Boston, July 14, 2022 — Today, SEIU Local 509 and 1199SEIU announced their endorsement of Tanisha Sullivan to be the next Secretary of State. Together, the two SEIU unions represent nearly 100,000 healthcare, home care, human service workers, state workers, and childcare providers across the Commonwealth.
“SEIU 509 is proud to endorse Tanisha Sullivan to be the next Secretary of State. Our movement is strongest when we exercise our power at the ballot box to elect leaders who share our values. For far too long, many of our neighbors have been left out of the voting process because of outdated and inequitable policies,” said Peter MacKinnon, President of the SEIU Massachusetts State Council and SEIU Local 509. “Tanisha Sullivan is committed to removing the barriers to voting that hold our communities back from making their voices heard.”
In 2020, less than two-thirds of Massachusetts voters who were eligible to cast a ballot voted. Our voting policies lag behind other states, and communities of color, college students, and our seniors bear the brunt of disenfranchisement. From same-day registration to expanded mail-in balloting to education campaigns, Tanisha Sullivan is committed to advancing equity and justice in our voting system by expanding voting access and information.
“The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU are proud to stand with Tanisha Sullivan for secretary of state,” said Filaine Deronnette, 1199SEIU vice president-at-large. “At a time when we must protect the integrity of our elections, it is also an opportunity to reimagine how we create a more engaged and representative electorate that elevates the voices of working people and people of color. Just as she has done throughout her career, Tanisha is that champion who will help create a Massachusetts that works for all.”
“I am honored to have the members of 1199SEIU and SEIU 509 believing in the hope and possibility of this moment, and their readiness to fight with me to deliver the democracy working people and families across Massachusetts deserve,” said Secretary of State Candidate Tanisha Sullivan.
About SEIU Local 509:
SEIU Local 509 represents nearly 20,000 human service workers and educators throughout Massachusetts. Local 509 members are united in our mission to raise living standards for working families while improving the quality and affordability of the services we provide. SEIU 509 is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
About 1199SEIU Massachusetts:
Representing over 70,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and over 450,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
About Tanisha Sullivan
Tanisha is an attorney, former Chief Equity Officer in the Boston Public Schools and President of the NAACP Boston, who has led a career dedicated to service—from working in community and across the ideological spectrum to deliver on civil rights and social, economic, and racial justice, to decades as a practicing lawyer in corporate firms and life science companies. A Brockton native, she’s running for Massachusetts Secretary of State because it’s time to realize the full potential of this office in the fight to protect voting rights, increase government transparency and accessibility, engage the electorate, and build a stronger, more vibrant democracy for all. Tanisha recently earned the MassDems endorsement (62% of delegates) at the state convention, which determined candidates for statewide office who will be on the ballot for the Sept. 6 primary.
Learn more about Tanisha and her campaign at www.TanishaSullivan.com and @Tanisha4MA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.