Sierra Club, United Steelworkers endorse Ilya Sheyman for Congress

Sheyman continues to build steam with less than a week to go before Democratic primary

Ilya Sheyman’s campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 10th District, poised for victory in the March 20 primary, continues to garner support from national and local progressive groups and leaders, earning endorsements on Wednesday from both the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers (USW). They are the latest in a series of high-profile endorsements in recent weeks, including Former Sen. Russ Feingold, State Representatives Daniel Biss, Robyn Gabel and Rita Mayfield, and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

The Sierra Club, America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, endorsed Sheyman on Wednesday, both through its local chapter and its national headquarters.

"Ilya Sheyman is a superb candidate for Congress," said Sierra Club President Robin Mann. "His stand on environmental issues, and, more importantly, his track record as an advocate, shows that he'll take principled action in Congress. I know we can trust him to be a strong voice for a clean energy economy that will put the American people back to work and defend our environment."  

"Ilya Sheyman is the candidate labor leaders and working families can trust to stand up with backbone and conviction for our needs and priorities in this time of economic crisis,” said Jim Robinson, Director for USW District 7. “That's why the United Steelworkers are proud to join our other allies in the labor movement in supporting him, and why we look forward to working with him as an advocate and ally in Congress."

USW has more than 42,000 members in the state of Illinois and 1,300 members in the 10th District.

With just six days to go before the primary election, Sheyman said, “we’re feeling a real groundswell of support, both locally and nationally, and the endorsements of the Sierra Club and the USW are further evidence of that. These are two groups at the forefront of the environmental protection and labor movements, respectively, and I look forward to standing with them through the coming General Election and as a member of Congress.”

USW and the Sierra Club join other progressive leaders and groups in endorsing Sheyman, including former Democratic National Committee Chair Gov. Howard Dean, Former Sen. Russ Feingold and Progressives United, Illinois Congressmen Danny K. Davis and Jesse Jackson, Jr., Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, State Representatives Daniel Biss, Robyn Gabel and Rita Mayfield, Former State Senator Miguel del Valle, State Senator Willie Delgado, Waukegan Township Supervisor Patricia Jones, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Lake County Federation of Teachers Local 504 and President Mike McGue, the North Suburban Teachers Union, AFSCME Council 31, the Ironworkers Local 1, the Communications Workers of America District 4, the Transport Workers Union of America, the American Federation of Government Employees, Sheet Metal Workers Local 73, and the International Longshoremen’s Association–AFL-CIO, and a host of national progressive organizations, including MoveOn.org, with 14,000 members in the 10th District, Democracy for America, Citizen Action/Illinois, the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee; and local Democratic organizations including the Wheeling Township Democrats, the Libertyville Township Democrats, and the New Trier Democratic Organization.