“Sen. Coleman is an advocate for educators and has helped and endorsed teacher concerns during his tenure,” said Andrea Johnson, a veteran educator who has taught at four Hartford Public Schools during her 35-year teaching career. “It is with strong commitment that we endorse Sen. Coleman in the primary,” said Johnson, who also serves as president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1018.
Members of AFT Connecticut’s legislative and political action committee in June recommended endorsement of Sen. Coleman’s candidacy to the federation’s executive committee after reviewing his record and voting history. HFT’s local union leadership last month also took action to endorse the senator after interviewing the candidates vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the August 12th Primary Election.
“I’m proud to stand with AFT and their members,” said Sen. Coleman yesterday on news of the endorsements. “Working together we’ve improved the lives of many children across the district, most recently with the passage of Connecticut Smart Start, our comprehensive early childhood education proposal which will expand pre-K opportunities across our state. Every day, I go work for the working families of the Second Senate District. I look forward to continuing that work,” he said.
Coleman is serving his 19th year in the legislature representing the Second Senate District, which includes communities in Hartford, Bloomfield and Windsor. He has served as chair of the Joint Committee on Judiciary since 2001 where he has been an outspoken leader on social and economic justice issues. His long legislative record includes votes to raise the minimum wage, expand early childhood education, and secure funds to support public services in the district’s local communities.
“We believe an endorsement of a political candidate is a reflection of our members’ values,” said Melodie Peters, a former state senator and president of AFT Connecticut. “That’s why we support those who have a real track record and are strongly committed on the issues that matter to working families and our members,” she said.
AFT Connecticut is a labor federation of 29,000 teachers and school support staff, nurses and healthcare workers, higher education faculty and public service workers from more than 90 local unions throughout the state. Follow the union on Twitter at @AFTCT and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aftct.
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Paid for by AFT Connecticut PAC. This message was made independent of any political party, candidate or other political action committee.
