Labor-Endorsed Candidate Wins VA Senate Seat

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

After weeks of door-knocking in extreme weather conditions and phone banking to turn out the labor vote, NoVA Labor members joined in the celebration Tuesday evening when endorsed candidate Jennifer Wexton won a special election to fill the open 33^rd district state senate seat in Virginia. Wexton received a clear majority of the votes over two opponents on an Election Day hampered by snow, ice and bitter cold. “Our members realized the importance of this election and came through big time,” said NoVA Labor President Dan Duncan. "We were calling during the snow storm on Tuesday reminding our members to go vote," adds Dolores Gerber, who coordinated the labor-to-labor effort. "Those votes put Jennifer over the top!" The Virginia Senate now stands at 19 Democrats and 20 Republicans pending the recount of the January 7 election in the Norfolk/Eastern Shore 6^th district where labor-endorsed Lynwood Lewis holds a 9-vote lead. photo by Rick Wasser courtesy LoudonTimes.com