It’s a good day! We are celebrating election victories for all of SEIU Local 1991’s priority races. This election we helped elect candidates who support working people, keeping Jackson Health System public, and quality care for our patients!
Many of our SEIU endorsed candidates won their races, including President Barack Obama, as well as Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, Commissioner-Elect Juan Zapata and State Representative-Elect Jose Javier Rodriguez.
Our SEIU endorsed candidates could not have crossed the finish line without our assistance. It is the countless hours spent canvassing, phone banking and sign waving by our members like you that truly made the difference in this election cycle. For that, we should all be very proud of the hard work we did in electing pro-working class family and Jackson Champion candidates.
Here are some of the election highlights:
- While Florida is still considered a “gray state” as thousands of absentee ballots that were turned in on Election Day are being counted across the state, it is safe to say that President Barack Obama won the State of Florida.
- Commissioner Audrey Edmonson won her re-election bid for District 3 with 62.13% of the vote.
- Commissioner Bruno Barreiro looks to be headed to victory in his re-election efforts for District 5 as well with winning 51.92% of the vote.
- Commissioner-Elect Juan Zapata won his election for District 11 with 54.49% of the vote.
- Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Jackson Champion whose mother Joyce Kerkoff is one of our members and a nurse in the NICU, is now the State Representative-Elect for House District 112 having received 53.92% of the vote.
These important victories highlight the success we can achieve when all of us engage in the political process and work together to elect people who will stand up for Jackson, our patients and working families! We have worked hard to elect candidates that share a common vision with SEIU, and it is important now more than ever that we hold our elected officials from our County Commissioners all the way to the highest office accountable.
If you spent any time working to elect any candidate this election cycle that wasn’t coordinated through our Local, please let us know! It is important for us at Local 1991 to know when our members went the extra mile and made a few phone calls on behalf of a candidate, or canvassed on their day off for President Barack Obama. Reply to this email and let us know how you helped to make a difference!
Your activism has paid off! Stay strong!
Martha Baker, RN