AFL-CIO sides with Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in Senate race

Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s Democratic challenger, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, has earned a major union endorsement via the Florida chapter of the AFL-CIO.

Dan Reynolds, President of the Florida AFL-CIO, pointed to her history as a former U.S. Representative as a reason for the endorsement.

“In Congress, she was our steadfast supporter and advocate for fair wages and expanding access to job opportunities. I am proud to stand with Debbie Mucarsel-Powell as she fights with us for the treatment Florida workers deserve,” Reynolds said.

Meanwhile, a former statewide candidate frames the endorsement in more explicitly political terms.

“I have witnessed the damage Rick Scott has done to public education and working families firsthand,” said Karla Hernandez-Mats, President of the United Teachers of Dade, Florida AFL-CIO Union Vice President, and a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

“Rick Scott cut funding for public education by $1.3 billion in his first year as Governor. Meanwhile, Debbie Mucarsel Powell advocated for students, teachers, and workers in Congress. Debbie was a leader who championed the PRO ACT giving workers a voice. The choice is clear and United Teachers of Dade is proud and ready to help elect an advocate for working families, Debbie Mucarsel Powell, to the US Senate.”

For her part, Mucarsel-Powell is “deeply grateful to have earned the endorsement of the Florida AFL-CIO, a group that shares my dedication to fighting for working families.”

“Our workers are the backbone of our economy and I am a proud advocate for the fair wages, safe workplaces, and access to high-quality health care that they deserve. With the Florida AFL-CIO’s support, I am determined to be a voice for everyday Floridians in the United States Senate,” the candidate added.

The endorsement appears likely to affirm Mucarsel-Powell with an interest group essential to any Democratic hopes in a state with a million more Republicans than Democrats. The average poll shows Scott’s lead is just north of 4 points.