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Brown Gets Labor Union Endorsement In CD5 Race

Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown in 2015.
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One of Florida’s main labor unions is throwing its support to former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown: endorsing his Congressional bid. 

Brown got the nod over Tallahassee-based Democratic Congressman Al Lawson. The two men are locked in a primary battle for Florida’s Fifth Congressional District, which encompasses Tallahassee and Jacksonville. The union made the endorsement official this past weekend with members from both major cities getting a say.

"Our members and their families in Jacksonville saw Mayor Brown’s commitment to the fundamental economic issues we care about," said Mike Williams, President of the Florida AFL-CIO in a statement released by the Brown campaign.

"Union members in Tallahassee have been inspired by his record in Jacksonville and his dedication to working families is now well known across our movement in Florida. We are proud to give him our endorsement for Congress and we look forward to working hard to send him to represent us in Washington."

Brown worked in the Clinton Administration at the Department of Housing and Uban Development. 

While there were some concerns about Brown’s decision-making amid a pension crisis in Jacksonville there were also concerns regarding Lawson’s voting record as former member of the Florida legislature. The two men have accused each other of siding too frequently with Republicans. 

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Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. 

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