Updated below with Vermont-National Education Association endorsements announced Monday afternoon.
As we reported in last week’s Fair Game, Sen. Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans) has so far run the table on labor endorsements in his bid for state auditor.
That changed Sunday when his opponent, Democrat and Progressive Doug Hoffer (pictured), took home the endorsement of the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
“Both candidates had a lot of support, but in the end the delegates decided they wanted to come out and support one candidate,” said AFL-CIO president Ben Johnson. “Sen. Illuzzi does have a lot of support from labor, but when the delegates looked at the totality of the two candidates’ records, the delegates clearly came down on the side of Hoffer.”
Meeting at its annual convention over the weekend at Jay Peak, the umbrella labor organization heard from most candidates for statewide office in Vermont. On Sunday, delegates representing the AFL-CIO’s member unions voted to endorse a slate of candidates, most of whom are Democrats. They include Gov. Peter Shumlin, lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Cassandra Gekas, Secretary of State Jim Condos, Treasurer Beth Pearce, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch.
The one Democrat spurned by the group was Attorney General Bill Sorrell, who for the second time this year was passed over by the AFL-CIO. In June, the organization backed Sorrell’s Democratic primary opponent, T.J. Donovan. On Sunday, it endorsed Progressive AG candidate Ed Stanak (pictured below).
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