State teachers union endorses Rodgerson in 143rd District

NORWALK, Conn. – Democrat Keith Rodgerson has received the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers Connecticut (AFT) in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Gail Lavielle in the state’s 143^rd legislative district.

The 143^rd District comprises parts of Wilton, Norwalk and Westport.

State AFT President Melodie Peters said in a press release that Rodgerson received AFT’s endorsement because of “(his) commitment to working families.”

“This election is very important to the people of Connecticut,” Peters said. “We need strong leadership that will help turn this state around.”

“I am humbled by their trust in me,” Rodgerson said of the endorsement in an emailed statement. “These are challenging times in education. Once I get to Hartford, I will work very hard in making sure that our educational priorities continue to move forward.”

The AFT endorsement follows the release of Rodgerson’s education platform last week.

AFT Connecticut represents more than 29,000 workers in the public and private sectors. Their membership includes teachers, school related personnel including paraprofessionals, state employees, healthcare workers, and higher education faculty and staff.