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 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 7^th Bristol District

Rep. Geraldo Alicea in the 6^th Worcester District

Rep. Willie Mae Allen in the 6^th Suffolk District

Rep. Cory Atkins in the 14^th Middlesex District

Rep. John Binienda in the 17^th Worcester District

Rep. William Brownsberger in the 24th Middlesex District

Rep. Jennifer Callahan in the 18^th Worcester District

Rep. Christine Canavan in the 10^th Plymouth District

Rep. Stephen Canessa in the 12th Bristol District

Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera in the 10^th Hampden District

Rep. Geraldine Creedon in the 11^th Plymouth District

Rep. Robert DeLeo in the 19^th Suffolk District

Rep. Stephen DiNatale in the 3^rd Worcester District

Rep. Paul Donato in the 35^th Middlesex District

Rep. Joseph Driscoll in the 5^th Norfolk District

Rep. Lori Ehrlich in the 8th Essex District

Rep. Mark Falzone in the 9^th Essex District

Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry in the 12^th Suffolk District

Rep. John Fresolo in the 16^th Worcester District

Rep. William Greene in the 22^nd Middlesex District

Rep. John Keenan in the 7^th Essex District

Rep. Paul Kujawski in the 8^th Worcester District

Rep. David Linsky in the 5^th Middlesex District

Rep. Barbara L'Italien in the 18^th Essex District

Rep. Michael Moran in the 18^th Suffolk District

Rep. James Murphy in the 4^th Norfolk District

Rep. Harold Naughton in the 12^th Worcester District

Rep. James O'Day in the 14^th Worcester District

Rep. Matthew Patrick in the 3^rd Barnstable District

Rep. Denise Provost in the 27^th Middlesex District

Rep. Angelo Puppolo in the 12^th Hampden District

Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein in the 16^th Suffolk District

Rep. Robert Rice in the 2^nd Worcester District

Rep. Pam Richardson in the 6^th Middlesex District

Rep. Mike Rush in the 10^th Suffolk District

Rep. Rosemary Sandlin in the 3^rd Hampden District

Rep. John Scibak in the 2^nd Hampshire District

Rep. Carl Sciortino in the 34^th Middlesex District

Rep. Frank Smizik in the 15^th Norfolk District

Rep. Joyce Spiliotis in the 12^th Essex District

Rep. Thomas Stanley in the 9^th Middlesex District

Rep. Stephen Stat Smith in the 28^th Middlesex District

Rep. David Sullivan in the 6^th Bristol District

Rep. Ben Swan in the 11^th Hampden District

Rep. Walter Timilty in the 7^th Norfolk District

Rep. Tim Toomey in the 26^th Middlesex District

Rep. Cleon Turner in the 1^st Barnstable District

Rep. James Vallee in the 10^th Norfolk District

Rep. Martin Walsh in the 13^th Suffolk District

Rep. Alice Wolf in the 25^th 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 30^th 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 1^st Plymouth District.

 Claire Paradiso for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Brad Jones in the 20^th Middlesex District.

 Glen Pare for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Jeffrey Davis Perry in the 5^th 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 ]