Kenney’s win shows that voters want leadership on wages, jobs
May 19, 2015 – Philadelphians chose a former union dishwasher and son of a firefighter to lead the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ today, as raising wages champion Jim Kenney was chosen as the Democratic nominee for mayor of Philadelphia.
“Jim Kenney’s focus on raising wages for working families and putting people before big corporate interests isn’t just a winning formula for Philadelphia, it’s what millions of voters across our country will be looking for in the months and years ahead,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “Working people are proud to support Jim Kenney in his effort to become the next mayor of Philadelphia, and we look forward to working with him to make this great city even greater.”
Kenney’s longshot primary victory comes on the heels of similar triumphs in Boston and New York City in 2013. In Boston, union member Marty Walsh beat the odds to win a twelve-way Democratic primary. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio began the race polling fifth, but overcame the deficit to win the primary and the general election.
Kenney, de Blasio, and Walsh ran on a strong “raising wages” agenda, focused on lifting workers up and creating pathways to the American Dream. To read more about the AFL-CIO’s national raising wages agenda, visit: http://www.raisingwagessummit.org/
Contact: Anthony DeAngelo (202) 637-5018