On November 7th, at least 23 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) were elected or re-elected, along with labor-friendly candidates who won notable victories in various off-year contests nationwide.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear won his re-election bid, defeating Daniel Cameron’s extreme agenda. In Virginia, labor-friendly candidates toppled incumbents to regain control of both houses of the state Legislature despite the $15 million invested by Governor Glenn Youngkin. In Pennsylvania, pro-labor Dan McCaffery won a critical seat on the Supreme Court. These victories reflect the hard work of hundreds of IBEW members who worked tirelessly in contested states.
Approximately 15 IBEW members were elected or re-elected to state house, assembly, mayoral, school board, and council seats in New Jersey. These victories, including the re-elections of Trenton Local 249 member Wayne DeAngelo to the Assembly and Asbury Park Local 400 member Vin Gopal to the state Senate, translate into legislative results for members of the IBEW in New Jersey.
These state-level wins include mandates for prevailing wage rates paid to members on solar installations over 1 megawatt. The IBEW plans to lobby for a lower threshold with the new Legislature next year.
“That’s what political influence means: capitalizing on your wins and getting results for IBEW members,” said Third District International Representative Wyatt Earp. Not coincidentally, Folsom Local 351 member Donald Norcross (NJ-1) is the only IBEW member serving in Congress.
IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper said a vibrant, active grassroots program is critical to the union’s political influence. That’s why John Zapfel, IBEW’s grassroots coordinator, continually travels the country, speaking to progress meetings and holding registrar trainings emphasizing the importance of mobilizing year-round, especially on the eve of an expected epic presidential election year in 2024.
“We saw in Virginia and Kentucky that the union vote can make the difference,” Cooper said. “It means talking to union members about the issues not just on the doors or the phones but where they work. And having those issue conversations every month of the year – not just after Labor Day.”
“We are moving the ball forward in the South and across the United States,” Zapfel said. “It’s progress.”
IBEW members who were elected/reelected on Nov. 7:
Indiana
- Evansville, Ind. Local 16 member Ryan Griffith: Bedford City Common Council District 1
New Jersey
- Philadelphia Local 98 member Matthew McDevin: Pennsauken Board of Education
- Paterson Local 102 member Christian Barranco: Legislative District 25 Assembly
- Paterson Local 102 member Matthew Scerbo: Phillipsburg Council
- Jersey City Local 164 member Keith Misciagna: Park Ridge Mayor
- Trenton Local 269 member Wayne DeAngelo: Legislative District 14 Assembly
- Folsom Local 351 member Gimeppe Chila: Gloucester County Surrogate
- Folsom Local 351 member Robert Johnson: Woodbury Council
- Folsom Local 351 member Dennis Tapp: Somers Point Mayor
- Folsom Local 351 member Michael Tolomeo: Stratford Council
- Folsom Local 351 member Steven DiManeo: Pittsgrove Board of Education
- Asbury Park Local 400 member Vin Gopal: Legislative District 11 Senate
- Asbury Park Local 400 member Tom Prince: Beachwood Council
- New Brunswick Local 456 member Kevin Egan: Legislative District 17 Assembly
- East Windsor Local 827 member Gina Ragomo-Tait: Palmyra Mayor
- Newark Local 1158 member Lori Brigati: Passaic Valley Regional H.S. BoE
New York
- Albany Local 236 member Ryan Brosnan: Troy City Council
- New York Local 1430 member Sam Gonzalez: Suffolk County Legislator 9th District
Ohio
- Cleveland Local 38 member Mark Casselberry: Parma City Council
- Columbus Local 683 member Bob Dorans: Columbus City Council
Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh Local 5 Larry Neidig Jr.: Deer Lakes School Board
- Philadelphia Local 98 member Thomas Lepera: Norristown Council
- Allentown Local 375 member: Chris Kaufman: Pennridge School Director
Other news from Nov. 7:
State Supreme Court
Daniel McCaffery (D) defeated Carolyn Carluccio (R) in the partisan election for one seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Nov. 7. McCaffery’s victory means Democrats maintain a 5-2 majority on the court.
State Legislatures
- Democrats gained control of one state legislative chamber by winning partisan control of the Virginia House of Delegates.
- Democrats maintained control of the state Senate.
- Democrats maintained partisan control of both chambers of the New Jersey state Legislature.
Congressional Special Election
- Rhode Island 1st Congressional District: Gabe Amo (D)
State Government Trifectas
Elections on Nov. 7 kept the number of state government trifectas (when governor, state House and Senate share party affiliation) at 40—23 Republican and 17 Democratic—the highest number since at least 1992.
- Louisiana will change from a divided government to a Republican trifecta after Jeff Landry (R) was elected governor on Oct. 14.
- Kentucky will remain a divided government after the reelection of Gov. Steve Beshear (D).
- Virginia will remain a divided government after Democrats win the House and maintain control of the Senate.
- Mississippi and New Jersey will remain Republican and Democratic trifectas, respectively, after those parties maintained partisan control of the legislature in each state.
After the 2023 elections, ten states will have divided governments, meaning neither party will hold trifecta control. Before the elections, there were 22 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 11 divided governments.
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