Our democracy is under attack and locals are organizing to defend it. The resolve was evident at a gathering of the Scarsdale Democrats at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club on Thursday August 7, 2025.

The event was held just days after a 2024 Scarsdale High School graduate was seized by ICE and flown to a detention center in Louisiana, bringing the national agenda to our doorstep.

Alissa Baum, Co-Chair of the Scarsdale Democrat Town Committee said, “It was only a matter of time before Scarsdale was affected directly. We all need to wake up to our reality. We do live in dangerous times. It is time that we all work together to get our government back.”

About local efforts she said, “In these perilous times, we need to vote and volunteer to make a difference. Our Scarsdale organization has taken the first steps. We are employing protests and elections to keep our country strong.”

Baum called out State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who led the effort to have Scarsdale’s Yeonsoo Go released and thanked her for her financial support for the evening’s event.

Paulin said, “We have been consumed with the release of Soo. We had organized a rally which was going to be before this event. We would have had 1,000 people. People reached out from all over the state.”

She warned, “They are coming after all of us. No one is safe. We need to rally together to make sure that this trauma is put to an end. One way is to take a majority in Congress. We are lucky here but we won’t be lucky for everyone.”                                                                 After thanking many local Democrats in attendance, Baum introduced Congressman Dan Goldman, who was elected in 2022 as Congressman for Congressional District 10 comprising lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Before running for office, he served as lead counsel in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. As an active leader in the house, he is a sponsor of the “No Secret Police Act” which requires officers to identify themselves with a badge and bars them from wearing face masks.

Goldman expressed gratitude for those who worked so hard to get Yeonsoo back and said he
filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security for denying Congressman the right to inspect immigration detention facilities. He said, “Many who are arrested have not done anything wrong. Congressmen have a statutory right to inspect Department of Homeland facilities. Twelve of us filed a lawsuit last week.”

Discussing the ICE arrests, he said, “Trump has jacked up the quotas. The are waiting for people to come out of court and arresting them Over 50% of those who have been detained are not charged with any crime, are not violent and are pursuing a legal pathway to becoming a citizen.
This is just one issue. There are 20 more.”

Discussing messaging from the Democratic Party, Goldman said, “People say we need to stand up – we need to break through. The challenge is there are so many things –we need to figure out what resonates…..Republicans are demoing things … Democrats are trying to build things”

He continued, “One of the big lessons from 2024 is that we were fighting against Project 2025.
But ultimately people were worried about rent, healthcare and the electric bill. 60% of America lives month to month…..How do we connect these threats to democracy to peoples’ everyday lives.? How do we take esoteric concerns and bring them to peoples everyday lives? We have to present a path forward." He explained, “Trump has tapped into the feeling of victimization and to those who don’t feel that democracy works for them…. our economy is not accessible to them….wealth inequalities are exacerbated….They don’t see a path to the American Dream.”

He said, “As Democrats we need to make sure that everyone is getting access. It is not a zero-sum game, rising tides lift all boats – we must work together to improve the lives of our neighbors. That’s what we need to foster. We care about our neighbors. The cruelty and vitriol that is coming out the White House is not who we are.”

“I want to get back to the goodness of Democratic values. To help our neighbors to help ourselves.To help them get access to the new American Dream.”

To those who ask what they can do, Goldman responded, “Just showing up matters. I am telling you as a member of Congress, we hear you. When there’s a rally opposing cuts to Medicare, we hear you. Continue to be active. Continue to engage. Let’s get back to what makes this country unique. Don’t’ fall into the trap of debating Donald Trump in the mud. Present an alternative pathway where everyone can benefit from the incredible opportunities that we have here.”

He then pledged, “We are not only going to just take the House back, we are going to take the country back.”

Baum recognized many elected officials, candidates and former Scarsdale officials in attendance at the meeting including:

State Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Ben Boykin, Jenn Puja and Jonathan Lewis
State Senator Shelley Mayer
Former White Plains Mayor Tom Roach candidate for County Clerk
County Legislator Ben Boykin will be completing his term this year.
Judah Holstein candidate for Westchester County Legislature
Terry Clements from the Westchester County Board of Legislators
Jen Puja candidate for Westchester County Board of Legislators
Justin Brasch candidate for Mayor of White Plains
Jeremiah Frei-Pearson from the White Plains Common Council

Baum called out Family Court judicial candidate Emily Rubin, and Judges Diane Clerkin, John Collins, Desmond Lyons, and Verris Shako who are favored to be nominated at Monday’s Democratic judicial convention to be our State Supreme Court nominees on November’s ballot. Also in attendance were judicial aspirants Sara Beaty, Natasha Ginzburg, Judge Jane Lippman, Francesca Mountain, Troy Smith, and Josephine Trovini.

She thanked the fundraise committee: Tim Foley, Michelle Lichtenberg, BK Munguia, Jon Mark, and Susan Kessler Ross as well as Dean Moretta from Vintology for providing the wine.

Baum recognized former Scarsdale Mayors Jon Mark and Carolyn Stevens, and former Village Trustees Kay Eisenman, Jonathan Lewis and Seth Ross and County Democratic leaders Suzanne Berger, Tim James, Dale Barbaria and Nicole Benjamin from the Womans Political Caucus.