ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 21, 2022 — New York State United Teachers today endorsed U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for re-election.
NYSUT’s Board of Directors voted to endorse the five incumbents late Friday afternoon.
Schumer has long been an ardent supporter of the work of NYSUT members across New York.
“We’re proud to call Sen. Schumer a friend of NYSUT members and organized labor across the state and country,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. “From his hard work to secure federal relief funding during the pandemic to his hyper-focused attention on the needs of New Yorkers from Montauk to Buffalo, Sen. Schumer continues to deliver for our state, and we unequivocally endorse him for re-election.”
NYSUT’s endorsement of Hochul is the union’s first endorsement for a gubernatorial candidate since 2006.
“Gov. Hochul has met the challenges we face head-on from Day 1 of her administration, proving she has what it takes to lead New York through the pandemic and to new heights,” Pallotta said. “Her commitment to listening to the needs of our members signals a new day in Albany, and we look forward to working alongside her to ensure we build on our high-quality public education, higher education and health care systems in the next four years.”
Pallotta added that with Benjamin on the ballot, the gubernatorial ticket is all the more formidable.
Pallotta said NYSUT is proud to endorse James for re-election, after endorsing her in her first run for attorney general in 2018.
“Attorney General James isn’t afraid to stand up for New Yorkers, whether it’s in our communities or before the U.S. Supreme Court,” Pallotta said. “A former educator and union member herself, she shares the values of organized labor and working people across our state, and we know she’ll continue to serve as a fierce protector of our values.”
DiNapoli is a longtime supporter of organized labor and NYSUT members and has a deep knowledge of the needs of students, educators and families going back to his days as a trustee on the Mineola Board of Education.
“Tom’s dedication to financial stewardship is unmatched,” Pallotta said. “In particular, Tom has been a stalwart protector of retirement security for public employees his entire career. There is no better champion of the idea that public employees deserve a secure and fair retirement.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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