Paul Davis Does Pechefsky

Pechefsky is one of five Democrats locked in a primary battle for the right to take on the incumbent Lee Zeldin.

The renowned artist Paul Davis, who has created iconic images of some of the most prominent political and cultural figures of our time, was recently inspired to support the candidacy of Pechefsky, and donated a campaign poster to the cause.

“I think he’s the best guy,” Davis said in an interview this week. “He’s got a lot of work to do, but it helps with name recognition.”

Davis’s work is legendary, featured on iconic posters of Kevin Kline as Hamlet, Meryl Streep, and his art was also used for the play For Colored Girls — his art was used for the record and the movie as well as the play. Other enduring classic theater posters include those for The Goodbye Girl and The Threepenny Opera.

He’s done political posters before, dating back to George McGovern.

“After getting to know David, it became clear that he is a candidate who stands apart. I wanted to create a poster to express the sense of hope he inspires in me and others, especially the many young people who have been energized by his campaign,” Davis said. “They seem to sense, as I do, that as a congressman David would represent all the people of this community, especially working families whose needs are so often overlooked.”

Pechefsky said he was surprised and honored when Davis offered to create a poster for his campaign. “I can think of no more profound endorsement than having Paul Davis express his support for me through his art,” he added.

“I believe the work captures the shared aspiration Paul and I have for a better, fairer country, where all are treated with dignity and respect, and where we do what is needed to preserve our planet for future generations. I hope, as a candidate and as a member of Congress, to repay, at least in some measure, Paul’s faith in me,” the candidate said.

Pechefsky was raised in Patchogue and has devoted his life to public service, both at home and abroad. As a longtime staffer for the NYC Council, he helped secure millions of dollars for youth, health, senior, and housing programs. As a consultant for the National Democratic Institute, he worked from 2010 to 2013 on projects designed to build democratic institutions in war torn nations, including Somalia, Liberia, and Iraq.

Pechefsky returned home to Long Island to use that wide-ranging experience for the people of this district, he said. The candidate said he is committed to the vision of an inclusive, equal, and just society, where every person has a chance for a decent life. If elected to Congress, he said he will fight for a bold agenda, addressing income inequality, universal health care, affordable housing, rebuilding our infrastructure, and the challenges of climate change.

The other congressional candidates include Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning of Shirley; Elaine DiMasi of Ronkonkoma, who worked as a Brookhaven National Laboratory physicist; Perry Gershon, a businessman who has worked in commercial real estate finance and lives in East Hampton; and Vivian Viloria-Fisher of Setauket, who served as a county legislator until she reached her term limit in 2011.

rmurphy@indyeastend.com