As his congressional campaign against Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) enters the final stretch, Democrat Joe Salerno has received the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents more than 20,000 workers in New Jersey.
“Joe recognizes the contributions that AFSCME members, and all public service workers provide for the people in South Jersey,” AFSCME NJ Council 63 Director Steve Tully said in a statement. “He has genuine respect for working people and he has been a supporter of organized labor in New Jersey.”
Salerno is competing in the 2nd congressional district, a South Jersey district that typically leans Republican. Van Drew was once able to win it as a Democrat before his defection to the GOP, but he won his 2022 re-election race in a 19-point landslide, and few in either party view the race as competitive this year.
Salerno, though, has worked to close the gap with Van Drew; he narrowly outraised the congressman in the most recent fundraising quarter with the help of self-funding, and released a poll over the summer arguing that the race is within reach.
In addition to AFSCME, Salerno has also gotten endorsements from the New Jersey Education Association, the Communication Workers of America, and the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, among other unions; the AFL-CIO, the state’s largest union, decided to stay out of the race rather than back either candidate.