Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) has been endorsed for governor by four major electricians unions as he competes against Gov. Kathy Hochul in a Democratic primary.
IBEW Locals 3, 25, 1049 and UWUA Local 1-2 have pledged their support for the representative from the 3rd Congressional District on the North Shore. The unions have over 40,000 members and are based in New York City, Long Island and Westchester.
Suozzi accepted the endorsements over the weekend at the IBEW Local 3 headquarters in Flushing, Queens. William Holmes, Suozzi’s grandfather, was an IBEW Local 3 electrician who installed lights on the Empire State Building, according to the campaign.
The Glen Cove native said that he is going to fight for his constituents and not the establishment.
“Electricity is about power. This race is about power to the people,” said Suozzi. “I’m fighting for the people, I’m fighting for you, I’m not fighting for the insiders or the establishment, I’m fighting for the real-life issues that affect your life. New York State has been an insider game for the past four decades. I’m running to change that, and to finally address rising crime, lower taxes, our sky-high utility rates, and to fix our troubled schools.”
Suozzi’s running mate for lieutenant governor, Brooklyn Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna, said the working class is the reason for future generations to prosper.
“You are the working class that make this country breathe, you are the people that built the country we have today,” Reyna said. Your forefathers left open this door so that further generations can learn how great it is to be an electrician. We are here because we are committed to your families, and Tom Suozzi and I are committed to turning things around for the people of this state.”
During his time in Washington, Suozzi has been co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus and pushed for pro-labor policies such as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
Chris Erikson, business manager of Local 3, said the union has supported Suozzi throughout his career and believes in both his experience and agenda.
“There is a candidate that will ensure that the voices of those who feel abandoned will be heard,” Erikson said in a statement. “Tom Suozzi, we believe, will bring New Yorkers together. He’s a progressive, common sense Democrat, who understands how important unions are to a thriving middle class. Equally important, Tom Suozzi is our best hope to beat Lee Zeldin. We’ve supported Tom throughout his career. We believe his experience and agenda best serves the interests of IBEW throughout the state. Tom brings common sense leadership at a time when it is needed most to lead New York forward.”
In his remarks, Suozzi said the American Dream doesn’t exist right now, but he will work toward it when elected.
“The American Dream is not complicated. It’s a simple idea that if you work hard, you make enough money so you can afford a house, you can educate your kids, you can get health care and you can retire without being scared,” Suozzi said. “That’s it. Work hard for a good life. That’s America. But that doesn’t exist for too many New Yorkers these days. As governor, I’ll work to fix that and make it a top priority.”
