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October 1998 IBEW Journal

U. S. Senate

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) of California is seeking election to a second term against State Treasurer Matt Fong (R). Boxer has long been a fighter for issues in which she believes, and her votes, as both a member of Congress and a Senator have been consistently on labor’s side. She has been part of the Democratic minority in the U.S. Senate that has helped block initiatives that would hurt working families and sustain presidential vetoes of other anti-worker measures.

Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois is also seeking a second term. She too has been a steady supporter of pro-labor legislation and has helped block anti-worker measures. She is locked in a tight race against an opponent who would most likely vote in lockstep with anti-labor forces.

Sen. Harry Reid (D) of Nevada is seeking his third term. He has been a fighter on behalf of labor’s issues. Like the above-mentioned seats, his loss would hurt the IBEW’s ability to block anti-worker bills and promote pro-labor legislation.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania is running for a fourth term. He has received labor’s endorsement in his race. Sen. Specter has worked closely with labor on a variety of issues and gives the IBEW a valuable ally on many measures on the Republican side of the aisle.

Sen. Patty Murray (D) of Washington is running for a second term. Her opponent, Congresswoman Linda Smith (R) has voted for virtually every anti-labor measure that has come before the House in the last four years. Sen. Murray, in contrast, has been steadfast in her support of the IBEW’s issues.

James Edwards (D) is seeking to unseat Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R) in North Carolina. Faircloth, seeking a second term, has supported numerous anti-worker bills and has a labor voting record near zero. Edwards needs a strong turnout from union members to win this seat.

Governors

In addition to having great influence over state legislation, governors also have a key role to play in the redrawing of congressional district lines that takes place every ten years following the national census. These are some key races in which the pro-labor candidates need IBEW members to get out and vote.

Marty Chavez (D) is challenging incumbent Gov. Gary Johnson in New Mexico. Johnson, who was an outspoken nonunion contractor, has forged an agenda that has prompted spirited demonstrations and opposition from organized labor. Chavez, the former mayor of Albuquerque, has received the backing the state’s unions.

Glen Poshard (D) is leaving his seat in Congress to run for the open Governor’s seat in Illinois. IBEW locals and other unions in Illinois are strongly backing Poshard who does not accept PAC money. He needs a strong labor voter turnout to win in November.

Gray Davis (D) was the most pro-labor of all the candidates running California’s Democratic primary in June. The strong union turnout against Proposition 226 helped propel him to victory. Union members will need to turn out in force again in November if Davis is to beat state Attorney General Dan Lungren (R).

Lt. Gov. Don Siegelman (D) is challenging Republican incumbent Fob James for the Governorship of Alabama. Siegelman has received the strong backing of the state’s unions.

State Sen. Roy Barnes (D) will try to hold the Governor’s seat in Georgia for the Democrats. He is running against Guy Millner, a very conservative, multi-millionaire businessman who lost the race for Governor in 1994 and for the U.S. Senate in 1996. Millner has sided with anti-labor agenda on just about every issue. Barnes has been endorsed by labor.

U.S. House of Representatives

All 435 seats in the House are up for election in 1998, but only a handful in this incumbent-friendly year are closely contested. The following are among those backed by the IBEW and organized labor, most of them in races that are considered close and where a strong turnout can make a difference. Members in these and all other districts are urged to study the candidates’ stands carefully and contact their local union for further information.

