Conrad Blackburn smiling with glasses in a suit and red tie standing outdoors in front of a brownstone building with stairs, bushes, and yellow autumn trees.

          Meet     

Conrad

I'm a Harlemite, labor organizer, and proud Democratic Socialist running in the June 2026 primary election for Assembly District 70.

Harlem has been the driver of change for America - whether it be for politics, culture, music, or the arts. Harlem always brought the swag, rebellion, and pride. But, monied interests and powers have purposely stifled that progress and ignored Harlem's cries for help. I'm running to change that.

The people of Harlem have always been created our culture. The power has always been with the people. It's time that political elite and corporate interests learn that we may not run Harlem, but we make Harlem run. It's time for Harlem's working class to come together and take Harlem back. We must ensure that we build an affordable, sustainable Harlem, where our neighbors can afford rent, healthcare, childcare — a Harlem where we can live with dignity. It's time for the Harlem Revival.

As a public defender, I've stood with and defended people who have suffered under state violence - and won battles people thought were lost causes. As a union organizer, I've built power with my colleagues to unionize my work place. I serve on the executive board of my union as the black caucus representative. My experience as a union organizer has taught me about building collective power to build a bully pulpit against the forces that fracture us. I've also learned that no matter our differences, we are all part of the same class, when we consider the undeserved power that billionaires and corporations wield - we are much stronger together. We can only change our system, when we understand that whether we are black, white, queer, trans, immigrant, or native, we are all working class. Together we can. Together we must!

A smiling man with glasses, wearing a black suit, white hoodie, and white sneakers, sitting on brown stone steps outside a brown building with large windows. There's a yellow shrub and a white-flowered plant beside him, with some fallen autumn leaves on the steps.
A group of protesters marching outdoors, with some holding signs and wearing red shirts. A woman in the front holds a large blue sign with the acronym 'UAW' and a slogan around it. People are scattered, some wearing masks, and there are trees and a building in the background.
A man in graduation attire standing next to white columns inside a building, smiling, wearing a black cap and gown with a colorful stole and sash indicating he is part of the 2018 class of a Western academic fraternity.