Chantilly, VA — At 10:00 am this Saturday, October 29, Virginia congressional candidate Luann Bennett will fire-up 32BJ SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members before they knock on doors to turn out votes for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as well as Bennett’s bid to unseat Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (VA-10).
“The SEIU is a champion for working and middle class families and for the rights of our immigrant communities – the very people who I’ve have sought to listen to, fight for and earn the support of since I launched my campaign,” Democratic challenger for Virginia’s 10th Congressional district LuAnn Bennett said. “I am grateful for the support of SEIU and their members, and know that together we can help build a more even economy that works for everyone.”
“Low-wage workers are determined to prevent a victory for anti-immigrant candidates like Trump and Comstock,” said Jaime Contreras, a 32BJ SEIU Vice President. “LuAnn Bennett and Hillary Clinton understand that men and women of color hold the key to our country’s future.”
The overwhelming majority of 32BJ members are immigrants from Central and South America working side-by-side with African-Americans. There are 277,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Virginia—the 16th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. They are inspired by Hillary Clinton’s pledge to introduce a commonsense immigration plan with a path to citizenship in her first 100 days.
“I admire Hillary Clinton because she supports immigration reform and working families,” said Aleyda Padilla, a mother of three and 32BJ commercial office cleaner from Chantilly. “I don’t understand how Trump can make money off so many Latino workers at his casinos and be so racist. He doesn’t respect women and he’s a really bad person – I don’t like him at all!”
Nationwide, SEIU is signing up 400,000 members—including tens of thousands of Virginians—on the Fight for $15 Voter Agenda to mobilize voters and volunteers.
SEIU members overwhelmingly endorsed Hillary Clinton as their choice for president in November 2015. Since then they have been out in record numbers–from primary to primary—knocking doors, making phone calls and mobilizing their communities to elect Clinton. Together with the 64 million underpaid voters across this country, SEIU members are working to elect candidates up and down the ballot who will be champions on the issues that matter to them most: raising wages, child and home care, immigrant, racial and environmental justice.
SEIU members and the 64 million underpaid working Americans have taken to the streets to demand something better, and paved the way for one of the most progressive national Democratic Party platforms in our nation’s history. Together, they are a powerful voting bloc that will be a decisive force in this November’s election.
With more than 155,000 members in nine states, including 4,000 in Virginia, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country. With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas.
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