By ALFREDO ALVARADO
The Green Machine, the union’s team of activists, has been busy making telephone calls on behalf of candidates endorsed by District Council 37 for the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

“DC 37 volunteers will be on the phone and on the streets from now until primary day to ensure victory for these candidates,” said Executive Director Henry Garrido. “The candidates we have endorsed have solid records and demonstrate their dedication to their communities.”

There are five state legislative races that are a priority for the union. In Brooklyn’s race to represent the 19th District, the union is supporting state Sen. Roxanne Persaud. She served as president of the 69th Precinct Community Council in Canarsie and is a member of Community Board 18. Persaud is an advocate for seniors and has introduced legislation to protect the elderly against financial exploitation.

In the race to represent the 55th District in Brooklyn, the union backs Assembly member and Brownsville native Latrice Walker. Walker served as counsel for U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke. She is a strong supporter of more funds for hospitals in her district and for capital improvement projects.

In the Bronx, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, has received the union’s endorsement in his race to represent the 33rd District. Rivera has sponsored several pieces of legislation to help veterans and to provide translation services for incarcerated individuals.

The union has also endorsed Assembly member Victor Pichardo in his race to represent the 86th District in the Bronx. Pichardo served as Latino outreach coordinator for U.S. Sen. Charles Shumer before he was elected to the state Assembly. Pichardo is an advocate for tenants and supports raising the minimum wage.

DC 37 also endorses Jamaal Bailey for the 36th Senate District, which covers Mount Vernon and the North West Bronx. Bailey serves as the community relations director for state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

The union endorses these candidates in their election:

State Senate QUEENS 10 James Sanders 11 Tony Avella 14 Leroy Comrie 15 Joseph Addabbo Jr. 16 Toby Ann Stavisky BROOKLYN 18 Martin Malave Dilan 19 Roxanne Pesaud 20 Jessie Hamilton 21 Kevin S. Parker 25 Velmanette Montgomery BRONX 33 Gustavo Rivera 34 Jeff Klein 35 Andrea Stewart-Cousins 36 Jamaal Bailey MANHATTAN 27 Brad Hoylman 28 Liz Kruger 30 Bill Perkins 31 Robert Jackson STATEN ISLAND 23 Diane J. Savino State Assembly QUEENS 25 Nily Rozic 29 Alicia Hyndman 31 Michele Titus

33 Clyde Vanel 39 Francisco Moya BROOKLYN 42 Rodneyse Bichotee 43 Diana Richardson 46 Pamela Harris 47 William Colton 49 Peter Abbate Jr. 52 Jo Anne Simon 55 Latrice Walker 56 Tremaine Wright 57 Walter T. Mosley 60 Charles Barron MANHATTAN 65 Yuh-Line Niou 66 Deborah Glick 68 Robert Rodriguez 70 Inez Dickens 72 Guillermo Linares 75 Richard N. Gottfried BRONX 78 José Rivera 79 Michael Blake 81 Jeffrey Dinowitz 83 Carl Heastie 85 Marcos Crespo 86 Victor Pichardo City Council 17 Rafael Salamanca