Last week, the Delegate Assembly of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) recommended the endorsement of several congressional candidates leading up to the primaries later on this month and the elections in November.
The recommendations made their way to the union’s state affiliate, the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), which then made the official endorsements. NYSUT’s Board of Director Executive Committee endorsed incumbents Yvette Clarke, Greg Meeks and Charlie Rangel for Congress.
“The toxic environment in Washington, D.C., has to change, and NYSUT is committed to helping do just that by electing progressive, pro-working family candidates like Yvette Clarke, Greg Meeks and Charlie Rangel,” said a NYSUT spokesperson.
In the hotly contested Brooklyn congressional race between Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and City Councilman Charles Barron, the union has not yet made any endorsement.
In a release, NYSUT stated “the spirited discussion and debate during each of the four rounds of consideration made for a very good conference. Our democratic process may seem cumbersome at times, but no one said democracy was easy.”
A NYSUT spokesman also said that Clarke, Meeks and Rangel are “the candidates we will work very hard to elect to Congress.” They said that the only way the culture of Washington changes is if people “elect progressive, pro-union women and men like those on this list.”
“I encourage you to mobilize and motivate members to get behind these candidates as early as possible,” continued NYSUT’s statement. “NYSUT and Vote/Cope [the union’s political action committee] will supply the resources needed to support the campaigns, we need you as board members to provide leadership and enthusiasm in our campaigns.”
Now that the congressional endorsements are out, the next step for NYSUT is the Presidents’ Conference on Endorsements for New York State Senate and Assembly races, set to take place Aug. 13-15 in Albany, N.Y.
