Highlights from May 6, 2014 primary elections

Tillis wins Republican nomination for U.S. Senate

Current State House Speaker and avid opponent of unions, collective bargaining, teachers, and voting rights, Thom Tillis won the backing of a plurality of Republican voters in the May 6th primary to avoid a runoff and secure his party's nomination for U.S. Senate.

"Organized greed has its best champion in Thom Tillis, and his choices tell us why," said James Andrews, NC State AFL-CIO president, in a statement released after Tillis declared victory Tuesday night.

"As Speaker of the State House, Thom Tillis chose to make deep and permanent cuts to unemployment insurance benefits in order to repay a temporary debt caused by recession and years of underfunding by employers. Then Tillis cruelly chose to enact those cuts in such a way as to needlessly deprive long-term jobless North Carolinians of their federal emergency extended benefits.

"Thom Tillis chose to repeal North Carolina’s tax on inherited wealth to benefit just 23 wealthy estates at the cost of the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which provided tax relief for over 900,000 hard-working families.

"Despite record income inequality and the increasing concentration of employment in economic sectors that pay poverty-level wages, Thom Tillis chose to campaign against raising the federal minimum wage, going so far as to declare the very existence of a minimum wage ‘dangerous’.

"The real danger would be having in Thom Tillis a second U.S. Senator from North Carolina who can be bought by Art Pope, the Koch Brothers, and their corporate front-groups, which is why between now and November 4th, organized workers and their families will work hard to re-elect Senator Kay Hagan."

Tillis will face off against Sen. Kay Hagan on November 4th. North Carolina's unions endorsed Sen. Hagan's bid for reelection back in March.

Union member elected in Harnett County

Former NC State AFL-CIO vice president and retired union member with Workers United / SEIU won her election to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners May 6th.

New Harnett County commissioner Barbara McKoy

Congratulations to Commissioner McKoy!

Justice Robin Hudson survives big money attacks (for now)

Labor-endorsed candidate for Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Robin Hudson, survived a vicious million-dollar campaign by organized greed to sideline her bid for reelection. The New York Times covered the negative campaign waged against Justice Hudson. An opinion editorial published Thursday in the News & Observer accused the Republican State Leadership Committee behind the attacks of trying to 'create politicians in robes'.

Justice Robin Hudson for NC Supreme Court

Alma Adams wins primary to replace Mel Watt

Former state representative and NC State AFL-CIO's Friend of Workers award recipient, Alma Adams won her primary election to replace Mel Watt in the 12th Congressional District. Adams will face off against her Republican opponent in November.

Alma Adams for Congress

For more information about the outcomes of other races in which labor endorsed candidates, contact Adam at 919-833-6678.