In 1936, in the depths of the Great Depression, my hero, President Franklin Roosevelt, assailed the Wall Street Bankers and financiers of that day — the men who had broken America’s economy, and who had subverted America’s democracy as “economic royalists.”

Those “privileged princes,” FDR said, “thirsting for power” had taken “control over government itself. They created a new despotism… In its service new mercenaries sought to regiment the people, their labor, and their property.”

And remember, these are the words of a sitting president. “The average man must once more confront the problem that faced the Minute Men…. political tyranny,” concluded FDR.

We are facing these issues anew today. We are facing Peter Thiel and Robert Mercer and Paul Singer, billionaires who backed Trump and Repubican candidates around the country. We are facing a President who, after promising to drain the swamp, is bringing Wall Street bankers and financial sector lobbyists and climate-deniers to the White House.

To take on the threats we face, we need a strong Democratic Party that puts working men and women first, and isn’t scared to stand up to Wall Street. We need a Democratic Party that understands and respects local organising, union organising, and local power.

We need leaders who will take on the tough fights for working people — who will live up to FDR’s charge to fight privileges princes and political tyranny.

I’m supporting Keith Ellison to be the next Chair of the Democratic Party because he is that kind of leader. I know he’ll do the hard work to transform the party.

I’ve heard people say that running the DNC is an organisational job, not an ideological one. To that I’d say: You can’t separate the two. We’ve got a crisis of power in this country, and only someone who has shown they are willing to stand up to powerful interests can rebuild our party from the bottom up.

I support Keith because he is one of few national leaders who has never been scared to stand up to Wall Street, big oil, or any any other big money special interest.

I support Keith because he was out against the Time Warner-Charter merger, when many political leaders were silent.

I support Keith because he introduced legislation to make union organizing a civil right.

I support Keith because he is one of few national leaders who didn’t just read poll numbers, but talked to people, and understood that Trump had a chance of winning when the pundits were laughing at him.

When I went to DC to talk to party leaders about my race, Keith Ellison asked questions. He understands that every District is different. He understands that we need new organising models, that we need to support local power and local Democratic committees, not just pass out dollars.

In our race for Congress, our District flipped 16.5%. Obama won my district by 6.5% in 2012; Trump won it by 10% in 2016. My district is not unusual — working men and women across America left the Democratic party in waves, either by not showing up or by checking the other box. I believe Keith — along with all of us pulling the oars — can turn that around.

Its been a brutal week. I will be continuing our Revolution on the Hudson, and we need to carry that revolution across the country. Thanks for being a part of it.