What’s Next for the Abundance Agenda in New York?

As Democrats lose ground in New York, can local leaders pivot to a vision that inspires voters?

TL;DR: Join us, and New York political expert Ben Max, on December 7 for an in-depth look at what’s next for the Abundance Agenda in New York!

When I decided to call it a night on Tuesday, my thoughts turned to my two daughters and the future they would inherit: fewer rights than their grandmothers had enjoyed, increased geopolitical instability, and continued threats to our democratic norms and institutions. I have to admit that multi-family zoning, protected bike and bus lanes, and streamlined renewable energy deployment were not my top concerns. 

But as I’ve had a bit more time to process Tuesday’s results, I can’t help but see just how connected this election was to the Abundance Agenda. We’ve written about how skyrocketing housing costs and quality of life concerns have led New York to lose population—and thus a Congressional seat and electoral college vote after the last Census. The state could lose three more seats after 2030 if current trends continue.

Further, we saw on Tuesday that, relative to 2020, Democrats lost the most ground in places like New York—states that should be shining examples of what Democratic governance can achieve but instead serve as cautionary tales. Why vote for Democrats nationally when they aren’t delivering for you at home? (On the other hand, the governor of Colorado explicitly credits the Abundance Agenda for mitigating the red shift in his state).

While this election cannot be explained by a single policy framework, Ryder and I started Abundance New York after working in national Democratic politics to deliver a better future for the city and state and because we see this agenda as critical for rebuilding the Democratic party brand. The question now is whether the enormous shift in voter sentiment will be enough to jolt local leaders into action.

On Saturday, December 7 at 4pm, we’ll be sitting down at Caveat NYC with our favorite New York journalist and thought leader, Ben Max, to start digging into the answer. Join us for an in-depth look at just what happened in New York, what’s next for the Abundance Agenda, and what we can anticipate in our 2025 legislative term and local elections!

Catherine