New York -The primary win of Charles Rangel in the 13th Congressional District was lauded by 32BJ SEIU, which had endorsed him and worked for his election.

“32BJ congratulates Charlie Rangel on his primary win,” 32BJ President Mike Fishman said. “We look forward to continuing to work with him to stand up for the rights of working people in New York State and around the country.”

32BJ members were out in force for Election Day, with 300 member volunteers fanning out throughout the day to help turn out the vote in the most competitive districts – the 6th, 7th, 8th and 13th. This was the culmination of weeks of activity during which 32BJ members worked to reach other members in these four districts about the election. Through phone banking, canvassing, and three separate mailers for each endorsed candidate, union members contacted 9,576 fellow members in Districts 6, 7, 8 and 13. In addition, our international union, SEIU, made contributions of $5,000, the maximum allowable, to each of the candidates’ campaigns.

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. The union’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.