Wisconsin Building Trades Council endorses Democrats in fall election

The Wisconsin Building Trades Council announced Thursday that it has endorsed a group of Democrats seeking state  and federal offices in the general election scheduled for Nov. 6.

The trades council is composed of 15 Building Trades International unions representing 40,000 building trades members throughout Wisconsin.

The group’s endorsement’s are:

• Tony Evers for governor
• Tammy Baldwin for U.S. Senate
• Mandela Barnes for lieutenant governor
• Josh Kaul for attorney general
• Randy Bryce for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District

Union groups have largely lined up behind Democrats ahead of a neck-and-neck race between Gov. Scott Walker and Evers this fall.

“All of our endorsed candidates have demonstrated that they understand and support issues that impact Wisconsin’s working people,” said Dave Branson, president of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council. “We look forward to helping elect our slate of candidates who will help prioritize investments in Wisconsin’s infrastructure and protecting health care and retirement benefits.”

Walker, meanwhile, has earned endorsements from construction trade groups such as the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, which largely represents non-union companies.