Final Numbers
State Senate District 13
Jose Peralta (Dem)
9803
65.41%
Hiram Monserrate (Inp)
4098
27.34%
Robert Beltrani (GOP)
1087
7.25%
Reporting: 158 of 158 precincts - 100.00 percent