**Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council Endorses State Sen. Sharif Street for U.S. Congress**

*At the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall in South Philadelphia, State Sen. Sharif Street received a formal endorsement from the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council on Wednesday as he vies for a U.S. congressional seat.*
—TRIBUNE PHOTO/MARCO CERINO

State Sen. Sharif Street has secured two significant endorsements in his campaign for Congress. Both the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council and the Philadelphia City Democratic Committee have pledged their support.

While the endorsement from the Building Trades Council was expected, the backing from the city’s Democratic Party came as a surprise. Two ward leaders informed The Tribune that a formal vote to endorse Street, scheduled for last week, was unexpectedly canceled.

Street is one of five candidates competing to succeed U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who will retire at the conclusion of his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives next year. Notably, Evans endorsed Dr. Ala Stanford, a physician and public health expert, shortly after her campaign announcement on October 1.

Ryan Boyer, leader of the Building Trades Council, addressed union officials at the event, highlighting Street’s extensive experience and deep roots in Philadelphia as reasons for his endorsement. Boyer, representing nearly 50,000 members, praised Street’s dedication and political background.

Street has served in the state Senate since 2017 — the same tenure as Reps. Morgan Cephas and Chris Rabb in the Pennsylvania House. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Street followed in the footsteps of his father, former City Council member and Mayor John Street, choosing public service over lucrative private-sector opportunities.

“With what’s going on in Washington, you don’t need an apprentice learning the job; you need a skilled journeyman like the senator, who’s been in politics his whole life,” Boyer said. “His daddy was mayor, yet he chose public service and not to go make a gazillion dollars and leave Philadelphia. So Sharif chose us, so we choose him.”

Philadelphia Democratic Party Chair Bob Brady, who formerly served in Congress before redistricting cost him his seat, recalled Street’s early days as a community organizer. Brady affirmed that Street would continue his unwavering support for organized labor if elected.

“(It’s) the right thing to do in the city of Philadelphia,” Brady said regarding voting with labor. “It’s about respect. I appreciate all the brothers and sisters back here because this shows respect for him and he’s been showing them respect forever.”

On October 7, two current and two former elected officials publicly endorsed Street. At the kickoff event for “Women for Street,” Councilmember Cindy Bass, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, and former state Sen. Shirley Kitchen spoke in support of the candidate, who previously served as the state party chair.

“I’m proud to endorse my friend Sharif Street for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District,” Bass said in a statement after the event. “Sen. Street has spent his career fighting for our city as a community advocate and state legislator—helping to expand economic opportunities for working families, reduce violence, and improve access to health care. During this critical moment in our nation’s history, we need an experienced and dedicated public servant like Sharif to represent us.”

Bass later clarified that her endorsement was personal and not made on behalf of the Northwest Coalition, an alliance of prominent African American leaders.

Street expressed gratitude to the dozen union leaders who gathered to support his campaign. He contrasted his pro-labor record with that of President Donald Trump, criticizing the latter’s treatment of workers.

Street also recounted his role in defending Pennsylvania’s 2020 election results, where he served as lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the outcome—a move that resulted in threats against him and his family.

“He’s not a guy that fights fair—never has, never will,” Street said of Trump. “Whoever we send to Congress is going to have to be able to be in a real fight with somebody like that. I can tell you, we’ve been fighting people like that my entire life.”

—

**Stay informed and connected — subscribe to The Philadelphia Tribune NOW!**

*Click Here*

—

**Community Guidelines:**
– Keep it Clean: Avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist, or sexually-oriented language.
– Do Not Use Caps Lock.
– No Threats: Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
– Be Truthful: Do not knowingly spread false information.
– Be Respectful: No racism, sexism, or any form of discriminatory language.
– Be Proactive: Use the ‘Report’ link on comments to notify us of abusive posts.
– Share Your Stories: We welcome eyewitness accounts and background information related to our articles.
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/sharif-street-gets-endorsement-from-building-trades-unions-in-congressional-run-as-vote-from-ward/article_34d0e396-f3e2-4571-89d3-bc56fb26e119.html