On Nov. 7, 2017, voters across Connecticut’s municipalities turned out and delivered a strong message demanding change in electoral politics – including the need to show greater respect for the right of union members to bargain for decent pay and benefits.

Nearly three-quarters of the candidates endorsed by Council 4 won their seats in local elections.

(Click here for the list of endorsed winners.)

Highlights included:

• Bristol, where Ellen Zoppo-Sassu impressively defeated the anti-union Republican incumbent, and four of our endorsed candidates won City Council seats.
• Manchester, where our nine endorsed candidates won seats on the Board of Directors and Board of Education, including AFSCME Local 2836 member Jay Moran, who was re-elected Mayor.
• West Haven, where pro-labor endorsed candidate Nancy Rossi became the new Mayor and AFSCME Local 714 member David Forsyth was elected to the City Council.
• Windham, where Victor Funderburk, a retired union member, was elected Mayor, along with three pro-labor candidates on the City Council.

In addition, Evelyn Rodriguez, an AFSCME Local 269 member, was reelected to the New Haven Board of Alders; Jim Tedford, an AFSCME Local 1471 member, won reelection to the Vernon Town Council; and Daniel Salerno, a retired member of AFSCME Local 714, retained his seat on the New Britain City Council.

“The candidates we endorsed won in large part by running on union values such as caring and fighting to keep American Dream attainable for working families,” said Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano.

“The election results sent a clear message to pro-corporate and wealthy special interests harming our state,” added Council 4 Legislative and Political Coordinator Brian Anderson. “We’ve got to maintain the momentum heading into the 2018 election so we re-establish a pro-worker majority at the Connecticut legislature.”