VICTORIES UNDERSCORE THE POWER OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION...
A strong majority of the candidates endorsed by AFSCME District Council 36, AFSCME California and the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, respectively, have won, underscoring the grassroots power of union members in electoral politics and bringing new victories to working families and the middle class.
This was a good Midterm Election for AFSCME members and all working people. It happened because of on-the-ground organizing. Volunteer shifts. Worksite visits. Knocking on doors and phone-banks. Every contact we made with union voters and the general public helped propel labor to victory. Together, WE made the difference.
Council 36-Endorsed LOCAL Contests – Victories Include:
- ANAHEIM UNION SCHOOL BOARD: Al Jabbar
- ANAHEIM: City Council Jose F. Moreno
- ARTESIA: City Council Sajjad Ali Taj; Melissa Ramoso
- COVINA: Measure CC, authorizing the City to raise the local sales tax by 0.75 percent to fund general City services.
- EL MONTE: Mayor Andre Quintero
- HAWAIIAN GARDENS: City Council Jesse Alvarado; Luis Roa; Monica Rodriguez
- LA COUNTY: Stormwater recycling Measure W, a property tax supporting cleaner water
- LA COUNTY SHERIFF: Alex Villanueva
- LA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT: #60 Tony Cho
- LAWNDALE: Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles; Measure L, a three-quarter cent sales tax to support general services
- LYNWOOD: Mayor Jose Solache
- LYNWOOD SCHOOL BOARD: Alma-Delia Renteria
- MIDWAY CITY SANITARY DISTRICT: Sergio Contreras; Margie Rice
- ONTARIO: City Council: Jim Bowman; Allen Wapner; Mayor: Paul Leon
- PICO-RIVERA: City Council: Gustavo Camacho
Among the broader victories in the US House of Representatives is Katie Hill, for whom AFSCME's West Hollywood Local 3339 members walked precincts to help defeat the anti-worker, anti-healthcare, anti-social security incumbent, Steve Knight, in the 25th Congressional District.
Thus far, about 75% of the candidates Council 36 endorsed to represent us in statewide office have won, including Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom, seen in the photo below with Council 36/Hawaiian Gardens Local 3624 member and Inglewood resident Shavon Moore*, and Insurance Commissioner-Elect, Ricardo Lara. With millions of votes still being counted, we anticipate that workers' rights champion, Tony Thurmond, will be our next State Superintendent of Instruction.
In addition, 89% of candidates the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor had endorsed in Sacramento won their seats, including former member of the United Long-Term Care Workers family, Wendy Carrillo, in State Assembly District 51, and former LA Fed President, and current UNITE HERE International Vice President, Maria Elena Durazo in State Senate District 24.
Additional important victories came through statewide propositions and local ballot measures that will affect the lives of our members and the communities they serve. A full list of statewide election results is available at: https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-pol-na-us-general-election-results-2018/
By defeating California Proposition 6, labor saved 68,000 good middle class jobs annually and preserved hundreds upon hundreds of projects that will do everything from easing traffic congestion and improving transit to fixing potholes and bridges.
*Stay tuned for a story to be posted at this website soon about AFSCME member Shavon Moore, a rising political star in her own right. She is pictured here with the Governor-Elect at a recent gubernatorial campaign stop in Orange County.
Editor's note: A special thanks and shout-out to the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and the CA State Labor Federation for their contributions to this story.
