SELAH

Many voters—especially first-time participants—see elections as contests of who has the better policies, but in New York politics, real authority also depends on invisible structures that operate year-round. County and town party committees decide who gets on the ballot, who receives institutional support, and who sets local agendas. These internal systems are often poorly understood by the public, yet they determine whether elected officials govern from a position of strength or isolation. For Black, Latino, and immigrant voters, this lack of visibility can carry a particular cost, because it means their communities may celebrate electoral victories without realizing the deeper levers of power remain elsewhere.

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Real political power is not in election day voting but controlling the party infrastructure that determines who gets what job, who is appointed to what commission, and who becomes the party leadership. And this is determined by the election of committee members who represent their local neighborhoods within the party. When communities are underrepresented because not enough of their members are elected as committee members within the party, their candidates must operate without the institutional backing that more established political networks enjoy. This makes it harder for them to advance legislation and protect the communities that elected them.

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True representation requires both elected legislators and elected committee members. Winning an election secures a seat at the table, but winning committee races inside the party ensures that that seat has real weight behind it. When Black, Latino, and immigrant communities gain not just offices but also committee seats and leadership roles, they build the capacity to defend their elected officials and sustain policy goals over multiple generations. Without that foundation, their victories remain fragile—symbolic wins in a system still controlled by those who understand and manage the infrastructure of party power.

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Selah is the only NY PAC that is dedicated to supporting Black, Latino, and immigrant candidates for county committee seats across NY state. 

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