ALBANY—The health care workers union SEIU 1199 spent over $500,000 to help Scott Murphy defeat Assemblyman Jim Tedisco in their race to replace Kirsten Gillibrand in Congress.
Federal campaign filings show the union invested more in independent expenditures than even the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee toward Murphy’s victory, between their political action and political education committees.
A memo from 1199’s New York political director, Kevin Finnegan, to the SEIU national political director John Youngdahl, that was provided to me, details the union’s spending in the race, including large amounts on direct mail and for radio and television ads. The total dollar amount was $548,812.
