SEIU 721 members helped make the difference in the election of Governor Jerry Brown on Nov. 2. Facing a free-spending billionaire candidate who made public employees into “public enemy #1,” SEIU 721 members made phone calls and knocked on doors across Southern California, talking to voters about what’s happening in our schools, neighborhoods, and services.
Pictured: LA Superior Court reporter Rose Nava and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina at a rally before election day for U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who won re-election on Nov. 2.
Jerry Brown has a 40-year record of public service, and he has pledged to stop the attacks on public employees and work to restore California’s economy and create jobs.
“SEIU 721 members supported Jerry Brown not because of party but because he more closely represents our values as working people,” said Arnella Sims, an LA Superior Court reporter and chair of the COPE committee.
SEIU members’ COPE contributions supported our election efforts to counter Meg Whitman’s corporate-backed campaign.
“I came to help. I want to make California better for my children and I said I would do whatever it takes to make that happen,” said Eloisa Chavez, clerk with the LA County Department of Probation. She joined SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina to walk precincts on Halloween with her two children.
Click here to see photos of SEIU 721 members getting out the vote before election day.
Proposition Wins Will Help End Budget Crisis and Protect Environmental Laws
SEIU also helped defeat Big Oil’s efforts to roll back California’s greenhouse gas laws with Prop. 23 and adopt Prop. 25’s reforms that will break the budget gridlock that hurts California families year after year.
Proposition 25 changes the vote for a state budget from the current two-thirds majority to a 50% majority — meaning a handful of legislators will not be able to delay the budget for months to push their agenda. This year’s budget was delayed more than 100 days, the latest ever.
SEIU Member-Endorsed Candidates Sweep Across State
Statewide, SEIU member-endorsed candidates swept offices for treasurer, secretary of state, controller, insurance commissioner and lieutenant governor. In the attorney general’s race, endorsed candidate Kamala Harris held a narrow lead over Steve Cooley.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer retained her seat by beating Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett Packard CEO who outsourced more than 40,000 jobs during her tenure.
Local Wins Show Support for Public Services
More than 100 SEIU 721 members made phone calls or walked precincts to support endorsed candidates in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. SEIU 721 members helped elect 10 of their 14 endorsed candidates, including in the City of Oxnard and a key Assembly race for Das Williams. Williams overcame a $75,000 negative ad campaign on behalf of his opponent.
“I’m glad our efforts paid off. We need to support elected officials that are just as concerned for working families as we are,” said Sandra Garcia, an office assistant for the City of Oxnard who made phone calls to voters before the election.
Top Victories
on Nov. 2
SEIU 721 members’ volunteer efforts and COPE contributions helped beat back big-spending corporate candidates across the state.
Governor: Jerry Brown
Senator: Barbara Boxer
Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen
Controller: John Chiang
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer
Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tom Torlakson
Proposition 23 (to suspend air pollution controls): NO
Proposition 25 (to end budget gridlock by allowing a simple majority vote to pass a state budget): YES
Tri-Counties
Assembly District 35: Das Williams
City of Oxnard City Council: Carmen Ramirez and Tim Flynn
Ventura County Treasurer: Steven Hintz
LA/OC Cities
Inglewood Mayor: Danny Tabor
Santa Ana Mayor: Miguel Pulido
Santa Ana City Council: David Benavides, Michelle Martinez and Sal Tinajero
LA County
Assessor: John Noguez
It was a great win thanks to our union’s role but we also need to prepare for the attacks on labor that will soon begin. Republicans are going to feel they have a national mandate. I do not agree with them but we do need to put out an alternative an not wait. The One Nation approach to elections should continue to unify labor from all sectors of the working class in our next phase of actions. One of those is the passing of a single payer health care plan here in California. California could lead in this struggle now that we have a Democratic Governor and a democratic legislature. In addition, we need to preserve some of the gains made by the Obama administration which also helped in the turnout in this election. A Republican victory in congress cannot be sustained with their anti-worker policies. But we need legislation to counter their proposals and to expose their real positions on solving the economic crisis. A major jobs program is still needed more now than ever.