VICTORY! 32BJ SEIU Endorsed Candidates Win Big in General Election

Governor Phil Murphy becomes the first democrat governor to be re-elected in 44 years

Democrats gain Senate seat in LD 16

Re-Elected Union Champions Mayor Dhalia Vertresse, Mayor Steve Fulop, Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and Mayor Tim Dougherty

NEWARK, N.J. — 32BJ SEIU, the largest property services union in the country, with 13,000 members in New Jersey, celebrates the victories of our union-endorsed pro-working families’ candidates who won big across the state tonight.

Governor Phil Murphy won tuesday’s election, thus becoming the first democrat governor in New Jersey to be re-elected in 44 years.  A longtime ally, Phil Murphy has worked closely with 32BJ and has instituted important worker protections and progressive policy changes. He understands that good jobs build strong communities and a fair economy for all.  The minimum wage increase, mandating of paid sick time for workers and ensuring equal pay for equal work are critically important to 32BJ members and all working families in New Jersey.

We have also being victorious in the legislature. In LD16, the Democrats picked up a senate seat with Andrew Zwicker and reelected Assemblymember Roy Freiman.

In the municipal realm, we celebrated important victories.  Against the odds, fellow union member Dahlia Vertresse won her re-election to Mayor of Hillside. In Jersey City long-time 32BJ friend and champion, Mayor Fulop will be joined by newly elected 32BJ-endorsed candidates, Amy Degise, Joyce Watterman, Denise Ridley, Mira Prinz-Arey, and Yousef Saleh. Also in Jersey City, Councilman James Salomon, through a well-run campaign and strong fundraising, overwhelmingly wins his re-election for Ward E.   Mayor Ravi Bhallah and his slate – Jim Doyle, Joe Quintero and Emily Jabbour – will be able to move an agenda that centers working families in Hoboken.  Other municipal victories include Mayor Tim Dougherty and his slate – Nathan Umbriac, Toshiba Foster and David Silva – in Morristown.

“We are thrilled with all the victories of our champions at the state and local level.  We endorsed these candidates because of their progressive values, and their support of the union’s mission to better the lives of working families and improve our communities. They have worked tirelessly to bring equal opportunities to all New Jerseyans. We look forward to fighting together towards justice for all,” said Kevin Brown, Executive Vice President and NJ State Director of SEIU 32BJ.

SEIU 32BJ represents about 13,000 members in New Jersey, who work as residential porters, door attendants, office cleaners, security officers, airport workers, school food service workers and other building service jobs. Members across the state came together to volunteer to get their candidates elected.  Since the primaries, hundreds volunteered knocking on thousands of doors, sending tens of thousands of texts, and reached over 100,000 voters. These efforts were crucial in securing the victories of most of the union’s endorsed candidates, demonstrating once again that electoral victories are won when nothing is taken for granted and every voter is touched through door-knocking, calls, and texts. Through hard work and working-families centered policies – Democrats can and will continue to win.

With 175,000 members in 11 states, including more than 13,000 in New Jersey–32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country.