SEIU Local 1199 has endorsed City Council candidate Elizabeth Crowley, one of the Democrats running in the special election to fill Dennis Gallagher‘s seat.
The union is hugely powerful politically, particularly in special elections. So this is fairly big, if not all that surprising.
The one potential wrinkle: 1199 is working hand-in-hand at the moment with Al Sharpton and others to organize protests to “shut down” the city in response to the Sean Bell verdict.
Which is a position that voters in Gallagher’s Queens district–mostly white, blue-collar and right-of-center–may not appreciate.
I emailed Crowley’s campaign for comment and will update with a response.
UPDATE: On Monday, Crowley will officially receive the endorsement of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association at an event in front of a firehouse in Maspeth.
