New York State United Teachers members played a significant role in election victories across New York on Tuesday, the result of more than 11,000 volunteer shifts and more than half a million voter contacts in support of candidates committed to public education, working families and stronger communities.
From Long Island to Buffalo, New York City to the North Country, NYSUT members knocked on doors, made phone calls, sent texts and engaged voters in races at every level of government.
Among the most significant wins was the election of Cait Conley to Congress in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where NYSUT was the first union to endorse her campaign in April.
“Voters across New York and across the country sent a message yesterday, and it was loud and clear,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “People want change. They want an economy that works for working families, strong public schools and leaders who understand the challenges everyday people face. And NYSUT members didn’t just vote for change. We helped make it happen.”
A major grassroots victory in the Hudson Valley
NYSUT made Conley’s campaign a statewide organizing priority. Members made more than 150,000 phone calls, organized seven labor walks in partnership with the Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Body and Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, and brought more than 300 volunteers together in October for a Labor Day of Action.
Dozens of NYSUT locals also participated in a relational organizing program designed to connect directly with union members.
“Cait Conley is exactly the kind of person we need in Congress — someone with integrity, a deep commitment to public education and genuine respect for working people,” Person said. “Our members recognized that from the beginning. They believed in her, they worked their hearts out for her, and now they’re helping send her to Washington. This is what people power looks like.”
Victories across the state
NYSUT-endorsed candidates secured important victories in state legislative races, including:
State Senate: Larry He won in Senate District 17, while Lisa Kaul secured victory in Senate District 39. Both campaigns benefited from coordinated grassroots efforts by NYSUT members and labor partners.
State Assembly: NYSUT-endorsed candidates Kim Keiserman, Joey Cohen-Saban, Chris McCreight and Ian Phillips declared victory in their respective races, with members making thousands of calls, knocking on thousands of doors, and devoting thousands of hours to voter outreach.
NYSUT members were also actively involved in several closely contested races where final results remain outstanding.
The power of organized labor
In addition to supporting endorsed candidates, NYSUT celebrates the election and re-election of NYSUT members to public office, reinforcing the growing presence of educators and other public service professionals in government.
Person emphasized that the election’s impact extends beyond individual victories.
“Behind every phone call, every door knock and every volunteer shift is a NYSUT member who believes that working people deserve a voice in their government,” she said. “These victories didn’t happen by accident. They happened because ordinary people did extraordinary things, together.”