UAW Wins Big in NYC Primary Elections—Two Members Headed to Congress
Nearly all UAW-endorsed candidates won their primary elections in New York City last night—including not one but two UAW members who won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress.
Current Assembly Member Claire Valdez (Local 2110) won by 21% over her nearest opponent in New York's 7th Congressional District to represent parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Darializa Avila Chevalier (ALAA Local 2325) defeated an incumbent Congressman by 2,000 votes to win in New York's 13th District in Manhattan and the Bronx. Both are predicted to win the November general election handily, meaning for the first time ever UAW will be represented by members in Congress.
All five UAW-endorsed State Senate candidates won their races, and thirteen out of our fifteen State Assembly candidates were victorious. Of these races, UAW endorsed twelve insurgents against incumbents, ten of whom won against the odds. David Orkin, a current Local 2320 member, and Eli Northrup, a former Local 2325 member, will be on the general election ballot this fall with the support of fellow UAW members. Local 2325 member Conrad Blackburn came within eight points of unseating an incumbent Assembly Member, running a powerful grassroots campaign to show that Harlem is not for sale.
Overall, UAW had 500+ members volunteer to join canvasses, phone banks, and rallies, all on their own time. Across our efforts, our members reached over fifty thousand voters, and we made history. Our members will mobilize to get all of our endorsed candidates across the finish line in the general election this November.
