Sacramento Labor groups back broad slate of candidates

By Sheri Williams

The Sacramento Central Labor Council kicked off its primary election campaign last month, throwing its support behind a slate of 19 candidates running for offices from Congress to local school boards under the banner “Workers Over Billionaires.”

“These candidates have been vetted and endorsed by our member labor unions,” said Fabrizio Sasso, executive director of the SCLC. “They represent the best of what our region has to offer—fighters who aren’t afraid to take on corporate interests, who won’t back down when it comes to protecting workers’ rights and who share our values and mission when it comes to making our region and our communities stronger, safer and better for all.”

The Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council has also announced its own slate of endorsed candidates and is campaigning on their behalf. While many of the endorsements overlap with the SCLC, some do not.

“We have a wealth of candidates that understand and support our members’ needs and issues to ensure the Building Trades is represented by our leaders,” said SSBCTC Executive Director Kevin Ferreira. “We are proud to support these candidates on behalf of our members.”

The endorsement drives come at a moment of high energy for California’s labor movement. Sacramento saw some of its largest May Day demonstrations in over a decade on May 1, with thousands of union members, immigrants, and allies rallying at the Capitol and marching through downtown.

Nine candidates carry the joint endorsement of both the SCLC and the Building Trades Council—a show of unified labor support heading into the June 2 primary election.

At the federal level, both organizations back Mike Thompson in Congressional District 4 and Doris Matsui in Congressional District 7 (though the SCLC has a dual endorsement in this race with Mai Vang). In the state legislature, both support Angelique Ashby for re-election to State Senate District 8.

At the county level, both are behind Eric Guerra and Patrick Kennedy for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Districts 1 and 2, respectively. On the Sacramento City Council, both endorse Karina Talamantes in District 3 and Caity Maple in District 5. Both organizations also support Stacey Bastian for Twin Rivers Unified School District Trustee Area 4 and Lucas Frerichs for Yolo County Board of Supervisors District 2.

The Labor Council is backing several candidates the Building Trades have not endorsed. In Congressional District 6, the SCLC supports Dr. Richard Pan; the Building Trades list that seat as open. In the state legislature, the SCLC backs Sean Frame for State Senate District 6—a race the Building Trades have left open—and Amy Slavensky for State Assembly District 7 and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for State Assembly District 4.

On the City Council, the SCLC supports Jenn Chawla in District 1. For Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 1, the SCLC has endorsed both Dr. Flo Cofer and Eric Guerra. The SCLC also backs Davon Thomas and Annie Fischer for Sacramento County Office of Education Area 1, and Adrianne Gonzales for Twin Rivers Unified School District Trustee Area 6.

The Building Trades Council is supporting a number of candidates not on the SCLC slate, including several state legislative races. In the Assembly, the Building Trades back Joe Patterson in District 5, Maggy Krell in District 6, Josh Hoover in District 7, and Stephanie Nguyen in District 10. They are also backing Ami Berra in Congressional District 3—a race not on the SCLC list.

At the county level, the Building Trades support Pat Hume for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 5 and Xochitl Rodriguez for Yolo County Supervisor District 3. They also back Rick Jennings for Sacramento City Council District 7, Anna Molander Hermann for Sacramento County Office of Education Area 1, and Shanti Landon for Placer County Supervisor District 2.

In Sacramento City Council District 1, the two organizations part ways: the Building Trades back Lisa Kaplin, while the SCLC has endorsed Jenn Chawla. Similarly, in State Assembly District 7, the Building Trades support Josh Hoover while the SCLC backs Amy Slavensky.

Several endorsed candidates have spoken directly to the labor concerns driving both organizations’ campaigns. Senator Angelique Ashby has tied economic pressure on working families directly to healthcare access. “When you have 40 million people in California worried about whether their friends and family can afford to eat, access healthcare, or stay in their homes, it becomes much harder to prioritize large-scale investments,” she said recently.

Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, endorsed by both organizations, has long carried labor’s trust. Teamsters Local 150 backed her in 2022, saying she “understands the importance of good-paying jobs with benefits and worker protections.” Talamantes has remained active on labor issues since, most recently serving on a council subcommittee to rethink the legacy of Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza—calling for its future to reflect the broader farmworker movement rather than any single individual.

“Working people make California run,” said Sasso. “We need elected officials at every level who understand that and will fight for it.”