 PLANNING FOR SUCCESS — PEF VP Joe Fox, right, reviews with a member of the State Employees Association of NH the territory he will cover in a September voter canvass of union households in Concord. — Photos by Tim Raab Members give strong support to candidates supporting PEF By SHERRY HALBROOK From one end of New York to the other, PEF members have been working to get out the vote for state legislative candidates, especially those in the closest races. “We have two goals in these elections,” said PEF President Roger Benson. “First, of course, to see that our endorsed candidates win; and, second, that PEF has a high profile in these elections so the candidates understand PEF’s commitment to their election. These local elections represent one of the most important activities PEF undertakes to benefit our members. I am proud of the work we have done in politics that has benefited our job security, our contract and our pensions. The election cycle represents a terrific opportunity to continue that benefit.” Downstate efforts strong On Long Island, PEF Region 12 Political Action Committee (PAC) Co-Chairs Sal Casciola and Dennis Baranec are leading the effort to get out the vote for endorsed candidates, including state Sens. Carl Marcellino in the 5th S.D. in both Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Kemp Hannon in the 6th S.D. in Nassau. Both candidates are incumbent Republicans. Region 12 is also making a special effort to re-elect state Assembly Member Patricia Eddington, a Democrat, in the 3rd A.D. in Suffolk County. “These legislators have perfect or nearly perfect voting records on the bills that have mattered most to PEF and have always been very open and receptive to our concerns,” Casciola said, “so our members are glad to support them, regardless of their party affiliation.” In PEF Region 10, which includes Manhattan and the Bronx, most of the heavy lifting was done during the Democratic primaries. However, the union is putting special effort into supporting the re-election of Republican Olga Mendez to the state Senate in the 28th S.D. “Long before Olga asked PEF for help, Region 10 activist Roxane Rosario was working on that campaign,” said Region 10 PAC Chair Bob Thomas. “Later in the campaign, more volunteers came in to help.” PEF campaigning upstate In the Hudson Valley, PEF Region 9 activists are working on several races including Democrat Dennis Tracey’s challenge of the Republican incumbent in the 96th Assembly District, which includes all or parts of Orange and Rockland Counties. And in Westchester County, the union is helping Republican Nick Spano hold onto his seat in the 35th Senate District. Up the river, in Region 8, PEF activists are supporting two challengers, as well as numerous incumbents. Former PEF member Bob Reilly is getting a lot of support in his bid to unseat the Republican incumbent in the 109th A.D., which includes parts of Albany and Saratoga counties. And they are also making a special effort to help challenger Kevin Neary win in the 127th A.D., a large area which also extends into Region 5 and takes in all or parts of Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Ulster and Columbia counties. Bob Brabant Jr., PAC chair for Region 7 in the north country, reported support for several incumbents, including Darell Aubertine — a Democrat running in a heavily Republican area for re-election in the 118th A.D. which includes all or parts of Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. “Since Aubertine was narrowly elected for the first time two years ago,” Brabant said, “he has had a very good voting record on our issues. We have a high concentration of around 300 members living in that district, so we want them to know that. Sam Burns is Aubertine’s PEF political action liaison (PAL) and he has been leading our efforts on that campaign.” PEF, Brabant said, sent information about Aubertine to its members in the district and mobilized volunteers for phone banks. A door-to-door canvass was being considered for the final days of the campaign. In central and western New York, PEF regions have been working on many campaigns. Region 4 PAC Chair Pat Smith said activists there worked hard on state Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffman’s successful primary race, and have kept right on volunteering to support her re-election. The Republican candidate has stood arm-in-arm with PEF to fend off repeated efforts to close or cut back services at Hutchings Psychiatric Center and to sell SUNY Upstate Medical Center, both in Syracuse. West facing key races too Mark Keefe, Region 3 PAC chair, in the Rochester area, said it is staunchly backing the re-election of state Assembly Member Susan John, a Democrat who chairs the Assembly Labor Committee and has helped the union on many issues. The region is also strongly behind Ellen Polimeni, the wife of a PEF member and the Democratic challenger in the 129th Assembly District. And Region 1 PAC Chair Kevin Hintz said activists there are once again working hard for incumbent Assembly Member Francine DelMonte in the 138th A.D., Niagara County. The union is sending its members in that district information about Delmonte and expects to have volunteers calling voters on her behalf. |
PEF endorses 4 candidates Following the September primary elections, PEF made four revisions to its list of endorsed political candidates for the November 2 general election. (See September Communicator for previous endorsements.) Major Owens, the incumbent in the 11th Congressional District, was endorsed following his victory in the Democratic primary. Brooklyn voters in the 11th C.D. will find Owens on the Democratic and Working Families Party ballot lines. James E. Hare was endorsed in the 137th Assembly District. He is running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families Party ballot lines. The district includes all or part of Chemung, Schuyler and Tioga counties. PEF endorsed Mark Schroeder in the 145th A.D. Voters in Erie County will find him on the Democratic, Independence, Conservative and Working Families Party ballot lines. The union is also now supporting Democrat Jeff Klein in the 34th Senate District. This replaces the previous endorsement of Stephen Kaufman, who lost both the Democratic and Republican primary elections. The district, formerly represented by Republican Guy Velella, includes portions of the Bronx and Westchester County. — Sherry Halbrook |
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