NPEU Endorses in DC Council Races, Jordan Grossman for Ward 2, Janeese Lewis George for Ward 4, Anthony Lorenzo Green for Ward 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Katie Barrows, NPEU, kbarrows@npeu.org, 360-624-6936
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2020 - The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) has issued endorsements in Council of the District of Columbia races, endorsing Jordan Grossman for Ward 2, Janeese Lewis George for Ward 4, and Anthony Lorenzo Green for Ward 7 . These endorsements come after a vote by the NPEU membership, in which they received overwhelming support. This is the first time the union has endorsed in local government races in its 22- year history.
NPEU has endorsed the progressive, pro-worker candidate in each of these races. In Ward 2, Grossman has consolidated support from progressive activists and organizations, including the Jews United For Justice (JUFJ) Campaign Fund, DC for Democracy, and the DC Working Families Party. Grossman is committed to making housing affordable, funding high-quality child care, easing student loan debt, prioritizing pedestrian, biking, and transit infrastructure, and preparing DC for statehood.
In Ward 4, NPEU is endorsing challenger Janeese Lewis George. Electing Lewis George would put a progressive in the Ward 4 councilmember seat and shift the balance of power back into the hands of working people. Lewis George has been endorsed by the JUFJ Campaign Fund, DC for Democracy, Black Lives Matter DC, and Metro-DC Democratic Socialists of America. As Ward 4 councilmember, Lewis George will lead the movement for better schools, real affordable housing, equitable healthcare, and an economy that works for everyone.
For Ward 7, Green is a long-time community leader on issues of community safety and policing reform, and is focused on holding law enforcement accountable, food accessibility east of the Anacostia river, and economic and racial justice. He has been endorsed by the DC Working Families Party, DC for Democracy, Black Lives Matter DC, and the Washington Teacher’s’ Union.
“Working people need bold, progressive leaders on the DC Council. Now, more than ever, DC residents are relying on policymakers to put their needs first,” said NPEU President Kayla Blado. “DC’s extreme inequalities—including high rent, skyrocketing child care costs, and uncertain access to health care—mean that working people need a Council that will work for them.”
The DC Democratic Primary will occur on June 2, 2020, and will determine who will be on the November 3, 2020 general election ballot. For Ward 2, a special election will also occur on June 16, 2020 to fill the Ward 2 councilmember position through the end of the year.
Currently, DC voters have to request to vote by mail with an absentee ballot in the June 2 and June 16 elections. The deadline to request a ballot is seven days before the election. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, NPEU signed on to a letter urging DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, the DC Council, and the DC Board of Elections to make elections safe, fair, and accessible. Recommending moving to full vote-by-mail elections by the November general election and improving access to absentee ballots.
NPEU has about 300 members living in the DC-area, working at 18 nonprofits with DC offices.
About NPEU:
The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU) represents professionals employed at 20 nonprofit organizations, and counting. With several hundred members across the country, NPEU gives nonprofit workers a voice to strengthen their workplaces and continue to do work that makes a difference in people’s lives.