Vernon lands another union endorsement in 1st District Democratic primary race

CEDAR RAPIDS — On the heels of Iowa 1st District Rep. Rod Blum's suggestion that Washington 'needs a recession,' potential Democratic challenger Monica Vernon has announced the endorsement of a union representing federal employees.

Her campaign said the endorsement of the American Federation of Government Employees demonstrates that Vernon, a former business owner and member of the city council in Cedar Rapids, continues to be the choice of organized labor in the 20-county northeast Iowa congressional district that includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Marshalltown, Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

AFGE, which represents the Transportation and Security Officers, Social Security, U.S. Department of Agricultural, Department of Veteran Affairs, U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services and Department of Defense workers, is the ninth union to endorse her.

'I can't think of a better representative for Iowa's hardworking families than Monica Vernon,' said Jane Nygaard, national vice president of AFGE District 8, who represents federal workers in Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Nebraska.

Vernon praised federal employees 'for the critical support and services they provide. She promised that as a member of Congress she will 'work to make sure Iowa's federal employees have safe work environments, fair wages and benefits, and I will always protect our workers' rights.'

She noted that Blum, a Dubuque business owner, opposed a measure to keep the federal government operating in late 2015.

More recently, he came under fire from labor unions for his Twitter post with a photo of construction cranes on the site of a $2 billion redevelopment: 'Washington, D.C. is booming. Tower cranes everywhere. Being built on the backs of US taxpayers. DC needs a recession.'

Despite the AFGE endorsement, Vernon's Democratic primary opponent, former Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy of Dubuque, disputed her campaign's claim that organized labor has settled on her as the strongest Democrat to defeat Blum.

'While Monica Vernon was donating to Republicans who opposed the Democratic agenda, Pat Murphy increased teacher pay, raised the minimum wage and fought for open scope collective bargaining,' campaign spokesman Mike McLaughlin said. 'It's one thing to pay lip service to unions in an election year, but Pat Murphy has a 26 year record fighting for families and workers in Iowa.'

Murphy, who has been endorsed by the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 257, IBEW 704, United Transportation Workers and National Association of machinists 1728.

He was the Democratic nominee in a 2014 open-seat race, losing to Blum 51-49 percent.

Democrats will choose their candidate in a June 7 primary.

Blum is considered vulnerable in the district where Democrats outnumber Republicans in active voter registrations 160,118 to 139,960 with 180,519 identifying as no party.