Frederika Jenner, DSEA President
Not much of a shocker here, but Sen. Tom Carper issued this statement today from Frederika Jenner, president of the Delaware State Education Association:
"DSEA has had a long-time positive working relationship with Sen. Carper. He is always accessible to staff and members, and proves that he understands issues of importance to Delaware’s students and educators when and where it counts, with his voting record. He has a consistent grade of A from NEA on the bills it tracks in Congress related to the organization’s legislative priorities. And, at a time when unions are under severe attack in several states, NEA has given particular emphasis in their annual Report Card to holding lawmakers accountable on their support for private and public sector unions, as well as the right to collectively bargain. Sen. Carper measures up here as well."
The DSEA is perhaps Delaware's largest third-party political spender, putting nearly $1 million behind its favored candidates in the 2008 elections and spending more than $270,000 to promote their endorsed candidates in the 2010 midterms. They've spent about $91,000 this year but have seen mixed results after their endorsed candidate for Insurance Commissioner, Mitch Crane, failed to upset incumbent Karen Weldin Stewart in the Sept. 11 primary.
The union's backing of Carper, a well-funded incumbent in a deeply-blue Delaware, is no doubt a much safer pick, despite an aggressive challenge by Independent Alex Pires.
