Unions Hope to Unite Behind Mayoral Candidate

The Daily News reports that electrician unions chief John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty has been hosting lunches with other labor leaders, with a goal to “coalesce” around a mayoral candidate.

If the labor coalition stays united, its chosen candidate will be formidable.

City campaign-finance rules limit contributions from a single political-action committee to $11,500 per calendar year, preventing one moneyed group from bankrolling a campaign. But the unions control dozens of PACs and would be able to give their candidate a formidable war chest. Many also run their own get-out-the-vote organizations.

So, who will be the lucky candidate? Dougherty said that, so far, there has been no discussion about specific candidates. But many sources say the favorite would be Council President Darrell Clarke – if he decides to run.

The paper says Dougherty believes that Michael Nutter emerged from the candidates’ scrum in 2007 because unions failed to unite on a candidate.