| Don Barber Campaign Picks Up Major Endorsement
State Senate Run Builds Momentum
State Senate candidate Don Barber (D-Caroline) received a strong boost today when the Working Families Party threw its considerable resources behind Barber's campaign. "The Working Families Party fights every day to make sure government works for hardworking families," said Barber, who will appear on the Working Families ballot line. "I'm delighted to have their endorsement, and I look forward to their help getting out our message."
Noting that his opponent, Jim Seward, opposed raising the minimum wage above $5.15 an hour, Barber added, "Struggling New York families needed that raise. I supported increasing the minimum wage then, but more importantly, I support a real living wage now. I don't think the hard-working people in our district deserve any less."
In a separate release, the Working Families Party noted that their endorsement "could be a crucial element in finally ending Republican rule in the state senate. The WFP played a critical role in recent special elections in the North Country and on Long Island, helping to narrow the Republican Senate majority to just two."
As a small businessman, Barber adhered to the living wage philosophy, as well as providing his workers with health insurance. As a farmer, he knows first-hand the struggles families are going through just to meet the bills and put food on the table. "When you factor in the high cost of gas, skyrocketing health care premiums, the rising costs of food, not to speak of trying to put your children through college, anyone who hasn't been sitting up in Albany for the last twenty-two years would see it's getting impossible to meet the family budget. And it's getting tougher every day."
Barber's campaign has been highlighting many of the Working Families Party's signature issues: health care, green jobs, fair taxes and equal rights. "Our campaign is a good fit for the WFP," campaign manager Tarah Rowse said from campaign headquarters. "And now Don Barber will be on two lines when people step into the voting booth. It's a real plus." |
