32BJ today announced endorsements in the New York legislative races that showed the union is holding current GOP state senators to account for failing to help middle-class and working families.

“Unlike state Republicans in the past, New York’s current Republican state senators have failed our state by refusing to pass crucial, commonsense legislation that would benefit middle-class and working New Yorkers,” 32BJ Secretary-Treasurer Hector Figueroa said. “They refused to raise the minimum wage; opposed a bill to force utilities like Con Ed to abide by the state’s prevailing wage law; and chose to continue the corruption of our political system by blocking campaign finance reform.”

“At a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling to get by, our union stands strongly with Democratic challengers who will fight in the state Senate for fairness to middle-class and working families.”

Among the incumbents running who failed to win 32BJ’s endorsement are State Senator Marty Golden in the 22nd District, where the union is endorsing Democrat Andrew Gounardes. In the 40th District in the Hudson Valley, the union also endorsed the Democratic challenger, Justin Wagner, over incumbent Senator Greg Ball.

With 70,000 members in New York State, 32BJ is known for its strength in mobilizing members and voters to support endorsed candidates. In recent years, the union has strengthened its political endorsement program by putting resources toward door-to-door campaigns as well as mailers, phone banking and other independent expenditures to reach voters.

32BJ’s endorsement process is guided by an extensive screening of candidates by members, and by the union’s policy agenda, which emphasizes the creation of good jobs and support for prevailing wage standards and responsible economic development.
Endorsements in NYC are as follows: