Hudson County Executive Craig Guy secured a significant boost to his one-day-old re-election campaign today with the endorsement of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), a politically influential union that brings not only financial resources but also a substantial membership base living and working throughout Hudson County.
The endorsement gives Guy the backing of a New Jersey-dominant labor union that has repeatedly demonstrated its political strength in recent statewide and local elections.
LiUNA was among the earliest supporters of Gov. Mikie Sherrill during her successful gubernatorial campaign and played a prominent role in consolidating labor support for her candidacy. The union also invested heavily in the race through campaign resources, strategic guidance, and extensive field operations.
For Guy, the endorsement comes with more than just a seal of approval. LiUNA is expected to provide boots on the ground, campaign volunteers, and voter outreach efforts from members who live in Hudson County and have deep roots in local communities.
LiUNA Vice President and Eastern Region Manager Mike Hellstrom praised Guy’s record on infrastructure, labor standards, and economic development.
“Craig Guy has been a true partner in helping to create safe and accessible jobs for our members that will also foster opportunities for families throughout Hudson County,” Hellstrom said. “Craig has been on the front lines in the fight for the Gateway Tunnel project that will create thousands of good-paying jobs and provide additional access to critically important mass transit for residents, and he’s worked to make sure our workers receive fair wages from contractors with Project Labor Agreements.”
Hellstrom pledged “whatever assistance he might require in his campaign for re-election so that we can continue to have someone with the determination to propel the county forward and the capability and background to actually make it happen.”
The endorsement further strengthens Guy’s ties to organized labor, a key constituency in Hudson County politics. Labor unions have long played an influential role in county elections, providing campaign funding, voter contact operations, and Election Day turnout efforts.
Guy acknowledged the significant support the LiUNA endorsement brings.
“Mike’s ability to get things done for the thousands of Laborers living and working in Hudson County is a testament to his leadership, and I am very appreciative of his support for my re-election,” Guy said. “I have enjoyed working with Mike because his vision for how to move forward responsibly is all-encompassing while his will and determination to fight on behalf of the men and women of LiUNA never falters.”
“There is nothing more important to me than moving Hudson County into the future with good-paying jobs for residents on projects that help create safe and affordable places for residents to live, work and raise a family,” he added.
The endorsement is expected to bolster Guy’s campaign heading into the fall, adding one of the state’s most effective labor organizations to his coalition as he seeks another term as county executive.
Guy announced his re-election bid on Monday.