Peekskill City Councilwoman Vivian McKenzie Endorses Schleifer

Peekskill Councilwoman Vivian McKenzie today announced she is endorsing Adam Schleifer for Congress in the race for New York’s 17th Congressional District.

“Adam Schleifer has an impressive track record of experience at both the state and federal levels. I am confident he will be a strong advocate for cities like Peekskill, where he has become a regular presence and established a local office,” said McKenzie. “I have been impressed by his willingness to walk our streets, visit our local businesses, and integrate himself into this community. That commitment, along with his track record standing up to fraudsters, taking guns off our streets, and prosecuting environmental crimes, has earned him my support. While I have been impressed with all of the candidates, Adam stands out to me as someone who will be an aggressive and independent leader beholden to no one but the people he represents.”

Vivian McKenzie has served on the Peekskill Common Council since 2013. She is a lifelong Peekskill resident, the first African-American woman to be elected to Peekskill City Hall, and a local business owner.

“Vivian McKenzie represents the best of Peekskill. She is a tremendous advocate for her community and has been a leading local voice for equity and Peekskill’s downtown business community,” said Adam. “I had the pleasure of seeing Vivian in action the day I opened our Peekskill office. She pressed me on the issues that mattered most to her, while she was in the middle of managing a capacity crowd at her restaurant. She is the kind of leader our local communities need and I am so grateful for her support.”

The endorsement of McKenzie reflects continued momentum for Schleifer, who in the last two weeks was endorsed by former U.S Senator Chris Dodd, former Congressman Steve Israel, Ossining Deputy Mayor Rika Levin, and former Peekskill Deputy Mayor Drew Claxton.

A former-Assistant United States Attorney, Schleifer prosecuted major federal crimes including major financial frauds, illegal gun possession, environmental crimes, sexual violence and intimidation, and child pornography.

Prior to serving in the Justice Department, Adam served as a Special Associate Counsel for the New York State Department of Financial Services, where he helped lead consumer-protection enforcement efforts against predatory payday and subprime auto lenders who were targeting minorities, veterans, and low-income New Yorkers, and took on fraud and abuse in the health insurance and financial markets. Schleifer's successful efforts to root out unfair practices in New York and nationwide contributed to fairness, transparency, and efficiency in New York's banking and insurance markets.

Schleifer, 38, graduated from Chappaqua's public schools in 1999 and went on to attend Cornell University and Columbia University Law School, where he served as a Senior & Staff Development Editor on the Columbia Law Review. After graduating from law school, Schleifer served two years as a federal law clerk, first in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and then in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He and his wife, Nicole, are residents of New Castle.

Read more about Adam Schleifer at www.AdamSchleifer.com.