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The 38th Senate district includes the towns of Clarkstown, Orangetown, Ossining and Ramapo.
Grassroots groups and supporters joined Goldberg and her husband to kick off her bid to serve as "a true Democrat representing the people of Rockland and Westchester," according to a press statement.
An advocate for public school education and progressive reform, Goldberg said she was motivated to run after incumbent Sen. David Carlucci allied himself with Republicans while calling himself a Democrat.
Carlucci told Daily Voice: "Every day I work to deliver results for hardworking New Yorkers that improve our quality of life, keep our families safe, and ensure New York leads the nation."
"This does not change during an election. I am focused on tougher gun laws, fully funding our schools, improving transportation and reducing property taxes," Carlucci said.
Goldberg argued. “Carlucci empowered Republicans to lead our state senate since 2011, blocking education justice for our neediest schools, reproductive rights protections, stronger gun control and campaign finance reform."
"For years I have watched this duplicity go unchallenged. I couldn’t stay on the sidelines any longer,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg said that her years as an educator and public servant have taught her the importance of fair education funding.
“The children of East Ramapo and Ossining are owed tens of millions by New York according to a court ruling. It’s a travesty that our senator has been blocking these needy districts from receiving the aid they are due,” she said.
At an April meeting, the Orangetown Democratic Committee passed a resolution expressing no confidence in Carlucci by a vote of 30-3, and further resolved that they welcomed a primary challenge.
A similar resolution was passed by the Piermont Democratic Committee, and at a recent Ossining town committee meeting, a vote to support Carlucci’s candidacy failed to pass.
At Thursday’s Rockland County Democratic Convention at Clarkstown Town Hall, a search committee appointed by the leadership was expected to recommend the party not support Carlucci and get behind Goldberg instead.
“We’re tired of Carlucci’s empty PR gestures designed to distract from the reality that since 2011 he has obstructed any action on the important issues he professes to care about. That’s why we are excited to have Julie Goldberg, an honest candidate, who will no longer fool voters,” said Tomara Aldrich of a grassroots group called Rockland United.
“Carlucci’s alliance with GOP has hurt the children of East Ramapo,” said Steve White, an East Ramapo public schools activist from Spring Valley.
Ben Zebelman of Ossining for Fair Funding said, “Year after year Carlucci has supported and enabled the GOP/IDC education funding plan which has shortchanged our districts’ neediest schools. . . . That’s why I am excited to see a public school educator stand up to represent us.”
Goldberg is a former English teacher. She currently is Education Media Specialist at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J.
A graduate of Rutgers University, she holds advanced degrees in education, literature, and library and information science. Goldberg and her husband, Martin Springer, have lived in the Village of Chestnut Ridge with their two children since 2002.
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