Labor-endorsed candidates win up and down the ballot, securing a trifecta in Michigan
LANSING, MI — From Detroit to Grand Rapids and all the way to the Keweenaw Peninsula, labor-endorsed pro-worker candidates won up and down the ballot — and union members led the way. According to the CNN Voter Poll, conducted by SSRS, voters in union households made up an estimated 22% of Michigan voters. Across Michigan’s Senate and governor races, voters in union households were 20% more likely, on average, to support the Democratic candidate than voters outside union households. And Michigan’s labor movement was on the frontlines, implementing its most robust Midterm Get Out the Vote and Member to Member programs to date. In addition to supporting candidates committed to putting workers first, the Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Foundation trained and deployed hundreds of volunteers to protect the election before, during and after.
“Michigan’s labor movement went to the mat for Michigan’s working class — and we look forward to every single pro-worker candidate that won today doing the same when they take office,” said Ron BIEBER, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “I’m incredibly proud of every single union in this state for leaving nothing on the table and delivering a victory for working Michiganders. Michigan’s labor-endorsed winners know what needs to be done to give Michiganders a shot at a chance at having a decent life. Congratulations to Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson, Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, Secretary of State-elect Garlin Gilchrist II, Attorney General-elect Eli Savit and every labor-endorsed candidate that won.”
Labor is uniquely positioned to push back against attacks on our elections. When democracy is threatened, we mobilize — and that’s what we did in this election.
“The right to vote is sacred in this country, and we trained and deployed hundreds of volunteers to help protect it,” said Kate Mason, Executive Director of the Michigan AFL-CIO Labor Foundation. “Congratulations to the election administrators for ensuring a safe, fair and free election. And thank you to our allied groups and partners across the state.”
The Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan’s largest labor organization, is a federation representing forty different labor organizations, eighteen different central labor councils, and eight constituency groups representing over 1 million union members and their families.
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