Neighbor News
NYSUT Endorses Harckham for Senate Re-Election
The nearly 700,000 member New York State teachers' union is backing the incumbent state senator, who is running for a fourth term
Pete Harckham, running for a fourth term in the New York State Senate, announced today that he has received an endorsement from New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the nearly 700,000 member New York State teachers’ union.
“NYSUT is proud to endorse Pete Harckham, who has proven his support for working families by fighting to protect accessible health care, clean water and well-funded schools,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “We look forward to continuing our work with Sen. Harckham to build strong communities across the Hudson Valley.”
“I am very honored to have the support of NYSUT,” said Harckham. “Teachers and school staff members are among our most important and essential workers, as they are helping to educate and prepare our students for the challenges ahead.”
Find out what's happening in Peekskill-Cortlandtfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Harckham added, “Fully funding our schools was a top priority of mine when I first ran, and I kept my promise. I will continue to focus on education funding to make sure that our educational goals are met. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders—and they are depending on us for the top-notch education they deserve.”
NYSUT has a diverse membership, which includes Pre-K through 12th grade teachers and paraprofessionals, both current and retired, librarians and some healthcare workers in both public and private schools. Comprised of more than 1,200 local unions, NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the AFL-CIO and the National Education Association. Among NYSUT’s local affiliates is the more than 140,000 members of the United Federation of Teachers.
Find out what's happening in Peekskill-Cortlandtfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This year, Harckham was able to secure over $543 million in educational aid to the 40th Senate District, an increase of $17.2 million or 3.28%. Since taking office in 2019, Harckham has delivered an increase of $210 million in education aid to SD40 schools, which has lessened the burden on local taxpayers, while also creating more than 2,800 pre-kindergarten slots for families throughout the district—a real benefit for working parents.
Harckham, who is finishing his third term as a state senator, is campaigning to return to Albany and continue representing the 40th Senate District (SD40). Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
