Tish James For Public Advocate

Almost all of the major unions who have announced endorsements in the race for New York City public advocate have backed Tish James.

Here's the latest:

After receiving nods from all but one of the city’s major unions thus far, Brooklyn Councilwoman Tish James public advocate campaign is continuing to roll out other notable labor endorsements.
Yesterday, Ms. James scored District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal workers’ union, and today, she’s adding UFCW Local 1500, which represents the city’s grocery store workers.

At this point in the race, bigger union endorsements for Ms. James are anything but surprising; she already has SEIU 32BJ, Central Labor Council, and the labor-backed Working Families Party. But for Ms. James, who has lagged in fund-raising and will need a small army of volunteers to get her message out, each one is certainly welcome.

“UFCW is proud to endorse Councilwoman Tish Jame … because she understands the challenges that working people in our city deal with every day,” the UFCW’s president, Bruce Both, said in a statement. “Tish has fought hard to protect good-paying jobs, preserved affordable housing in our neighborhoods, and stood up for the idea that New York City must work for working people, not just the wealthy and the privileged.”

Also in the hunt for the public advocate’s office race are three other Democrats: State Senator Dan Squadron, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani and Professor Cathy Guerriero.

Mr. Squadron and Ms. Saujani are leading the pack in fund-raising, but with the exception of the well-organized Hotel Trades Council for Mr. Squadron, the pair have mostly focused on their support among other elected officials and advocates. Ms. Guerriero, loud and known for making her presence felt at forums, has steadily rolled out smaller trade and uniformed union chapter endorsements, of which she possesses dozens.

Saujani is the DFER/hedge fundie-backed ed deform candidate in the race (they supported her in a losing primary bid against Carolyn Maloney a while back), and while she placed last in a recent poll (with just 4% support), she will have a ton of hedge fundie/Wall Street criminal cash to try and win votes.

Just what we need, a hedge fundie/Wall Street-backed Public Advocate.

Actually, just what we don't need.

I am supporting Tish James in the race.

James has been very good on public education issues, economic issues, labor issues, policing issues, real estate issues.

I think she would make an excellent Public Advocate.

Saujani, on the other hand, with her corporate cash and hedge fundie/Wall Street-backing, would not.

Cathy Guerriero has come out in support of intrusive National Security Agency surveillance.

That disqualifies her immediately in my view.

The last thing we need is a NYC Public Advocate looking to make excuses for government spying and intrusion.

Isn't the Public Advocate supposed to do just the opposite of shill for excessive government power?