This is a coup for incumbent state schools superintendent Terry Bergeson. Randy Dorn has his own union, Public School Employees, (he's the executive director) and the Washington Education Association behind him.

But Bergeson has the backing of the broader labor community.

Note that state Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, garnered a "limited endorsement."

What the heck is that? (I have a call in to the Labor Council flack.)

Labor also is against Tim Eyman's Initiative 985, which would take some sales tax money on cars and spend it on congestion relief.

WSLC endorses Bergeson, legislative candidates

Today, delegates to the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, made additional endorsements for the 2008 elections at their annual convention in Vancouver, WA. Support from more than two-thirds of the 350 delegates was required to win the WSLC's endorsement.

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While previous endorsements were made at a political
endorsement convention in May, the following endorsements were made Wednesday:
-- Superintendent of Public Instruction: Terry Bergeson
-- Legislative District 5, House Position 1: Jon Viebrock
-- Legislative District 5, Senate: Phyllis Huster
-- Legislative District 9, House Position 2: Tanya Kelley, and a limited endorsement
for Chris Winter
-- Legislative District 14, House Position 1: Vickie Ybarra
-- Legislative District 25, Senate: limited endorsement for Jim Kastama
-- Legislative District 36, House Position 1: John Burbank
Delegates also voted to OPPOSE I-985, Tim Eyman's initiative to create new government
bureaucracy and divert money away from real traffic solutions.
The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO only makes election endorsements for
statewide ballot measures and in races for statewide office, state legislative and certain
judicial races. In May, hundreds of delegates in attendance at the COPE Convention
unanimously endorsed Gov. Christine Gregoire for re-election to a second term. Other
key endorsements included John Ladenburg for State Attorney General and Darcy Burner
for Congress in the 8th District race against incumbent Dave Reichert.
For more information on our endorsement process and a complete list of WSLC endorsement
visit our web site at www.wslc.org. or call WSLC Communications Director Kathy
Cummings at (206) 281-8901 x28.
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