A couple of New York State Senate candidates were endorsed by the AFL-CIO and Planned Parenthood NYC.
The AFL-CIO endorsed Jim Gaughran for senator for the 5th District seat. Gaughran said he felt honored by the endorsement from the union and its constituents on Long Island.
“I am proud of my efforts to protect the rights of organized labor and to stand up to attacks from anti-union forces,” said Gaughran in a statement. “As a state senator, I will ensure that more New Yorkers have access to the good paying jobs, fair benefits and safe working conditions they deserve. Our state was the birthplace of the organized labor movement, and we know that strong unions are the foundation of the middle class and the economic success we enjoy. That is why I will fight to protect the millions of New Yorkers who are proud union members and who make our state stronger and more prosperous every day.”
The State Senate 5th District covers portions of Huntington and Oyster Bay and all of Glen Cove. Republican Carl Marcellino is the current state senator for the district.
Planned Parenthood NYC Votes PAC endorsed Zellnor Myrie for New York State Senate in the state’s 20th District. The district covers Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope and Sunset Park.
Citing his stance of women’s rights, Planned Parenthood NYC marked Myrie as the best choice for his district.
“Myrie is committed to fighting for sexual and reproductive health and rights in Albany,” said Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood NYC Votes PAC, in a statement. “He recognizes that accessible and affordable health care is essential for our patients and the communities we serve to thrive. We need leaders in Albany like Zellnor Myrie who will stand strong against the attacks from Washington and protect the health and rights of all New Yorkers.”
Myrie said he is proud to have the support of Planned Parenthood NYC Votes PAC.
“With federal and state assaults on women’s health rights, we need to stand with Planned Parenthood and the people they serve,” said Myrie in a statement. “The IDC has paraded around it’s ‘support’ of the Reproductive Health Act while empowering the very people who have blocked its passage. With turmoil in the Supreme Court, the stakes are too high to take a chance on a fake Democrat. We need a real Democrat who will stand for reproductive rights in New York.”
The Brooklyn native, lawyer, activist and the son of Costa Rican immigrants is running against Independent Democratic Conference-affiliated State Senator Jesse Hamilton. He’s already been endorsed by United Auto Workers, Communication Workers of America District 1, United Federation of Teachers, New York Communities for Change, Working Families Party, SEIU Doctors Council and New York State United Teachers.