This election cycle, the endorsements have been determined using a new set of procedures established in March when the largest labor organization in the Commonwealth undertook a comprehensive overhaul of its endorsement process that seeks to heighten the level of candidate and elected official accountability. To earn the endorsement of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO an incumbent legislator must submit a request for endorsement in writing, achieve a Labor Voting Record of 75-percent or greater in the immediate four years preceding the endorsement vote, and receive two-thirds support of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Executive Council in an endorsement vote.
Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert J. Haynes made the following statement regarding these endorsements: "These candidates have thoroughly demonstrated their solid commitment to working families through a series of vetting processes, such as questionnaires, candidates nights, interviews, and in their performance fighting for workers in offices they've held. We are proud to endorse them in the 2008 elections." The Massachusetts AFL-CIO pledges our time, organization, resources, energy, and passion into electing these pro-worker candidates to these important political offices. We will communicate with our members to inform them of the substantial reasons why these candidates are the best candidates for working families."
The following candidates have been endorsed by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Executive Council:
Federal Offices:
Senator Barack Obama for U.S. President
Senator John Kerry for U.S. Senate
The entire Massachusetts Congressional Delegation
For Open Seats in the State Senate:
Ken Donnelly for State Senate in the race for the Fourth Middlesex District
Rep. James Eldridge for State Senate in the Middlesex and Worcester District
Rep. Jen Flanagan for State Senate in the Worcester and Middlesex District
Rep. Tom Kennedy for State Senate in the Second Plymouth and Bristol District
For Open Seats in the State House of Representatives:
Jim Arciero for the State Representative in the 2nd Middlesex District
Brian Ashe for State Representative in the 2nd Hampden District
Jen Benson for State Representative in the 37th Middlesex District
Bill Bowles for State Representative in the 2nd Bristol District
Mike Brady for State Representative in the 9th Plymouth District
Jim Cantwell for State Representative in the 4th Plymouth District
Danielle Gregoire for State Representative in the 4th Middlesex District
Kate Hogan for State Representative in the 3rd Middlesex District
Dan Larkosh for State Representative in the Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket District
Jason Lewis for State Representative in the 31st Middlesex District
House Incumbents Endorsed for Re-Election:
Rep. Kevin Aguiar in the 7th Bristol District
Rep. Geraldo Alicea in the 6th Worcester District
Rep. Willie Mae Allen in the 6th Suffolk District
Rep. Cory Atkins in the 14th Middlesex District
Rep. John Binienda in the 17th Worcester District
Rep. William Brownsberger in the 24th Middlesex District
Rep. Jennifer Callahan in the 18th Worcester District
Rep. Christine Canavan in the 10th Plymouth District
Rep. Stephen Canessa in the 12th Bristol District
Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera in the 10th Hampden District
Rep. Geraldine Creedon in the 11th Plymouth District
Rep. Robert DeLeo in the 19th Suffolk District
Rep. Stephen DiNatale in the 3rd Worcester District
Rep. Paul Donato in the 35th Middlesex District
Rep. Joseph Driscoll in the 5th Norfolk District
Rep. Lori Ehrlich in the 8th Essex District
Rep. Mark Falzone in the 9th Essex District
Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry in the 12th Suffolk District
Rep. John Fresolo in the 16th Worcester District
Rep. William Greene in the 22nd Middlesex District
Rep. John Keenan in the 7th Essex District
Rep. Paul Kujawski in the 8th Worcester District
Rep. David Linsky in the 5th Middlesex District
Rep. Barbara L'Italien in the 18th Essex District
Rep. Michael Moran in the 18th Suffolk District
Rep. James Murphy in the 4th Norfolk District
Rep. Harold Naughton in the 12th Worcester District
Rep. James O'Day in the 14th Worcester District
Rep. Matthew Patrick in the 3rd Barnstable District
Rep. Denise Provost in the 27th Middlesex District
Rep. Angelo Puppolo in the 12th Hampden District
Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein in the 16th Suffolk District
Rep. Robert Rice in the 2nd Worcester District
Rep. Pam Richardson in the 6th Middlesex District
Rep. Mike Rush in the 10th Suffolk District
Rep. Rosemary Sandlin in the 3rd Hampden District
Rep. John Scibak in the 2nd Hampshire District
Rep. Carl Sciortino in the 34th Middlesex District
Rep. Frank Smizik in the 15th Norfolk District
Rep. Joyce Spiliotis in the 12th Essex District
Rep. Thomas Stanley in the 9th Middlesex District
Rep. Stephen Stat Smith in the 28th Middlesex District
Rep. David Sullivan in the 6th Bristol District
Rep. Ben Swan in the 11th Hampden District
Rep. Walter Timilty in the 7th Norfolk District
Rep. Tim Toomey in the 26th Middlesex District
Rep. Cleon Turner in the 1st Barnstable District
Rep. James Vallee in the 10th Norfolk District
Rep. Martin Walsh in the 13th Suffolk District
Rep. Alice Wolf in the 25th Middlesex District
Senate Incumbents Endorsed for Re-Election:
Senator Stephen Brewer in the Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin District
Senator Scott Brown in the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex District
Senator Gale Candaras in the First Hampden and Hampshire District
Senator Harriette Chandler in the First Worcester District
Senator Cynthia Creem in the First Middlesex and Norfolk District
Senator Benjamin Downing in the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin District
Senator Susan Fargo in the Third Middlesex District
Senator Jack Hart in the First Suffolk District
Senator Anthony Galluccio in the Middlesex, Suffolk, Essex District
Senator Patricia Jehlen in the Second Middlesex District
Senator Brian Joyce in the Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth District
Senator Thomas McGee in the Third Essex and Middlesex District
Senator Joan Menard in the First Bristol and Plymouth District
Senator Mark Montigny in the Second Bristol and Plymouth District
Senator Michael Morrissey in the Norfolk and Plymouth District
Senator Marc Pacheco in the First Plymouth and Bristol District
Senator Stanley Rosenberg in the Hampshire and Franklin District
Senator Karen Spilka in the Second Middlesex and Norfolk District
Senator James Timilty in the Bristol and Norfolk District
Senator Steven Tolman in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District
Senator Marian Walsh in the Suffolk and Norfolk District
Candidates Challenging Incumbents:
Donald Bumiller for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Brad Hill in the 4th Essex District.
Dan Carpenter for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Paul Frost in the 7th Worcester District.
James Dwyer for State Representative in the 30th Middlesex District. Incumbent Rep. Patrick Natale-D had been endorsed in the Primary, but lost to Dwyer-D.
Jay Ferguson for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Vinny DeMacedo in the 1st Plymouth District.
Claire Paradiso for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Brad Jones in the 20th Middlesex District.
Glen Pare for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Jeffrey Davis Perry in the 5th Barnstable District.
Devin Romanul for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Frederick "Jay" Barrows in the 1st Bristol District.
[in the fall 2008 elections, a loss is indicated by , and a win is indicated by ]
