Bonnie Wagner, a groundbreaking founder of the battered women’s domestic violence shelter in Kingston who helped form the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and ultimately became its Executive Director, has endorsed Manny Nneji for Ulster County District Attorney.

Her endorsement led me to think about my own experience, first as a Board Member, then for 12 years as a program director in a domestic violence agency.

Domestic and intimate partner violence has relentlessly risen locally and nationally.

We read news accounts of the nearly daily local assaults, stalking and other patterns of coercion that women face. The cases are frightening for the victims, destructive to children’s lives and fraught with physical, mental and emotional danger.

I also support Manny Nneji for Ulster County District Attorney because he takes seriously the need for fairness and victim-centered prosecution in domestic violence. He supports the expansion of the US Department of Justice’s Intimate Partner Violence Intervention. Also, he wants to partner with the “Start the Conversation” initiative supported by the New York State Lt. Governor’s office, called A Pledge for Accountability: Engaging Boys and Men Against Gender-based Violence.

In my experience generally, Democratic-led administrations are more proactive in addressing domestic violence. They have been willing to fine-tune their responses to the dynamics of these complex cases. Republican officials have too often been have been willing to blame the victim.

Manny Nneji has the experience, compassion, and grasp to set the tone that will serve the needs of victims of domestic and intimate partner violence. I am voting for Manny Nneji for Ulster County District Attorney. I hope you will, too.