Endorsements are one of the ways voters learn who candidates are and what they stand for — especially in down-ballot races where little other information is available. Ballotpedia tracks endorsements from organizations we call Recognized Endorsement Contributors (RECs): groups ranging from labor unions and advocacy organizations to newspaper editorial boards that publicly support candidates and communicate those choices to voters. In the primaries on June 2, we tracked 1,778 endorsements from 124 RECs across California.
Twelve RECs issued more than 50 endorsements each in these primary elections. The table below displays the organizations and their endorsee success rates. Candidates endorsed by these organizations won 88% of their races, lost 10%, and the remaining races were still too close to call.
Among these organizations, three endorsed candidates from both major political parties. Click the links below to explore their endorsements:
- California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO: Endorsed 130 Democratic candidates and six Republican candidates.
- National Union of Healthcare Workers: Endorsed 117 Democratic candidates and one Republican candidate.
- Operating Engineers Local 3: Endorsed 45 Democratic candidates and seven Republican candidates.
The remaining organizations endorsed candidates from one major political party. The chart below displays the candidate affiliations for endorsees by all 12 RECs.
Endorsements by these 12 RECs concentrated primarily on state-level races (968), followed by federal-level races (421). None of the RECs issued endorsements in local-level races in Ballotpedia’s core coverage scope. The chart below displays endorsements issued by these RECs by level of government.
The majority of these endorsements came in legislative races (91%), with another 9% coming in executive races. None of these RECs endorsed in judicial races. The table below shows the endorsements issued by each organization by branch of government.
Endorsements are statements or actions that an individual or group provides in support of a candidate, but they are also much more than that. Endorsements reveal alliances, ideological leanings, and potential policy priorities in ways that campaign platforms and quotes from a candidate sometimes can’t. Endorsements also play a practical role in campaigns. Many endorsers — especially for statewide and national candidates — can provide candidates with volunteer support, access to possible campaign donors, and give candidates a degree of credibility and notoriety.
Ballotpedia is tracking endorsements made by organizations in races at all levels of government, with a particular focus on groups that endorse candidates at the local level. Endorsements are one component of Ballotpedia's goal to provide robust information — data that helps voters understand who a candidate is and what their political philosophy is — for every office on the ballot.