CWA District One Delivers on Promise to Flip NY State Senate

New York - The Communications Workers of America, District 1, political program delivered on Election Day in New York. Victory in targeted New York State Senate races puts  the chamber under Democratic control, and victory in U.S. House races helped end the Republican lock on power in Washington, DC.  

“Our members volunteered in record numbers and helped deliver the change that we need. Republicans have controlled the State Senate almost without interruption since World War II and have blocked critical pro-labor legislation, but last night we delivered a Democratic majority that will change the dynamic in Albany and strengthen the political power of New York’s working people,” said Dennis Trainor, Vice President, CWA District 1. “We now also have a House of Representatives controlled by Democrats that will put a much needed check on an unhinged President and a complicit Congress.” 

While unions have been under unprecedented attack, the CWA District 1 program was more strategic and more intense than ever. The CWA ground game turned working people out in unprecedented numbers that had an impact at the federal, state and local level. During the month of October CWA members filled well over 600 volunteer shifts. On the GOTV Day of Action, over 100 volunteers knocked on thousands of doors for 19 campaigns in New York and Connecticut. 

CWA, through its IE PAC New Yorkers Together, also invested nearly $500,000 in a joint effort with the New York State United Teachers and Service Employees International Union 32BJ, to win back the New York State Senate.

Some of the highlights from election night in New York:

• Democrats swept key races for the New York State Senate and now hold a commanding 39-24 majority. In critical races the CWA ground game delivered to push Monica Martinez (SD 3), Jim Gaughran (SD 05), Anna Kaplan (SD 07), Andrew Gounardes (SD 22), James Skoufis (SD 39) and Jennifer Metzger (SD 42) over the top to victory on election night. 
• Democrats defeated three incumbent Republicans to help flip the U.S. House Tuesday night. In heavily Republican CD-22, the CWA members made thousands of calls, knocked on hundreds of doors to bring Representative-elect Brindisi to victory over incumbent Tenney. In CD-11, CWA members also campaigned tirelessly for Max Rose. And in one of the most closely watched races in the country, Representative-elect Delgado (CD-19) declared victory defeating the incumbent John Faso by 5,615 votes.

 
For the first time, CWA members engaged in a political program in Connecticut.  They made thousands of calls, send texts and covered volunteer shifts knocking door for the months leading into the election. 

Some of the highlights of election night in Connecticut included:

• CWA’s mobilization helped push Governor Ned Lamont to victory in a hotly contested statewide race decided by less than 14,000 votes. Their efforts also turned the Connecticut state legislature solidly blue as they flipped their top targeted seats for Mary Abrams (SD-17) and Julie Kushner (SD-24).
• CWA’s political program also helped Representative- elect Jahana Hayes (CD-5) to victory with over a ten percent margin.

“Over the last several months our members, volunteers and voters were motivated to deliver a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump and his despicable, divisive rhetoric and his Administration’s anti-worker policies,” said Bob Master, Assistant to the Vice President, CWA District 1. “Our members were fed up with his politics of racism and immigrant bashing. They delivered the message that this is not who we are as a country loud and clear tonight.” 

In the 2018 midterms CWA, District 1, focused on nine State Senate candidates in New York and three in Connecticut and seven Congressional candidates in New York and one in Connecticut. The union has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that elected officials are addressing the issues that matter to working families, driving critical conversations about jobs, the economy and corporate accountability at the local, state, and federal level. 

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The Communications Workers of America represents 700,000 working men and women in telecommunications, customer service, healthcare, media, airlines, public service and manufacturing. District One represents 65,000 total members in New York State.