Mayoral candidate and Council Member Betsy Hodges snagged the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union on Thursday.
The union, which represents represents a range of employees in Minneapolis, from janitors and security officers at downtown office buildings to bus drivers and custodians in the Minneapolis Public Schools. They do not represent city employees.
"We believe Betsy is the best candidate to partner with SEIU in building a strong middle class with good jobs and hope for the future," said Donna Alexander, a security officer who spoke at Thursday's press conference.
"We believe she will help hold big corporations responsible for paying their fair share. ...We want to partner with Betsy on policies that improve worksplace safety and ensure that even the lowest paid workers in Minnesota earn family supporting wages and benefits."
Hodges said it was "an honor to be endorsed by an organization with such a strong history of fighting for the workers and the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota."
Some of the biggest union endorsements are yet to come, however. The two largest unions representing city employees, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis and AFSCME Council 5, have not endorsed in the mayoral race.
SEIU said Thursday that because the November election will be ranked choice, they may be endorsing other candidates of other rankings later this year. Hodges is their number one choice, however.
![Mason Nadolney got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot during a mobile vaccine event at Chanhassen High School in July.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/J7LEBWHZ57AFGZSTIR2WYOQJ3A.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
What to know about the latest COVID variants, Minnesota testing, vaccines
Sign up for Star Tribune newsletters
![Nearly a dozen collected Bachman's warblers lie in a specimen tray.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3KDGPJTGN5CRNG5PO5S5T35XUE.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
126 birds on list 'lost to science'
![Champlin Park volleyball player Carly Gilk posed for a photo by her mom, Shelley, when they arrived for the AMSA celebration at Target Field.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/QPHJLQJMYJDLFMFTYKDONXWDQY.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)