NYC comptroller candidate Justin Brannan nets first major union endorsements in 2025 race

Outgoing Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan has netted endorsements for his metropolis comptroller bid from 2 cardinal New York unions — becoming the archetypal campaigner successful the competitory contention to fastener successful large labour support.

The endorsements from the Transport Workers Union and Teamsters Local 831, which represents rank-and-file employees of the metropolis Department of Sanitation, are being rolled retired aft Brannan officially kicked disconnected his run precocious past month, having raised wealth for it implicit the past 5 months.

“Whether it’s the transit workers who get america wherever we request to spell oregon the sanitation workers who support our streets clean, these are the folks who marque New York City work,” Brannan told the Daily News implicit the play astir the caller endorsements. “As comptroller, I’ll marque definite our city’s finances enactment for them. That means protecting pensions, warring for just wages, and making definite our fund priorities enactment moving radical first.”

Union enactment tin play a pivotal relation successful down-ballot section races similar comptroller elections, arsenic turnout tends to beryllium low.

The Transport Workers Union, which represents MTA employees, has astir 41,000 progressive members successful the metropolis and immoderate 26,000 retirees. Local 831 has astir 7,100 progressive members and thousands much retirees.

“Brannan has the guts and the imaginativeness we request successful a comptroller, and the TWU is arrogant to basal with him,” said John Samuelson, the Transport Workers Union’s planetary president.

“As comptroller, I cognize Justin volition combat each time to support the interests of moving New Yorkers and marque definite our city’s finances enactment for the radical who support it running,” said Harry Nespoli, president of Local 831. “Our members and I are arrogant to basal with Justin Brannan for comptroller.”

Brannan’s facing disconnected successful June’s Democratic comptroller superior against Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, among others.

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City Council Member Justin Brannan (Barry Williams for New York Daily News)

Levine has emerged arsenic an aboriginal front-runner successful the race, already sitting connected a run warfare thorax of astir $1.7 cardinal aft securing $1.2 cardinal successful nationalist matching funds past week. He has besides racked up endorsements from respective of Brannan’s colleagues, including Council Sanitation Committee Chairman Shaun Abreu.

Brannan, who represents a conception of confederate Brooklyn that includes Bay Ridge, has said helium expects a $1.5 cardinal nationalist matching funds payout aboriginal this period aft raking successful astir $209,000 successful backstage donations successful the astir caller reporting, spanning betwixt Oct. 8 and Jan. 11.

Like galore different members of the City Council, Brannan is barred from moving for reelection successful the legislative assemblage this twelvemonth owed to word limits.

Brannan, Levine and Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar jumped into the comptroller’s contention aft incumbent Brad Lander announced successful July that he’s challenging Mayor Adams successful this year’s election. Rajkumar, though, precocious dropped retired of the contention to alternatively tally for metropolis nationalist advocator against incumbent Jumaane Williams.

The primaries for mayor, comptroller, nationalist advocator and different section elected offices are acceptable for June 24.