SEIU 49 and SEIU 503 make up the SEIU Oregon State Council. Our political endorsements are done in partnership between both locals, with members of each local having the final say on each endorsement. Endorsements are member-led through the transparent process outlined below.
Why does our union endorse candidates?
So many decisions that impact our union and our members are made by elected officials – all the way from your local city councilor to Congress – and our union’s member-led political program is how we make sure we have a voice in the room when those decisions are made. By evaluating, endorsing, and supporting pro-union candidates, we can help win for our members and build power for working people.
How does our process work?
SEIU 503’s political endorsement process utilizes the CAPE Council, their political action committee elected by CAPE members who contribute. CAPE researches and evaluates candidates before making recommendations to their Board of Directors, who make the ultimate decision. SEIU 49’s endorsements are also made by their Board of Directors. Both boards are composed of members elected by other members to lead their local.
Statewide Candidates follow the same process outlined above, but with the addition of the Oregon State Council who has the final say on Statewide races. The Oregon State Council represents both SEIU 503 and SEIU 49.
For candidates running for Congress, SEIU 503 and SEIU 49 can make a recommendation – but the decision lies with SEIU International. Congressional candidates may be invited to interview or meet with members.
In general, SEIU 503 members lead the process for races that impact their workplaces, such as the Oregon Legislature, and 49 members lead the process for races that impact their workplaces, such as the City of Portland.
At the beginning of each election cycle, members revisit our endorsement criteria and make decisions about the process for incumbents, new candidates, and different offices. For all levels of elected office, incumbents seeking our endorsement who have been deemed “champions” by supporting us in bargaining, policy, and/or legislation do not need to go through our process again, and candidates challenging champion incumbents will not be able to seek our endorsement.
Any candidate who does not champion core and fundamental issues like the right to join a union and collectively bargain also cannot receive SEIU’s endorsement.
The information below is updated for our 2026 endorsement process.
For incumbent candidates seeking reelection:
Incumbent candidates at all levels of office are evaluated separately by our members and undergo our endorsement process based on their standing with our union, including, but not limited to factors such as voting record, engagement with our members, and support for workers’ bargaining and organizing. They may be invited back to re-interview, attend a training, or be asked to complete an updated questionnaire, pending that review.
Incumbents fall into one of four categories:
- Champions: Elected officials who have gone above and beyond to take action to fight for working people, beyond just their votes.
- Allies: Elected officials who voted with working people.
- Supporters: Elected officials who have generally voted with working people, but who perhaps voted against at least one bill or policy.
- N/A: Either incumbents who have not previously been endorsed, sought our endorsement, or have actively worked against us. This category also includes new candidates (below).
Incumbents should expect to receive information from SEIU directly. If you are an incumbent and have not received information, please don’t hesitate to reach out, but please know that we will address most incumbent endorsements later in the spring or early summer.
For All Other Candidates:
Who this applies to: All non-incumbent candidates, candidates running for a different office (even if previously endorsed), or incumbents who have not previously sought our endorsement or been endorsed by SEIU.
For those districts or offices where our union plans to make an endorsement, all candidates who meet our criteria are invited to participate, regardless of party affiliation.
These candidates must complete SEIU’s full process, which includes:
- Complete a questionnaire that is acceptable to members.
- Participate in an interview with SEIU 503 and 49 members.
- Participate in a training led by SEIU 503 and 49 members.
All candidates, regardless of their status, will still need to receive the approval of CAPE and the Boards of Directors to receive an endorsement.
This does not apply to anyone running against an incumbent who is an SEIU Champion, Ally, or Supporter.
Candidates running against these SEIU-endorsed candidates are not invited to our endorsement process.
SEIU’s Greenlight Endorsement Process:
SEIU represents a handful of local government workers. For those communities where SEIU does not represent the workers in local government, candidates seeking our endorsement are eligible for a “Greenlight” endorsement. A greenlight endorsement has a slightly shorter process and does not come with any resources beyond the use of our name in campaign materials.
Are you a candidate seeking SEIU’s endorsement?
Submit this form to engage with our process.