AFL-CIO, PFT and LGBT leaders endorse Kenney
For former City Councilman James F. Kenney, Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky. The aspiring Philadelphia mayor received one of the biggest endorsements a candidate can land - from the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO - plus the backing of some of the city's LGBT leaders, representing a growing voter bloc, and the teachers' union.
For former City Councilman James F. Kenney, Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky.
The aspiring Philadelphia mayor received one of the biggest endorsements a candidate can land - from the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO - plus the backing of some of the city's LGBT leaders, representing a growing voter bloc, and the teachers' union.
The AFL-CIO council is composed of more than 100 unions representing 130,000 workers in the public sector, private industry, and the building and construction trades. To gain the endorsement, a candidate must have the backing of at least two-thirds of the council's 41 board members, who are presidents of their locals.
"Jim Kenney is the right choice for Philadelphia. As a councilman, he stood up time and again to defend working families on everything from prevailing wage to the right to organize," the group's president, Patrick J. Eiding, said in a statement. "We look forward to working with Jim to create a city where everyone has access to fair, safe working conditions and a living wage."
Kenney, son of a firefighter, said in the statement, "As mayor, I'll fight every day for Philadelphians' right to a living wage, paid sick leave, and safe work sites."
Earlier in the day, Kenney was endorsed by some of the leaders of Philadelphia's gay and lesbian community.
At a Friday morning news conference, State Rep. Brian Sims, the first openly gay man to be elected to the legislature, said Kenney has been a "tireless advocate" for the LGBT community for more than 20 years.
Kenney was also endorsed by other LGBT leaders, including Mike Marsico, Kathy Padilla, SharRon Cooks, and Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou.
During his time on Council, Kenney was a champion of progressive economic causes and immigrant and LGBT issues. One of the last bills he saw through before quitting to run for mayor was making assaults on LGBT people a hate crime.
Finally, the 16,000-member Philadelphia Federation of Teachers tweeted that it also was endorsing Kenney, and that union president Jerry Jordan would make an official announcement Monday.