Gay NYC councilman running for Congress says America is at a crossroads

"When New York City Council member Erik Bottcher announced his run to replace longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, he cast the race as bigger than a changing of hands in Manhattan's 12th Congressional District. He cast it as a test of the country's democratic character. "We're at a fork in the road," Bottcher, 46, said in an interview with The Advocate. "We are either going to reject hatred and bigotry and discrimination, or our country will succumb to it, and we'll roll back our hard-won civil rights and protections.""

"For Bottcher, who was re-elected to the City Council in early November with roughly 90 percent of the vote, the race is a generational inflection point. "People are hungry for new leaders who can bring a new level of energy to the fight," he said. "We have many great leaders in Washington who've been serving for decades and decades, but it's time for new leaders to join them who can bring more power to the fight.""

"The moment is personal and political. It's also intensely local and unmistakably national. The district, which runs through the west side of Manhattan and includes Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, and parts of Greenwich Village, mirrors the very communities that shaped him. Much of Bottcher's political identity began in adolescence. At 15, he was hospitalized for a month after multiple suicide attempts."

Erik Bottcher launched a campaign to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, framing the contest as a test of the country's democratic character and a choice to reject hatred, bigotry, and discrimination. He warned that failing to do so could roll back civil rights and protections. The open Manhattan primary is competitive, drawing newcomers and notable names, including Jack Schlossberg. Bottcher, re-elected to City Council with about 90 percent of the vote, describes the race as a generational inflection point and emphasizes the need for energized new leadership. The district reflects neighborhoods that shaped him, and his political identity traces to adolescence, including hospitalization at 15 after multiple suicide attempts.

Read at Advocate.com