November 4th Election Results
We Did It! SEIU Members Made History!
Presidential Elections: Barack Obama and Joe Biden
Statement of SEIU President Andy Stern on the Victories of President-Elect Obama and Other Pro-Working Family Candidates in Today's Election
SEIU members helped change the course of our nation at a critical time, electing the next President of the United States Barack Obama in a decisive 52-46% victory that will give him a mandate for change.
Here in California, we continued to build a stronger majority in the legislature supportive of working families, adding three new Assemblymembers we backed and winning both of our targeted State Senate races.
During the election, more than 3,000 SEIU members, staff and local leaders volunteered to take time off the job to campaign for change. An additional 100,000 nurses, janitors, child care providers and other workers volunteered after work and on weekends.
Local 521 dispatched our very own "Fab Four" to the battleground state of Arizona, home turf of Republican John McCain. Members Brian O'Neill, Gwyn Harshaw, David Garti, and Maria Castillo helped to make the winning difference.
Here were the SEIU Local 521 endorsements for November 4th election and the results:
| State Assembly |
|
Statewide Initiatives |
- District 20: Alberto Torrico --> WINNER
- District 21: Ira Ruskin --> WINNER
- District 22: Paul Fong --> WINNER
- District 24: Jim Beall --> WINNER
- District 27: Bill Monning --> WINNER
- District 28: Anna Caballero --> WINNER
- District 30: Fran Florez --> LOST
State Senate
- District 11: Joe Simitian --> WINNER
- District 13: Elaine Alquist --> WINNER |
|
- NO on Prop. 4 --> WIN
- YES on Prop. 5 --> LOSS
- NO on Prop. 6 --> WIN
- NO on Prop. 7 --> WIN
- NO on Prop. 8 --> LOSS
- NO on Prop. 9 --> LOSS
- NO on Prop. 10 --> WIN
For details on these statewide propositions, scroll down below. |
Click on the links below to see the Local 521 endorsements and the results by county:
Fresno County Political Endorsements
Kern County Political Endorsements
Monterey County Political Endorsements
San Benito County Political Endorsements
San Mateo County Political Endorsements
Santa Clara County Political Endorsements
Santa Cruz County Political Endorsements
STATEWIDE INITIATIVES
From energy policy to prison spending, SEIU members and all California voters faced an array of crucial issues in November. Many of these initiatives present complex policy matters that have the potential to create enormous budgetary and policy damage under simple and deceptive banners such as "clean energy" or "victims' rights."
After careful analysis, SEIU leaders in California recommended a NO vote on two counter-productive energy propositions, two wasteful prison spending initiatives, one initiative that threatens teens' safety and another that takes away the right to marry from same-sex couples.
- Prop. 4: No.
Puts teens at risk. Prop. 4 puts teens in danger by mandating parental notification when a teen terminates her pregnancy. Of course, parents want to be involved in their teens' lives, but Prop. 4 can't force teens to talk to their parents -- it could, however, force them to do something desperate and dangerous. Californians have twice rejected similar laws.
- Prop. 5: Yes.
Provides rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders. Prop. 5 will put more resources into rehabilitation and drug treatment for nonviolent drug offenders – to help them recover, instead of locking them up for long periods and wasting taxpayer dollars.
- Prop. 6: No.
Funds more prisons instead of schools. Prop. 6 costs a billion dollars a year at a time when our state can least afford it. It takes money from our schools and gives it to prisons, creating new programs with no accountability or new funding.
- Prop. 7: No.
Good intentions, bad energy idea. Prop. 7 claims to support renewable energy like solar and wind power, but it deliberately forces most solar energy providers out of business; that’s why it's opposed by environmental groups like the California League of Conservation Voters and by the solar energy industry group.
- Prop. 8: No.
Discrimination shouldn't be part of our Constitution. Prop. 8 takes away from same-sex couples the right to marry. Unlike any other part of California's Constitution, it would target one group for discriminatory treatment.
- Prop. 9: No.
Funds more prisons instead of schools. Prop. 9 is a huge drain on taxpayers at the height of a budget crisis. It purports to protect crime victims but in fact creates pages of complex new laws and serious duplication of existing laws.
- Prop. 10: No.
A billionaire's get-richer quick energy scheme. Prop. 10 is a $10 billion "clean energy" boondoggle heavily promoting natural gas vehicles, sponsored by a Texas oil billionaire who stands to benefit.