Kallos receives dozen key endorsements in past month
(New York, N.Y.) A dozen prominent organizations and leaders have rallied behind Ben Kallos’ candidacy for City Council in Manhattan’s District 5 in the past month, a sign of powerful momentum and strong community support. In his race to represent the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, Kallos has established himself as the preferred candidate by organizations including prominent women’s rights and good government groups. Union 32BJ SEIU rescinded its endorsement of his embattled opponent for the first time in the organization’s 100-year history to throw support behind Kallos.
In addition to 32BJ SEIU, Kellner lost the support of five elected officials last month, including Borough President Scott Stringer, and Council Member Jessica Lappin, who currently holds the seat Kallos and Kellner are vying for.
Kallos’ endorsers include:
- Feminist leaders like National Organization for Women – New York City, National Organization for Women – New York State, and Elizabeth Holtzman, the youngest woman ever elected to congress and the only woman ever elected to Comptroller or District Attorney in New York City
- Good government organizations Citizens Union and Citizen Action of New York
- Progressive Caucus of New York
- Unions 32BJ SEIU, daycare workers DC 1707 and Board of Education employees DC27 Local 372
- Advocacy groups Tenants PAC and 504 Democratic Club
In designating him preferred candidate, Citizens Union said Kallos “will be a strong voice for reform in the City Council” and declared themselves “deeply concerned with the sexual harassment allegations surrounding Kellner’s tenure in the State Assembly.”
32BJ SEIU called on Micah Kellner to drop out of the race for the seriousness of the allegations of his sexual harassment of his staff. The union called Kallos an “advocate on issues that are important to the working men and women of New York City, like education, affordable housing, and tax reform.”
NOW-NYC head Sonia Ossorio said: “Ben Kallos makes the women and girls of this city a priority.”
Kallos now has a total of 23 endorsements, with more than half coming in the last month alone. The endorsements have helped in every aspect of the campaign, including fundraising and volunteer recruitment, and will continue to be valuable in the final two weeks of the campaign.
His endorsements are as follows:
- Citizen Action of New York
- Citizens Union
- National Organization for Women – New York City Chapter (NOW-NYC)
- National Organization for Women – New York State (NOW-NYS)
- Progressive Caucus Alliance
- Sierra Club
- Tenants PAC
- 2012 Organizing for America National Military and Veterans Affairs and New York State Director Rob Diamond
- Former Congress Member Elizabeth Holtzman
- Former Public Advocate Mark Green
- New Roosevelt Founder Bill Samuels
- Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark
- Free Software Founder Richard M. Stallman (RMS)
- 32BJ SEIU
- Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1179
- Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 5
- Communication Workers of America Local 1101
- DC 1707, AFSCME
- DC 37, AFSCME, Local 372
- Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100
- Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) Local 1-2
- 504 Democratic Club
- PSC CUNY
Kallos has been the Executive Director of a leading good government group, attorney, Policy Director for Mark Green and Chief of Staff for Assembly Member Jonathan Bing. Learn more about his run for City Council District 5 at http://KallosForCouncil.com.
