The liberal labor union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205 endorsed State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat. Campbell is the only Democrat running for the seat.
The SEIU has a history of endorsing Democratic candidates.
In 2020, SEIU endorsed Joe Biden against Donald Trump. Also, in 2016 the union endorsed Hillary Clinton as well as Barack Obama in 2012 and 2008.
One of the SEIU initiatives is its “Fight for $15,” a national campaign seeking to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour for every employee in the country.
Another is its “Racial Justice” campaign.
“We are on a journey to build a society where everyone’s work is valued and all people are respected. Together, we will fight anti-Black racism, structural racism and all forms of racial oppression that prevent working people from earning a good living and having a good life,” the organization says.
SEIU member Russ Anthony said in a statement, “Senator Campbell has proven herself to be a fighter who isn’t afraid to take on the powerful special interests who are rigging our economy against working families. We need more people in Congress like her who understand what our lives are like and the challenges we face, we’re proud to support her.”
Local 205 President Brad Rayson said, “We’ve seen Senator Campbell’s pragmatic approach to governing in the legislature and that’s exactly what we need to get things done in Congress. She sticks to her principles but is also able to work with anyone when there is room to find common ground. That’s been missing in Congress for some time.”
“Having the thousands of hard-working essential workers represented by SEIU supporting our campaign is a real honor. Their members have kept our hospitals, schools, cities, and towns running, especially during these recent unprecedented times. I remain committed to fighting for them, their families, and all working-class Tennesseans,” said Campbell.
After the redistricting process concluded, the new TN-5 is considered to be a deep-red Republican district.
Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight gives Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat a partisan rating of R+15. The Cook Political Report rates the campaign for the seat as “Solid Republican.”
The 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, as well as all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Senator Heidi Campbell” by Tennessee General Assembly. Background Photo “U.S Capitol” by Wiki person that edits. CC BY-SA 4.0.
