NUHW Members Mobilize for Key Fall Election Campaigns
Editorial StaffEfforts Ramp Up in Critical Congressional Districts Ahead of Fall Elections
Although Amy Dinovo resides outside California's 22nd Congressional District, she recognizes the significance of flipping the seat currently held by Republican David Valadao, who opposes labor interests. Motivated by this goal, Dinovo, a licensed clinical social worker at Kaiser Permanente, journeyed from her home in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday, August 22, enduring temperatures exceeding 100 degrees to advocate for Randy Villegas, the Democratic challenger in the upcoming November election. This seat could be crucial in determining whether Congress holds a pro-labor majority next year.
“Realmente creo que necesitamos salir a montones en esta elección,” Dinovo stated. “Hay tanto en juego, y Randy es una gran opción. Necesitamos sacar a Trump, y todo ese MAGA necesita irse. Ha sido tan dañino para el cuidado de la salud, para los trabajacdores; estamos viendo eso todos los días en nuestras clínicas.”
In a bid to ensure Democrats who support workers' rights gain control of the House of Representatives, serving as a counterbalance to President Trump's power, National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) members are actively participating in pivotal races.
Earlier this month, NUHW members campaigned for Aisha Wahab, who secured a special election victory to replace Eric Swalwell in Congress and will vie for a full two-year term this November. Special interest groups spent millions in the weeks leading up to the election to try and defeat Wahab, who has a strong record of advocating for workers.
“Hay mucho en juego,” commented Jackki Patrick, a nursing assistant from Oakland and member of the NUHW Executive Board, who supported Wahab prior to the special election. “Aisha Wahab es alguien que conocemos y en quien confiamos; no podemos quedarnos en casa cuando los billonarios están dando cheques enormes para tratar de mantenerla fuera del Congreso.”
Addressing volunteers on Saturday, August 15, many wearing NUHW's signature red shirts, Wahab remarked, “Miren, tenemos tanta diversidad. Nos estamos uniendo en particular porque sabemos que el Este de la Bahía tiene que ver con desarrollar comunidad y construir juntos. Y lo que hemos visto en esta contienda en particular es que se han gastado más de $9 millones en este puesto. Eso es ridículo…Es una cantidad desorbitada.”
Villegas is expected to face similar corporate-backed opposition, and he is relying on volunteers like Saysamone Medrano, a medical social worker at Kaiser in Bakersfield, to help secure this vital district.
“Hay mucho dinero que apoya a otras personas, y estos candidatos necesitan nuestro apoyo para pasar la voz,” Medrano noted, engaging in door-to-door campaigning for the first time. “Randy apoya a la gente de abajo, a los trabajadores, y necesitamos apoyarlo a él.”
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