Teamster-Backed Candidates Take Major Primaries in Illinois
Joint Council 25 Puts Boots on the Ground to Win in Statewide Races
Twenty-one labor-friendly legislators and candidates endorsed by Teamsters Joint Council 25 prevailed in Illinois’ General Primary Election on Tuesday, March 15.
In addition to public endorsements for all Teamster-backed candidates, Joint Council 25 organized an army of volunteers to assist multiple campaigns in and around Chicago on Election Day. Illinois Teamster members and representatives, including several from Teamsters Local 727, put their boots on the ground to help Juliana Stratton defeat State Rep. Ken Dunkin for the 5th District House seat.
Teamster volunteers also distributed literature, knocked on doors and encouraged residents to support House Speaker Michael J. Madigan for the 22nd District, State Representative Sonya Harper for the 6th District and State Representative Jaime Andrade for the 40th District.
“The sweeping victories on Tuesday for labor-backed legislators proves that in Illinois, organized labor and working men and women still have a strong voice and we’re not afraid to make it heard,” said John T. Coli, President of Joint Council 25 and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “From the underfunding of workers’ pensions to anti-labor legislation, the Teamsters and our union brothers and sisters have countless battles before us to preserve the rights and dignity of our members. We have to support politicians who understand our issues and are ready to stand beside us. As this election has shown us, labor has the unity and the strength to win the war on workers.”
The 21 candidates who each won their elections on Tuesday include:
- Luis Gutierrez, U.S. Congress, 4th District
- Jan Schakowsky, U.S. Congress, 9th District
- Brad Schneider, Candidate for 10th Congressional District
- Bill Foster, U.S. Congress, 11th District
- CJ Baricevic, Candidate for 12th Congressional District
- Patricia Van Pelt, State Senate, 5th District
- Emil Jones III, State Senate, 14th District
- Michael Hastings, State Senate, 19th District
- Sam McCann, State Senate, 50th District
- Cynthia Soto, State House, 4th District
- Juliana Stratton, Candidate for 5th House District
- Sonya Harper, State House, 6th District
- Chris Welch, State House, 7th District
- John D’Amico, State House, 15th District
- Michael J. Madigan, State House, 22nd District
- Christian Mitchell, State House, 26th District
- Thaddeus Jones, State House, 29th District
- Jaime Andrade, State House, 40th District
- Mike Halpin, Candidate for 72nd House District
- Susana Mendoza, Illinois Comptroller
- Brooke Shupe, Grundy County State’s Attorney
Teamster members and staff volunteers from Teamsters Local 727, Teamsters Local 700, Teamsters Local 731 and other affiliates walked precincts as early as 6 a.m. to champion candidates who’ve supported organized labor.
Visit TeamstersJC25.com for future political updates and additional endorsements as the 2016 election cycle continues in Illinois and across the nation.
Additionally, Teamster members are encouraged to contribute to DRIVE to help the union elect political candidates who care about working people.
Contributions to DRIVE support a wide range of Teamster activities:
- Keeping members and their families informed on the key issues that affect our future, including voter guides that show the records of our Senators and Representatives in Congress.
- Rallies, news conferences, advertisements and phone banks to build support on issues of concern to working people.
- Voter registration and financial support for political candidates who will stand up for working families. DRIVE is non-partisan and independent from any political party.
For more information on DRIVE and how to contribute, contact your Local 727 business representative at (847) 696-7500.
Teamsters Local 727 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Category: Politics, Union News
