Piaquadio's Voting Rights Remarks: Divisive, Dishonest, and Wrong

NEWBURGH, NY - The Town of Newburgh Democratic Committee issues a scathing condemnation of the prepared remarks read by Town Supervisor Gil Piaquadio during last night’s Town Board meeting. The Supervisor’s statement was not a "press release" of facts; it was a desperate attempt to rewrite history, gaslight the public, and distract from a massive legal defeat that has cost Newburgh taxpayers millions of dollars.

The Politics of Distraction

Throughout his remarks, Supervisor Piaquadio repeatedly accused the plaintiffs of trying to "divide the town" and engage in "racial engineering." This is a blatant projection. By claiming "they’re trying to make it about race," the Supervisor is, in fact, the only one injecting racial division into this progress.

It is profoundly offensive to characterize a quest for basic civil rights as a plot to "create division." The division in this town was created by decades of a system that ensured 40% of our residents had virtually no chance of electing a candidate of their choice.

Correcting the Record

The Democratic Committee wishes to bring the following undeniable facts to light:

• A Colorblind Solution: The claim that the plaintiffs wanted to draw lines based on race is categorically false. If a map was their goal, they would have fought for redistricting. Instead, they agreed to Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV). This system uses no lines at all. It is a purely mathematical system - one that uses no maps, no district lines, and no demographic data - ensuring every group-regardless of race or party - has a fair shot at representation. If the Supervisor truly feared "racial engineering," he would be celebrating this system, not mischaracterizing it.
• The "One Win Proves the System Works" Defense: The Supervisor used Mary McLymore’s historic election as a shield for a broken system. This is logically bankrupt. The New York Voting Rights Act is about systemic fairness, not a single outcome. One win in a century does not prove a system is fair; it highlights just how high the barriers were for everyone else.
• A Pattern of Obstruction: It is the height of hypocrisy for the Supervisor to speak of fairness when the Town Board actively attempted to block the seating of Mary Lou Carolan after that same election. These obstructionist tactics are precisely why these reforms were necessary-and why the Town was forced to pay an additional $1.6 million to settle.

A Costly Ego Trip

The "extreme legal fees" the Supervisor laments were a direct result of his own refusal to accept the law of the land. The Town spent years on a failed, high-stakes gamble to have the New York Voting Rights Act declared unconstitutional. They lost. And thanks to the Board's obstruction, this fight has now cost Newburgh taxpayers nearly $4 million.

Supervisor Piaquadio may be resigning, but he does not get to take the blame with him on the way out. Council Members Manley and Lobiando sat on this Board through every vote to fight the lawsuit, every dollar spent on a losing legal strategy, and every attempt to obstruct the will of the voters. They were not bystanders - they were participants. And unlike Piaquadio, they are asking the voters of Newburgh to reelect them.

The Supervisor's remarks last night prove this Board has learned nothing. Rather than leading the Town into a more inclusive future, they chose to use their platform to peddle political spin and offensive rhetoric.

The Town of Newburgh deserves leaders who respect the right to vote and the diversity of our community - not ones who view equal representation as a threat. We urge every resident to watch the Supervisor's full remarks and judge for themselves - and to remember that the two Board members who sat silently beside him will be on the ballot this November.