Massachusetts AFL-CIO Announces Second Round of Endorsements for 2008 Elections

 

The Executive Council of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO is proud to announce its second round of endorsements in the 2008 election cycle voted on during its Executive Council Committee On Political Education (COPE) meeting on August 21^st, 2008. The first round of endorsements were voted on in June. 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 procedures 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 greater than 75-percent 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. In its meeting on August 21^st, 2008 to determine endorsements, the Executive Council voted to endorse the following incumbent state legislators who are facing primary and/or General challenges.

 

The endorsements determined on August 21^st were:

For Open Seats in the State Senate:

Rep. Tom Kennedy for State Senator in the Second Plymouth and Bristol District.

Candidates Challenging Incumbents:

Democrat Glen Pare for State Representative against Republican incumbent Rep. Jeffrey Davis Perry.

Incumbents Endorsed for Re-Election:

Rep. Geraldo Alicea in the 6^th Worcester District.

Rep. John Fresolo in the 16^th Worcester District.

Rep. Pam Richardson in the 6^th Middlesex District.

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

Rep. Matthew Patrick in the 3^rd Barnstable District.

Rep. Cory Atkins in the 14^th Middlesex District.

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

Rep. Joseph Driscoll in the 5^th Norfolk District.

Rep. James Murphy in the 4^th Norfolk District.

Rep. Rosemary Sandlin in the 3^rd Hampden District.

Rep. William Greene in the 22^nd Middlesex District

Senator Scott Brown in the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex District.

Senator Susan Fargo in the Third Middlesex District.

Senator Dianne Wilkerson in the Second Suffolk District.

Senator James Timilty in the Bristol and Norfolk District.

Senator Stanley Rosenberg in the Hampshire and Franklin District.

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, and we look forward to announcing more endorsements of supporters of working families as the general election approaches. 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."