CSEA MAKES PAC ENDORSEMENTS; COMMITTEE CHOOSES TO SUPPORT FEWER CANDIDATES THIS YEAR

Monroe County Legislator and NYS Assembly candidate Harry Bronson talks with constituients outside the Monroe County Office Building on August 10.  Bronson is one of five out of 20 NYS Assembly candidates to get the CSEA Statewide/WNY Region 6 PAC endorsement.  Bronson is headed to a primary on September 14, facing two challengers on the Democratic ballot for the 131 District, which includes the towns of Chili, Wheatland, Riga, Rush and portions of the City of Rochester.
(photo by Evelyn Evans)

Albany, N.Y.--  On Friday August 20, the statewide CSEA Political Action Committee released the details of their endorsements for the 2010 election cycle.  The statewide CSEA PAC, after receiving recommendations from members in 6 different regions across New York State, have endorsed candidates running for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, NYS Senate and NYS Assembly.

This year, CSEA has tightened their endorsement criteria and have made less endorsements than year's past.  PAC committee members cited an overt unwillingness on the part of some lawmakers to champion or move on labor issues that are important to our members.  In a Albany climate that has been downright hostile to public employees, we saw many of our lawmaker allies not standing up for our members when we needed them the most.  Well, today is their day of reckoning.

Of local importance, CSEA has endorsed incumbent U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand.  Additionally, Rep. Bill Owens (D-23th), Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-24th), Rep. Dan Maffei (D-25th), Brian Higgins (D-27th), Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-28th) were all endorsed.  CSEA did not make endorsements in the 26th District (Rep. Chris Lee, incumbent) and for Eric Massa's vacated seat in the 29th District.  There are two candidates officially on the November 2 ballot in that race, contested by Democrat and Iraqi war vet Matt Zeller and Corning, N.Y. Republican Tom Reed.

Including Harry Bronson (D-131st), other WNY Region 6 NYS Assembly candidates who were endorsed by CSEA include Chris Barons (D-139th), Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D-141st), Mark Schroeder (D-145th) and Brad Rybczynski (D-146th).  To learn more about these candidates, click on the name hyperlink.

Bronson, who is presently the Minority Leader in the Monroe County Legislature, was the only local Assembly candidate who received the NYS AFL-CIO endorsement earlier this month.

On the Senate side of the aisle, local endorsements went to incumbents Michael Nozzolio (R-54th), Joe Robach (R-56th), Cathrine Young (D-57th), Antoine Thompson (D-60th),  Challenger Mark Coppola (D-61st) and George Maziarz (R-62nd). 

The 59th Senate District endorsement, which is now represented by retiring Republican Dale Volker, is still on hold.

Notables who did not receive our endorsement or did not pursue the PAC process this year include Senate Democrat Bill Stachowski (58th District) and Senate Republican Jim Alesi (55th District).  Other Rochester and Buffalo area lawmakers who received no endorsement include Assembly Democrats Joe Morelle (132nd), David Gantt (133rd), David Koon (135th) and Sam Hoyt (144th).  Other Assembly Republicans who did not recieve our endorsement include Bill Reilich (134th) and Steve Hawley (139th).

Stay tuned for a complete list of CSEA NYS Senate and Assembly endorsed candidates to be posted in a day or two.