MEMBERS’ CHOICE—PEF Vice President Pat Baker and Regional Coordinators Jennifer Faucher and Alan Schulkin congratulate NYC Comptroller Alan Hevesi, after the PEF officals announced the union’s endorsement of him in the NYC mayor’s race — Photo by Robert Jackson PEF backs Hevesi for NYC mayor New York City Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi has earned the endorsement of PEF in the race for New York City mayor. PEF President Roger Benson announced the union’s endorsement of Hevesi at a press conference on the steps of City Hall in early July. PEF Vice President Pat Baker, Region 10 Coordinator Jennifer Faucher and Region 11 Coordinator Alan J. Schulkin also spoke about why PEF is backing Hevesi, as dozens of PEF members applauded. “Today, we are honored to give our complete support to the candidacy of the next Mayor of the City of New York, the honorable Alan G. Hevesi,” Benson said. “Comptroller Hevesi has demonstrated time and again that he is a true friend of working New Yorkers. He has spoken out against attempts to weaken our state’s vital parole system. He has fought to strengthen the delivery of services to nursing homes. Now PEF will work tirelessly to elect him New York’s 108th mayor.” PEF interviewed each of the Democratic mayoral candidates at a membership forum in May. A recommendation for the endorsement by the Region 10 and 11 Political Action Committees was brought to PEF’s Statewide PAC, which approved it and passed it along to the Executive Board where it received the union’s final approval. Hevesi is a former member of the state Assembly, where he represented Queens. He is one of several Democrats seeking that party’s nomination for mayor. The nominee will be chosen in a September 11 primary and PEF supporters will focus on getting out the vote for Hevesi in that election. — Sherry Halbrook The Communicator Home Page