A New York City union announced endorsements for Congress leading up to Election Day.
This week, 32BJ members announced endorsements of Zephyr Teachout (New York’s Congressional District 19), Anna Throne-Holst (New York’s Congressional District 1), Tom Suozzi (New York’s Congressional District 3), DuWayne Gregory (New York’s Congressional District 2) and Sean Patrick Maloney (New York’s Congressional District 18).
According to 32BJ officials, their support for Teachout and progressive candidates running for Congress in New York State stems from the current presidential election’s contentious nature bringing about the possibility of Democratic control of the Senate.
“Across our state, our members and all New Yorkers are disgusted by Donald Trump’s divisive, racist, anti-immigrant, sexist, xenophobic language and by the Republican candidates who are embracing him,” read a union statement. “That’s why we are enthusiastically supporting Hillary Clinton and progressive candidates like Zephyr Teachout and Anna Throne-Holst who will represent the voices of working people who want economic and racial justice, a $15 federal minimum wage, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and protection of union rights.”
The union considers Long Island and the Hudson Valley battlegrounds, and members said the endorsement of these candidates would result in a better fight for a progressive agenda in Washington.
“We’re supporting these candidates because they will stand up for working people in Washington,” said Silvia Ventura, a Long Island-based commercial cleaner and 32BJ member, in a statement. “This year we have seen the hateful rhetoric of Donald Trump and other Republicans candidates in our state who want to divide working people, but we know that we are stronger when we stick together and elect candidates who want to raise our wages and protect our rights.”