Arizona - 6^th: Steve Owens (D)
California - 49^th: Chris Kehoe (D)
California - 1^st: Mike Thompson (D)
Idaho - 1^st: Dan Williams (D)
Idaho - 2^nd: Richard Stallings (D)
Indiana - 8^th: Gail Recken (D)
Indiana - 10^th: Julia Carson (D)
Iowa - 1^st: Bob Rush (D)
Iowa - 2^nd: Rob Tully (D)
Kansas - 3^rd: Dennis Moore (D)
Kentucky - 3^rd: Chris Gorman (D)
Kentucky - 4^th: Ken Lucas (D)
Mississippi - 4^th: Ronnie Shows (D)
Montana - at large: Robert Deschamps (D)
Nevada - 1^st: Shelley Berkley (D)
New Mexico - 1^st: Phil Maloof (D)
New Mexico - 3^rd: Tom Udall (D)
New York - 2^nd: Rick Lazio (R)
New York - 3^rd: Peter King (R)
New York - 20^th: Benjamin Gilman (R)
New York - 23^rd: Sherwood Boehlert (R)
New York - 30^th: Jack Quinn (R)
Ohio - 1^st: Roxanne Qualls (D)
Ohio - 18^th: Rob Burch (D)
Pennsylvania - 10^th: Patrick Casey (D)
Pennsylvania - 13^th: Joseph Hoeffel (D)
Utah - 2^nd: Lily Eskelsen (D)
Washington - 1^st: Jay Inslee (D)
Washington - 3^rd: Brian Baird (D)
Wisconsin - 1^st: Lydia Spottswood (D)

State and Local Races

Obviously, there are far too many races for state and local offices to list here. Listed below are those IBEW members, whose names have been reported by IBEW locals in the United States, who hold or are running for various seats. Space limitations cause us to list only those running for statewide office, legislative seats or mayor.

Candidate for Secretary of State:

Art Hamilton (D), (left), former Democratic leader of the Arizona House of Representatives and member of Local 266, Phoenix, is seeking the office of Secretary of State, which, among other duties, is responsible for running state elections.

State Senator:

Steven Murphy, (D), Minnesota

State Representatives:

Jay Quackenbush, Alaska, Local 1547, Anchorage, AK

Thomas Turner, Kentucky, Local 2360, Somerset, KY

Rich Chrismer, (R), Missouri, Local 1, St. Louis, MO

Tim Green, (D), Missouri, Local 1, St. Louis, MO
(Holds House leadership position)

David Leland, (R), Missouri, Local 1, St. Louis, MO

Tom Collins, (D), Nevada, Local 357, Las Vegas, NV
(Ranking member on the Education and Labor Committee.

Robert Price, (D), Nevada, Local 357, Las Vegas, NV
(Chairman of the Committee on Taxation)

Brian McLaughlin, (D), New York, Local 3, New York, NY
(Also president of the New York Central Labor Council)

Dan Gardner, (D), Oregon, Local 48, Portland, OR
(Democratic Whip and National Board Member of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee)

Bill McGowan, (D), Rhode Island, Local 2323, Cranston, RI
President/Business Manager

Michael Klopchin, Vermont, Local 300, Montpelier, VT

Sister Jean Kumler, Local 212, Cincinnati, Ohio,
Democratic nominee in the 32^nd district of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Brother Richard Hildreth, Local 46, Seattle, WA
is running for the Washington Legislature from the 25^th district.

Mayors:

Charles Lansdell, Cherokee, Alabama, Local 558, Sheffield, AL

Greg Aitken, Sparta, Illinois, Local 1306, Decatur, IL

James Slade, Hammond, Illinois, Local 146, Decatur, IL

Andy Hanko, New Carrollton, Maryland, Local 26, Washington, DC

Claudette Munson, Willerine, Minnesota, Local 2047, St. Paul, MN

Phillip Duncan, Belton, Missouri, Local 1464, Kansas City, MO

Joseph Foy, Burlington, New Jersey, Local 269, Trenton, NJ

Daniel O’Grady, Winfield Park, New Jersey, Local 675, Elizabeth, NJ

Robert Wolfe, Waterford, New Jersey, Local 98, Philadelphia, PA

Curtis Hammond Jr., Rensselar Falls, NY, Local 910, Watertown, NY

Michael Davis, Heuvelton, NY, Local 910, Watertown, NY

Thomas Reenoch, Northhampton, Pennsylvania, Local 375, Allentown, PA

John Kahn, Laureldale, Pennsylvania, Local 1898, Laureldale, PA

Charles Eaton, Leander, Texas, Local 278, Corpus, Christi, TX

Harvey Humphrey, Burns, Wyoming, Local 415, Cheyenne, WY