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The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Local 88, Multnomah County’s largest employee union, today became the latest and perhaps most significant union to issue an endorsement for Julia Brim-Edwards in the county chair race.
Local 88 represents about 4,000 county employees. Its members work in such sectors as homeless services, health and the library. In endorsing Brim-Edwards, a current county commissioner and former Portland School Board member, Local 88 joins a growing list of big-name unions stacking up behind her bid for chair. (On Tuesday, Brim-Edwards picked up an endorsement from the Oregon Nurses Association).
That growing list is bad news for Brim-Edwards’ leading opponent, fellow County Commissioner Shannon Singleton, who’s been competing for many of the same endorsements, and has thus far significantly underraised both her opponents. (Sharon Meieran, the other candidate in the race, is not seeking organizational endorsements.) Singleton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a news release, Rachel O’Rourke, the union’s vice president and a co-chair of its political action committee, said the union had made its decision because “Julia is a time-tested champion for workers’ rights and a powerful partner to our union.”
“At this critical moment, we need a bold, collaborative leader who unites people and delivers real victories for working families—and that leader is Julia Brim-Edwards,” O’Rourke said. “She consistently includes labor in her decision-making. At this critical moment, we need a bold, collaborative leader who unites people and delivers real victories for working families.”
Brim-Edwards has racked up support from all six mayors in Multnomah County and a long list of former elected officials. She also continues to outraise her opponents in the race. That financial support will likely continue as unions pull out their wallets.
Still, she’s faced heat from some of her former colleagues on the Portland School Board, who warned in an open letter that Brim-Edwards consistently opts for the most “politically expedient path.” Brim-Edwards has pointed toward support from other School Board members, and her track record, as rebuttal.
Brim-Edwards’ campaign touted the Local 88 endorsement as another sign of her record of collaboration.
“Every day, Local 88 members are providing essential services to our community and working to make Multnomah County a better place to live, work, and raise a family,” Brim-Edwards said in a release. “They have critical firsthand knowledge about what is working, what isn’t, and how we can do better for the people we serve.”
