[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 133 (Friday, August 4, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBERING THE HONORABLE CYNTHIA DOTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 4, 2023

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Honorable 
Cynthia Doty, long time resident of the Upper West Side, political 
activist, and Democratic District Leader, who passed away in Manhattan 
at the age of 72 on July 17, 2023.
  I first met Cynthia 30 years ago working in local Democratic 
politics. I worked alongside her former boss Assemblymember Ed Sullivan 
in the New York State Assembly. Cynthia served 9 years as his 
Legislative Associate and Special Assistant. In Albany, she drafted 
legislation and negotiated budgets. In the district, she advocated on 
behalf of thousands of constituents to protect their housing and 
deliver needed services.
  Cynthia was a major force in the Three Parks Independent Democrats 
political club and served as its President and as District Leader. 
Cynthia was kind, honest, and skilled at her position, and was both 
respected and beloved within the community. She was extremely 
reliable--if she said she was going to get something done, it would 
always get done--and she was a gracious host to me and others who 
visited her political club frequently. Under her leadership, the club 
members were very active in gathering petition signatures and 
mobilizing the vote in our area for countless elected officials at all 
levels of politics from District Leader to Congressman, Senator, and 
President. Cynthia and her club did the work to help get Democrats 
elected across the country--not just in New York--and organized bus 
trips to Connecticut and Pennsylvania to get out the votes. She ran 
phone banks that reached voters across the country and was always 
finding ways for volunteers to get involved and fight for causes they 
believed in. She was my guest at both inaugurations of President Obama 
and frequently attended marches and protests on the National Mall in 
Washington, D.C. She opposed the war in Iraq, supported a woman's right 
to choose, and defended LGBTQ+ rights. She supported community farms 
and was a member of a CSA (community supported agriculture) where she 
enjoyed volunteering.
  Cynthia was born into a Democratic family in Philadelphia in 1951, 
where she developed her progressive principles and a deep commitment to 
public service. Cynthia went to public school, co-chaired the racial 
justice committee at her college, and led several college groups to 
Washington to protest the Vietnam War. Her parents were active in 
politics--her father, Ethan Allen Doty, served as a judge for over 40 
years and was a leading figure in the Democratic reform movement. Her 
mother, Beatrice Graham Doty, was a Democratic State Committeewoman. 
Her brothers, Ed Doty and Warren Doty, both served in elected positions 
in Pelham, New York and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts respectively.
  Cynthia was not only into politics. She spent 20 years as a 
theatrical costume designer in major productions that appeared on 
Broadway, at Lincoln Center, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, 
D.C. She worked in film on The Wiz with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, 
in opera with the 3 tenors--Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, and 
Placido Domingo, and on Broadway in the production of ``On Your Toes''. 
After many of her friends passed away due to the AIDS epidemic, Cynthia 
was moved to return to community service and work for social justice.
  It was her passion for justice and her willingness to fight for what 
she believed in that helped her inspire others to participate in the 
political process and be motivated to go out and vote.
  It is entirely fitting that she ended her political career as the 
Manhattan Deputy Chief Clerk at the New York City Board of Elections. 
In that role, she oversaw a vast operation of election officials 
responsible for processing ballots during several tumultuous changes in 
New York State election law. She oversaw ``early voting'' efforts that 
allow people to vote before election day and efforts to ensure absentee 
or vote by mail ballots were processed properly during the COVID-19 
epidemic. She helped ensure polling places were open and accessible and 
people knew where and how to vote.
  In, perhaps, her last major election, she was involved in processing 
my own re-election in a contested primary in Manhattan. She was the 
consummate professional and made sure the election was carried out 
without controversy. Too often we take for granted the work people like 
Cynthia do to help our communities, but we would be remiss if we did 
not honor and thank her and her team for a job well done.
  I enjoyed working with Cynthia over the past 30 to 40 years. Her 
contributions to her community knew no end. The people of Manhattan's 
Upper West Side will miss her deeply but know that we will continue to 
carry out the work that she cared about so deeply. We will continue to 
work for social justice, environmental justice, women's rights, LGBTQ+ 
rights, and health care for all. I thank her for her years of service. 
May she rest in peace. And may her memory be a blessing to us all.

                          ____________________