WASHINGTON — Three New Jersey congressional candidates were among 11 winners endorsed by the American Association of University Professors, the faculty union said Nov. 6, the first time in its 110-year history that it has officially backed candidates for office.
The AAUP, a union and membership association of faculty and other academic professionals, said its endorsed winners in New Jersey were Adam Hamawy in the 12th District, Rebecca Bennett in the 7th District and Rep. Analilia Mejia in the 11th District. The union described Hamawy as a former combat physician and Bennett as a former Navy pilot.
“These results prove that higher education is a critical voting bloc in this country,” AAUP President Todd Wolfson said. “Students, faculty, staff, and campus communities are not going to stand on the sidelines while our sector is under assault.”
The union’s slate also included two Senate winners, according to the announcement: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, who previously chaired the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.
Other House winners the AAUP endorsed were Will Lawrence and Donavan McKinney in Michigan; Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Cait Conley in New York; and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania, the group said.
The union said it plans to hold the newly elected members of Congress accountable to an agenda that includes writing academic freedom protections into law, safeguarding research it called lifesaving and creating a debt-free higher education system.
“Voters are sending a clear message: Protecting students and faculty and the right to learn and teach is a national priority,” Wolfson said.
The Washington-based AAUP, founded in 1915, has members and chapters at colleges and universities across the country.
This report is based on information from the American Association of University Professors.
Source: American Association of University Professors
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