Our Work in the Primaries
SEIU members engaged presidential candidates of both parties like never before in this election. From inviting candidates to spend a day on the job to giving the Democratic weekly radio address, SEIU members kept the candidates focused on the issues important to working families—ensuring health care for all, a paycheck that supports a family, and a chance at the American Dream.
- Members challenged all presidential candidates to “Walk a Day in My Shoes” and Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama and Governor Richardson participated. Senator McCain declined to participate.
- SEIU members appeared on billboards in early primary and caucus states urging candidates to “Walk A Day In My Shoes” and highlighting the issues important to working families.
- SEIU members asked all candidates to release detailed plans for addressing the nation’s health care crisis and Senators Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama, Governor Richardson, and Representative Kucinich responded. Senator Biden offered a partial plan.
- Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Obama, and Governor Richardson stood with nurses in Iowa uniting to win a new contract that gives them a stronger voice in patient care.
- SEIU members and workers nationwide contribute 383 stories telling politicians what it’s like to walk a day in their shoes.
- In May 2007, SEIU members conducted one-on-one interviews with every Democratic candidate for president. Senator McCain declined to participate.
- In August 2007, Washington State child care provider Paula Hall became the first SEIU member to deliver the weekly National Democratic Radio Address, an opportunity normally reserved for Members of Congress and Senators.
- SEIU’s more than 300,000 Republican members invited Republican candidates to participate in all of SEIU’s primary work.
- In September 2007, more than 1500 SEIU members attended the Member Political Action Conference (MPAC) to discuss the presidential election and hear directly from the leading candidates.
- SEIU members and Health Care Voters turned out their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to vote for pro-working family presidential candidates in the early primaries and caucuses.
- SEIU members united behind Senator Barack Obama as the best candidate to create the change working people need in February 2008 and launched the most aggressive primary campaign by workers in history to help him win the nomination.
