Putnam Progressives is a left-of-center organization in Hudson County, New York that works to elect Democratic candidates and promote left-leaning policies. Putnam Progressives supports left-of-center positions on abortion, global warming, and gun control, and supported impeaching former President Donald Trump. Putnam Progressives is associated with pro-Democratic Party get-out-the-vote group Field Team 6 and other left-of-center groups in Hudson County.

Putnam Progressives has opposed the use of zero carbon nuclear energy. ¹

History

Putnam Progressives was formed in Putnam County, New York in January 2017. ² The goal of the group is to attend marches, communicate with legislators, register voters, assist in Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts, and participate in community events and town halls. ³

Issues and Activity

Putnam Progressives was founded with the stated goal of protecting democracy and concerns of polarizing policies in Washington during the Trump administration. ⁴ Putnam Progressives’s logo consists of a dove with peace signs and the word “Resist” while the website features photos supporting impeaching Donald Trump, making New York a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants and resisting deportations of illegal immigrants, voting to end gun violence, and supporting no restrictions on abortion. ⁵

Putnam Progressives has supported cuts to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). ⁶ Baila Lemonik of Putnam Progressives has claimed, “Immigrants are being subjected to inhumane treatment and they are being marginalized in our communities. ICE and the CBP are targeting people of color.” ⁶

Putnam Pride, with two other left-of-center groups, authored a letter to local elected officials seeking compliance with former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D-NY) executive order mandating police organizations consult with local stakeholders.⁷ Putnam Pride wrote that included in police discussions and potential reforms should be community members of the LGBTQ, Hispanic, Asian, and other groups due to disproportionate police brutality and discriminatory policing practices against these groups. ⁷

Affiliated Groups

Putnam Progressives has been working with other left-of-center groups to direct how New York governs as well as policy initiatives in Washington. ⁸ Putnam Progressives is a member of Field Team 6, a pro-Democratic party get-out-the-vote group that seeks to register Democratic voters. ⁹

Putnam Progressives’ Baila Lemonik has attended meetings of Sustainable Putnam, a local organization attempting to fight global warming that works with local governments and community groups. ¹⁰ Putnam Progressives also works with Hudson Valley Patriots for Immigration Reform, a group advocating legal status for all illegal immigrants. ¹¹

Putnam Progressives has worked with Coalition New York, a group of left-of-center activists formed by Robert Kesten after a failed candidacy for the Democratic nomination to the New York Senate in 2018. ¹² Putnam Progressives has worked with Putnam Pride, a pro-LGBTQ organization in Putnam County that initiated pride celebrations with drag queen Angel Elektra, the current Miami, Florida director and founder of drag queen story hour. ¹³

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

In May of 2021, Putnam Progressives was one of 715 groups and businesses listed as a co-signer on a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate that referred to nuclear energy as a “dirty” form of energy production and a “significant” source of pollution. The letter asked federal lawmakers to reduce carbon emissions by creating a “renewable electricity standard” that promoted production of weather dependent power sources such as wind turbines and solar panels, but did not promote low carbon natural gas and zero carbon nuclear energy. ¹

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹⁴ An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹⁵

Key Member

Baila Lemonik is listed as a facilitator for Putnam Progressives and often cited in news articles. ¹⁶

