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Massachusetts AFL-CIO Endorsements - 2010 - Round One
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Announces First Round of 2010 Election Endorsements
MALDEN, MA, ISSUED AUGUST 24, 2010…After votes by its Executive Council’s Committee on Political Education (C.O.P.E.) on Thursday August 19, 2010, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO today announced its first round of endorsements in races for state and federal level offices. In order to be eligible for endorsement, candidates for open state legislative seats must submit a letter requesting endorsement and complete a candidate questionnaire in advance of the meeting. For incumbent state legislators, a minimum 75-percent Labor Voting Record over the previous two successive legislative sessions (2007-2010) is required in addition to filling out a candidate questionnaire and requesting the endorsement in writing. Statewide officeseekers must complete a candidate questionnaire, participate in a candidates’ forum and request the endorsement in writing. Candidates for open congressional seats must request the endorsement in writing, fill out a candidate questionnaire and participate in a candidates’ forum. Federal level incumbents are endorsed based on their record of supporting working families in Massachusetts. All endorsements must be made by a two-thirds majority of the C.O.P.E. committee.
Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert J. Haynes praised all the endorsed candidates, saying: “These candidates for public office showed a commitment to working families not only in their performance as a candidate or elected official, but also in their pursuit of our endorsement. It is not easy to qualify for or earn our endorsement because working families expect the very best and most dedicated service on our behalf. Working families need these kinds of candidates to stand up to corporate greed and turn around our economy. We need candidates that understand how important workers and wage-earners are to our economic strength as a nation, and how important secure families are to building strong communities. We need elected officials with character, courage and commitment to fighting for the quality of life of all workers. These candidates demonstrated that kind of character, courage and commitment either through their campaigns or their service in office already. We are honored by their clear demonstration of support for the needs and concerns of working families, and we’ll put our entire political program to work to ensure they get elected and can vote and advocate for workers once in office.”
For elected officials involved in the legislative process, such as governor and state legislators, no endorsements were considered for those without primary challenges because the Mass. AFL-CIO believes there is still a great deal of legislative work to be done, especially on expanded gaming and on appropriating FMAP funds before the end of this session. The next Mass. AFL-CIO C.O.P.E. endorsement meeting will be held on September 22, 2010 in Fitchburg, MA. The endorsed candidates in the first round of endorsements, based almost exclusively on whether they were running in a contested primary, were as follows (parentheses indicate union membership):
For Congress:
District Attorney Bill Keating for election in the 10th Congressional District
Congressman Stephen Lynch (IRON) for re-election in the 9th Congressional District
Congressman Michael Capuano for re-election in the 8th Congressional District
Congressman Edward Markey for re-election in the 7th Congressional District
Congressman John Tierney for re-election in the 6th Congressional District
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas for re-election in the 5th Congressional District
Congressman Barney Frank for re-election in the 4th Congressional District
Congressman Jim McGovern for re-election in the 3rd Congressional District
Congressman Richard Neal for re-election in the 2nd Congressional District
Congressman John Olver for re-election in the 1st Congressional District
For Statewide Office:
Steve Grossman for election as State Treasurer
No Endorsement for election of State Auditor
Secretary of State William Galvin for re-election
Attorney General Martha Coakley for re-election
For State Senate:
State Senator Sal DiDiminico for re-election in the Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex district
State Senator Steven Tolman (TCIU) for re-election in the Second Suffolk and Middlesex district
State Representative Michael Rush for election in the Suffolk and Norfolk district
Ron Patenaude (UAW) for election in the Hampden district
Michael Coogan (IAFF) for election in the First Bristol and Plymouth district
Sheila Lyons for election in the Cape and Islands district
For State Representative:
State Representative Christine Canavan for re-election in the 10th Plymouth district
State Representative Sean Curran for re-election in the 9th Hampden district
State Representative Mark Falzone for re-election in the 9th Essex district
State Representative Pam Richardson for re-election in the 6th Middlesex district
State Representative Rosemary Sandlin for re-election in the 3rd Hampden district
State Representative Stephen Stat Smith for re-election in the 28th Middlesex district
Tackey Chan for election in the 2nd Norfolk district
Kevin Conway for election in the 22nd Middlesex district
Mark Cusack for election in the 5th Norfolk district
Josh Cutler for election in the 6th Plymouth district
David Dennis for election in the 8th Bristol district
Denise Garlick (MNA) for election in the 13th Norfolk district
Barry Lawton (BTU) for election in the 5th Suffolk district
Paul Mark (IBEW) for election in the 2nd Berkshire district
Ray Medeiros (IBEW) for election in the 9th Bristol district
Rhonda Nyman for election in the 5th Plymouth district
Jerry Parisella for election in the 6th Essex district
For Governor’s Council:
Governor’s Councilor Kelly Timilty for re-election
Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Devaney for re-election
Terrence Kennedy for election
Fran Ford for election
On Ballot Questions:
