AFSCME Local 189 Endorses Jefferson Smith and Mary Nolan

Evan Manvel

"Jefferson Smith has a proven track record of consensus building, without compromising on important issues."

Big news tonight in Portland city races: AFSCME Local 189, the largest city employee union with 940 members, has endorsed Jefferson Smith for mayor and Mary Nolan for city commissioner.

From the press release (with paragraphs re-ordered):

"Jefferson has been working with us in the legislature to move a progressive agenda protecting voting rights and creating transparency in government. Additionally, he carried the bill that directed state agencies to cut middle management and direct the budget to go to front line services. With potential cuts on the horizon at the City, this resonates with our members," said Local Vice President, Mark Gipson

"As a State Representative Jefferson Smith has a proven track record of consensus building, without compromising on important issues such as protecting voting rights, and creating transparency in government. He has shown through his work to limit middle management and focus budgets on front line services that he is willing to challenge the status quo."

"Eileen is an interesting candidate... many of our members liked her. In the end we felt she was untested ..."

Members also appreciated that Charlie Hales was willing to reach out and participate in the endorsement process have conversations with them. However, many of the members were seeking a change in leadership...

On the city commissioner race:

Mary Nolan was chosen over the incumbent, Amanda Fritz, for her experience working at the city, her work on Ways and Means at the State Legislature and her consistent record of standing up for all working families. Although many of the members working at the Bureau of Emergency Communications and Office of Neighborhood Involvement were supportive of Amanda, the call for change at City Hall combined with Mary's record of support for working people was ultimately persuasive.

AFSCME Local 189 also endorsed Steve Novick.

A final important note from the press release: "Local 189's endorsement paves the way for AFSCME Council 75 to endorse."

More from The Oregonian.

And The Portland Mercury.

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    Disclaimer: I haven't made an endorsement in this race. I speak only for myself.

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      Correction/Clarification: I haven't made an endorsement in the mayor's race.

      I have endorsed Mary Nolan and Steve Novick.

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      Steph, you appear to know almost nothing about Eileen if that's your summation of her. PBA but one of her connections, and we have the campaign to prove it.

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    Yeah, Mark, I do think it is interesting that they picked the two legislators in the two races where that was possible.

    All in all, not that surprising a slate of selections.

    It does mean, of course, that the AFL-CIO endorsement in the mayor's race won't be a unanimous pick. Should be fun to watch.

    Full disclosure: My firm built Eileen Brady's campaign website, and we're assisting Oregon AFSCME Council 75 with their email outreach. I speak only for myself.

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    note: Joe Baessler, AFSCME Political Director, is a good friend & ally of Jefferson's. and of course that had nothing to do with this decision.

    (disclaimer: i work part-time for the Brady campaign)

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      Is this what the Brady campaign meant was coming when it unilaterally declared the "gentleperson's conduct agreement" to be critically violated in a previous BO thread? I hope not.

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      That's a snide little aside, T.A. I haven't decided who I'm voting for yet - just that it won't be Mr. Hales, but posts like that one aren't especially helpful to Ms. Brady's cause.

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      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

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      Thank you, Jefferson.

      I agree with everything you've said above.

      I did not mean to imply that there's anything nefarious or untoward in the endorsement of two legislators.

      Merely that AFSCME clearly valued your 100% voting record on their scorecard. (And I think Rep. Nolan has 100% too.) Not at all surprising that a 100% record would win an endorsement. Otherwise, there would be no point to having a scorecard.

      Congratulations. I can't wait until this is over, and we can go back to hanging out and watching basketball together. Hope you're well.

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    btw, anyone who knows me, knows i fully & whole-heartedly support Oregon unions. no group has done more to protect the work- middle-classes in Oregon than AFSCME. i've been proud to work with them on campaigns in the past, and look forward to doing so in the future. solidarity.

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    Congratulations to Jefferson Smith on this important endorsement!

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