Socialist Tide Turning? America's Biggest Union Won't Endorse Mamdani-Backed Leftist House Candidates
When even labor unions are turning their back on the tide of radical socialist Democrats vying for office this midterm cycle, it’s getting bad.
On Wednesday, the New York chapter of the AFL-CIO — America’s largest labor union — issued its endorsements for November.
Noticeably absent from the candidates backed by the left-leaning organization were three leftist House candidates, two of whom were insurgents backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The move comes as the socialist and progressive tide seems to be ebbing.
After huge primary wins for the far left in June and July, August brought only a narrow victory by heavily favored Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate primary and an embarrassing loss by Francesca Hong, up by double-digits in the polls, in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.
Only state Rep. Angie Nixon’s victory in the Florida senatorial primary provided any semblance of an upset win — and even that came at the cost of potentially putting the seat into play, with the victory making it almost certain that Republican interim Sen. Ashley Moody would win a full term.
In the Wednesday endorsements from the AFL-CIO, the New York Post reported, three House candidates that have been embraced by the far left — Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander, and Laura Gillen — were snubbed by the labor group.
Instead, the AFL-CIO announced it would maintain neutrality in those races.
Chevalier and Lander, who were endorsed by Mamdani, are expected to win easily, given the makeup of their districts.
However, both won over sitting Democratic representatives in races tinged with anti-Semitic sentiment.
Chevalier beat Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a favorite of labor unions, in New York’s 11th Congressional District. Lander, a former city comptroller, beat Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District.
Gillen, meanwhile, is a sitting representative — albeit one in a potential swing seat in Long Island’s Nassau County.
Therefore, the AFL-CIO refusing to endorse Gillen is a huge blow in what’s shaping up to be a nasty race against Republican nominee Jeanine Driscoll.
As the New York Post reported Wednesday, Gillen is now using a campaign mailer to accuse Driscoll of supporting a $42 million tax hike in the town of Hempstead — despite the fact that Driscoll didn’t do so.
Driscoll holds the office of Receiver of Taxes for the Nassau County town, an administrative position. She had nothing to do with the hike, which was passed by the Town Board.
“Laura Gillen trying to blame me for tax hikes is like demanding a tax cut from the IRS administrator — I collect the bills, I don’t set the rates,” she said.
While Gillen, who’s serving her first term, is still favored to win the 4th Congressional District, the AFL-CIO staying out could provide an opening for Driscoll and the Republican Party to pour resources into a race that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Whatever the case, the union giant’s refusal to endorse the three candidates could be an indication that the Democratic Socialists of America and their fellow travelers are hitting a wall in electoral politics.
“I do think there is a ceiling at this point,” one Democratic socialist told Politico after Hong’s loss.
When even Big Labor is staying out, that ceiling might be a lot lower than expected.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
