October 27, 2018
Just call them Team UUP.
Three active UUP members—including Democratic state attorney general candidate Letitia “Tish” James and a recent UUP member who has plans on returning to SUNY service— are running for state office in the midterm elections.
“We’re very proud of these UUP members,” said UUP President Fred Kowal. “They’ve stepped up to defend and advocate for public higher education, for students, for working families and for organized labor. They’ve got our 100 percent support, and we look forward to working with them after they win their races and take office.”
James, who in September became the first black woman to win a statewide nomination for a major party, is heavily favored to beat her Republican rival and win election as attorney general. James, above, addressed delegates earlier this month at UUP’s 2018 Fall Delegate Assembly in Buffalo.
She’s an adjunct lecturer who teaches at Empire State College in New York City. She’s best known as the public advocate for the city of New York; in that role, she took part in several 2014 rallies to save the jobs of UUP members at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Monica Wallace, a Democrat, is the incumbent running for her second term as assemblymember in the 143rd state Assembly District. Wallace, pictured above with statewide VP for Professionals Tom Tucker, left, Buffalo State Chapter members Rich Stempniak and Fred Floss, right, is an adjunct instructor at the Univesity at Buffalo School of Law.
Chad McEvoy, above, a Democrat running for the 101st state Assembly District, is a professional who works in facilities planning at SUNY Oneonta. On Oct. 24, The New York Times published McEvoy’s op-ed about his gerrymandered Assembly district. Read it here.
Democrat Patrick Burke, who’s running to represent the 142nd state Assembly District, was a UUP member up until January 2018. He left his post as an adjunct lecturer of political science at SUNY Buffalo State to run for state Assembly, according to a campaign spokeswoman.
Burke, pictured above wearing a UUP shirt while marching in the Buffalo Labor Day Parade, plans to return to Buffalo State at some point after the election.
Every member of Team UUP has been endorsed by NYSUT. James, Wallace and Burke were endorsed by the New York State AFL-CIO. McEvoy carries endorsements from IBEW Local 2032 and CSEA.
You can find NYSUT’s list of endorsements HERE, and the New York State AFL-CIO’s list of endorsements HERE.