With the House of Representative tipping significantly to the extreme right, electing progressive, pro-working family candidates is a top goal of all 1199SEIU members from now until the General Election on November 4. New York has two primary elections: the first one, for federal candidates, was held on Tuesday, June 24. Statewide primaries are on September 9.

A highly motivated group of New York 1199SEIU political activists would not be stopped by the uncomfortable heat and humidity when they hit the streets on June 24 to help Congressional candidates win victory in three significant primaries.

In the hardest-fought contest, in the 13th Congressional District, Rep. Charles Rangel won reelection with 47.4% of the vote to 43.6% for his closest challenger, State Senator Adriano Espaillat. Both the congressman and many commentators, including the Daily News’ Juan Gonzalez, are crediting 1199SEIU with helping to secure the win.

1199 Delegate Diana Diaz, Montefiore Medical Center admitting clerk, canvassed for Rangel in the Bronx. “Congressman Rangel has been with us for so many years,” she said. “He’s done a lot for families and health care. People are struggling. They’re living paycheck to paycheck. They can’t pay their student loans. He’s with us on making all of this better. I have three grandchildren. I want them to have a better life than I did.”

1199SEIU member Karla Lawrence, a CNA at CenterLight Rehab in the Bronx, canvassed in Washington Heights after her shift was over. She said, “I’m a union delegate, activist and a healthcare worker, so supporting Charlie Rangel is important. He’s fought for us for so many years. We are here to fight for him.”

In the 4th Congressional District, Nassau County’s Kathleen Rice won handily, 56.2% to 43.8%, in the race for the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Carolyn McCarthy. At the victory celebration, Rice thanked and praised 1199SEIU activists throughout her speech.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez cruised to victory for the Democratic nomination in District 7, with 81.7% of the vote. Sammy Sierra, a contract administrator at Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn, canvassed for Velazquez on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. “We’re letting working people know they have a voice. No one can do anything by themselves, but when we all get together like this and elect people who represent us it shows our power and what we can do together,” he said.

The Republican primaries, also held on June 24, have given some shape to the November contests. Kathleen Rice will face Republican Bruce Blakeman after his easy win in that primary. Lee Zeldin won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Congressman Timothy Bishop in Suffolk County. Elise Stefanik is the Republican nominee for the seat of retiring Democratic Representative Bill Owens (D). She will face Aaron Woolf, who was uncontested for the Democratic nomination.