1. Letter from Center for Biological Diversity et. al. to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Joe Manchin, and Rep. Frank Pallone. “RE: CONGRESS SHOULD ENACT A FEDERAL RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD AND REJECT GAS AND FALSE SOLUTIONS.” May 12, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/energy-justice/pdfs/2021-5-12_600-Group-Letter-for-RES.pdf?_gl=1*1c9h3t8*_gcl_au*MTc3NjM3MTM1Mi4xNjg5OTU1MzAz
2. Pearlman, Skip. “Putnam Progressives Group Forms to Protect Democratic Values, Fight Fear.” Putnam Daily Voice. February 25, 2017. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/putnam/neighbors/putnam-progressives-group-forms-to-protect-democratic-values-fight-fear/701232/.
3. Putnam Progressives website. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://putnamprogressives.org; Pearlman, Skip. “Putnam Progressives Group Forms to Protect Democratic Values, Fight Fear.” Putnam Daily Voice. February 25, 2017. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/putnam/neighbors/putnam-progressives-group-forms-to-protect-democratic-values-fight-fear/701232/.
4. Pearlman, Skip. “Putnam Progressives Group Forms to Protect Democratic Values, Fight Fear.” Putnam Daily Voice. February 25, 2017. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/putnam/neighbors/putnam-progressives-group-forms-to-protect-democratic-values-fight-fear/701232/; Miranda, James. “Kesten Hosts First Coalition Forum Focusing on Political Change.” Northern Westchester Examiner. December 20, 2018. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.theexaminernews.com/kesten-hosts-first-coalition-forum-focusing-on-political-change/.
5. Putnam Progressives website. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://putnamprogressives.org.
6.  Luby, Abby. “Protestors in Peekskill Demand Cuts to ICE, Border Protection.” Northern Westchester Examiner. September 19, 2019. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.theexaminernews.com/protestors-in-peekskill-demand-cuts-to-ice-border-protection/
7. “Letter to Elected Officials in Putnam County.” Putnam Pride, Hudson Valley Patriots for Immigration Reform, Putnam Progressives. July 2020. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://highlandscurrent.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/letter-executive-order-203.pdf.
8. Miranda, James. “Kesten Hosts First Coalition Forum Focusing on Political Change.” Northern Westchester Examiner. December 20, 2018. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.theexaminernews.com/kesten-hosts-first-coalition-forum-focusing-on-political-change/; Pearlman, Skip. “Putnam Progressives Group Forms to Protect Democratic Values, Fight Fear.” Putnam Daily Voice. February 25, 2017. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/putnam/neighbors/putnam-progressives-group-forms-to-protect-democratic-values-fight-fear/701232/
9. “Our Partners.” Field Team 6. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.fieldteam6.org/mission; “Get Involved.” Field Team 6. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.fieldteam6.org.
10. Dumas, Bob. “Sustainable Putnam: Grassroots Effort Looks to Reverse Climate Change.” Tap Into Mahopac – Mahopac News. February 21, 2020. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.tapinto.net/towns/mahopac/sections/green/articles/sustainable-putnam-grassroots-effort-looks-to-reverse-climate-change?wallit_nosession=1.
11. “Letter to Elected Officials in Putnam County.” Putnam Pride, Hudson Valley Patriots for Immigration Reform, Putnam Progressives. July 2020. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://highlandscurrent.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/letter-executive-order-203.pdf; Gross, Eric. “Rally for Legal Status for Undocumented Workers.” Putnam County Courier. February 21, 2022. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.putnamcountycourier.com/tag/022222/.
12. Miranda, James. “Kesten Hosts First Coalition Forum Focusing on Political Change.” Northern Westchester Examiner. December 20, 2018. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.theexaminernews.com/kesten-hosts-first-coalition-forum-focusing-on-political-change/.
13. “Letter to Elected Officials in Putnam County.” Putnam Pride, Hudson Valley Patriots for Immigration Reform, Putnam Progressives. July 2020. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://highlandscurrent.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/letter-executive-order-203.pdf; “About.” Putnam Pride. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://putnampride.com/about/; “About Putnam Pride and a Message.” Putnam County Pride Guide. 2022. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://putnampride.com/pride-guide/.
14. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
15. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
16.  ^[1] Luby, Abby. “Protestors in Peekskill Demand Cuts to ICE, Border Protection.” Northern Westchester Examiner. September 19, 2019. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.theexaminernews.com/protestors-in-peekskill-demand-cuts-to-ice-border-protection/; Pearlman, Skip. “Putnam Progressives Group Forms to Protect Democratic Values, Fight Fear.” Putnam Daily Voice. February 25, 2017. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/putnam/neighbors/putnam-progressives-group-forms-to-protect-democratic-values-fight-fear/701232/; Dumas, Bob. “Sustainable Putnam: Grassroots Efforts Looks to Reverse Climate Change.”