Lisa Kaul flips Senate District 39!
Over 476 shifts, For the Many volunteers knocked 6,500 doors and made over 72,000 phone calls to secure a 10-point win for Kaul
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – In one of New York’s most competitive races this cycle, Lisa Kaul was elected to represent District 39 in the State Senate on Tuesday, defeating multi-term Republican incumbent Rob Rolison with 55% of the vote. Kaul’s impressive victory is thanks in large part to the work of grassroots organization For the Many, which has organized volunteers across the Hudson Valley since August to knock 6,500 doors and make over 72,700 phone calls in support of her campaign.
“This victory would not have been possible without For the Many members showing up week after week to talk to our neighbors about Lisa. Her progressive agenda is what made it possible for us to organize nearly 200 people to connect with over 3,000 voters during the past three months,” said Xaver Kandler, Political Director at For the Many. “Lisa’s huge win proves that this race was not about party, it was about the issues. People were excited to fight for a candidate who spoke directly to the issues that matter to them and stood firm in putting people over profit instead of running to the center.”
“Throughout this campaign, we heard from families struggling with rising housing costs, unaffordable healthcare, and utility bills that make it harder to get ahead. For the Many was an invaluable partner in helping us reach more voters, mobilize grassroots support, and build the broad coalition needed to tackle these challenges and fight for a more affordable Hudson Valley,” said Lisa Kaul. “Their endorsement and organizing helped build momentum behind our campaign and our vision for a more affordable Hudson Valley. I am deeply grateful to For the Many, its members, and organizers for standing with us and helping strengthen this effort.”
Kaul ran on an unapologetically progressive platform, proving that issues like freezing rent, public power, progressive revenue, and stopping ICE are winning issues, even in a swing district. While Rolison outperformed Trump in SD-39 in 2024, his previous popularity was not enough to satiate voters who are hungry for meaningful change and real solutions to the affordability crisis.
“Lisa won because she gave people something to vote for instead of just voting against Trump’s Republican agenda,” said Shelby Aho, Orange County Community Organizer at For the Many. “It’s clear that Donald Trump’s GOP agenda isn’t working and neither is moderates’. Our neighbors believe more is possible! Lisa’s success wasn’t just because of the national landscape. This win was about the issues, the local candidates, and everyday people coming together and fighting back.”
“We know that face-to-face conversations are the winning difference in races like this one. Every door we knocked and every neighbor we spoke with contributed to this victory,” said Keith Williams, Dutchess County Community Organizer at For the Many. “Wealthy donors spent big on red-baiting ads to defeat Lisa. But we beat a multi-term incumbent because we built a grassroots movement of volunteers who showed up week after week to make sure people turned out for Lisa.”
Kaul’s sizeable lead, along with the other four State Senate seats Democrats picked up on Tuesday, will give the legislature a mandate to pass legislation that will improve life for millions of New Yorkers next year, such as the REST Act to expand rent stabilization upstate, the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act, and taxes on billionaires and large corporations.
