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Newsline: November 2004

Candidates Backed by Local 237 Fared Well

Sen. Schumer Wins by Landslide

Candidates endorsed by Local 237 fared well in New York State elections for U.S. Senate, Congress, New York State Senate and State Assembly.

In a landslide victory, Sen. Charles Schumer was re-elected to a second six-year term, defeating Assemblyman Howard D. Mills (R-Rockland). Schumer, a Brooklyn Democrat, won enough votes to be ranked among the biggest winners ever in a Senate race, suggesting he may be a likely candidate for governor in 2006.

All the candidates for U.S. Congress endorsed by Local 237 were elected, except for Frank Barbaro, Democrat of the 13th CD, who was defeated by incumbent Vito Fossella, Republican.

Two seats were gained by Democrats in the Republican-controlled State Senate. Diane Savino, endorsed by Local 237, easily won the 23rd district seat on Staten Island vacated by State Senator Seymour Lachman. Savino became the first woman elected to the Senate from Staten Island. And in the 28th district in the Bronx, José Serrano Jr., defeated incumbent Sen. Olga Mendez, who had changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Klein, Democrat, won the 34th district seat in the Bronx vacated by Democratic Sen. Guy Velella. In a close race for the 35th district seat in Westchester, Sen. Nicholas Spano (R-Westchester), endorsed by Local 237, appears at press time to have beaten challenger Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester).

Local 237-endorsed Jimmy K. Meng (D-Queens), the first Asian-American elected to the New York State Assembly, won by a landslide in the 22nd Assembly District, defeating Republican rival Meilin Tan.

In national elections, two senate seats were won by ethnically diverse Democrats. Barack Obama of Illinois will become the only black U.S. senator, having gained the seat held by Republican Peter Fitzgerald, who did not seek a second term. Colorado State Attorney General Ken Salazar will become the first Hispanic senator from that state, having defeated Peter H. Coors, the beer magnate.

Among losses for Democrats, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the Senate’s minority leader, was defeated by Republican Rep. John Thune.

Sen. Charles Schumer

Local 237 President Carl Haynes joins the newly-elected State Senator Diane Savino and other local officials at a press conference outside Staten Island’s Curtis High School on Oct. 25. Savino identified school safety and overcrowding in schools as key issues on her agenda. She also acknowledged the “integral role that school safety agents play in enabling students to learn in an environment conducive to education,” and pledged to push for more safety agents and better funding for current safety agents. Flanking Savino are State Assemblyman John LaVelle and Haynes.

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This site is managed by Tania Lambert, Editor, Teamsters Local 237. Gregory Floyd, President.
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