In the race for the Democratic Party’s nomination to represent New York’s First Congressional District, Suffolk County Legislators Bridget Fleming and Kara Hahn have each picked up new endorsements.
Perry Gershon of East Hampton, the Democrat’s 2018 nominee, endorsed Ms. Hahn as the party’s 2022 nominee, while the Transport Workers Union of America has endorsed Ms. Fleming.
To date, every organized labor union to make an endorsement has supported Ms. Fleming, a former member of the Southampton Town Board.
“Bridget Fleming has spent her career demonstrating her commitment to working people,” John Samuelsen, T.W.U. International’s president, said in a statement issued by Ms. Fleming’s campaign. “She has always been a champion for transportation workers on Long Island — fighting for our members’ access to quality jobs and safe workplaces. The T.W.U. has worked closely with Bridget to halt outsourcing transit jobs, build pro-worker infrastructure, and honor the essential workers who became victims of the ongoing pandemic.”
“I am truly honored to earn the support of TWU, a union that represents the men and women of this country who are on the frontlines of moving the American economy forward,” Ms. Fleming said in the same announcement. “Transportation has been a strong focus of my work as a Suffolk County Legislator, and I couldn’t be more proud to have them on my team as I run to continue that work in Congress.”
Ms. Fleming, who was re-elected with 59 percent of the vote in November, has won the endorsement of all five members of the East Hampton Town Board as well as Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Suffolk Democratic chairman Rich Schaffer, six of the eight town Democratic committee chairs, the Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee executive board, and the Voter Protection Project.
In endorsing Ms. Hahn, Mr. Gershon said, she “has proven herself to be an exceptionally effective legislator who creates meaningful change in her community.”
With the recent redrawing of the First District to add areas farther UpIsland and remove western Southampton Town, it becomes far friendlier to the eventual Democratic nominee. The district voted for former President Trump by 4 points in 2020. Within its new boundaries, voters favored President Biden by 11 points. The redrawing of the state’s congressional districts is covered elsewhere in this issue.
Ms. Hahn “is the best candidate to represent the newly redrawn district,” Mr. Gershon said in a statement issued by Ms. Hahn’s campaign. “As a candidate, she has a unique ability to relate to and inspire voters all across the First District.”
In Congress, Ms. Hahn “will bring the perspective of someone who’s faced down some of life’s toughest challenges and never gave in,” Mr. Gershon continued. “That’s the kind of leader who can tackle the issues our community and nation face — from combating climate change to affordable health care to bringing down the cost of living for Long Island’s working families.”
Mr. Gershon joins Anna Throne-Holst, the former Southampton Town supervisor and 2016 Democratic nominee, and Nancy Goroff, the party’s 2020 nominee, in endorsing Ms. Hahn’s candidacy.
“I am really proud to have his support,” Ms. Hahn said of Mr. Gershon on Tuesday, “and that rounds out the last three Democratic nominees in the district. Adding Perry at this critical moment is really important. He’s been such an inspiration to so many Democrats across this district. It’s great to have him on board.”
Mr. Gershon, a businessman and advocate, lost to Representative Lee Zeldin by four percentage points in 2018, the closest of Mr. Zeldin’s four races in the district. Mr. Zeldin is seeking the Republican and Conservative Party nominations for governor of New York.