The Washington Teachers’ Union has endorsed D.C. Council member Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) in his campaign to be the District’s next mayor, making it the latest labor group to rebuff incumbent Muriel E. Bowser (D) in her quest for a third term.

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       The labor group consists of nearly 5,000 current and retired teachers, many of whom do not live in D.C. It called White a “consistent presence in public schools” who has “listened and partnered with teachers,” according to an endorsement he shared Tuesday on Twitter.

       Last week, White, who is running to the left of Bowser, received the endorsement of the city’s largest public-sector labor union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 20.

       “D.C. government employees are saying loud and clear we need a new mayor,” White said in an interview.

       D.C. city workers’ largest union endorses Robert White’s mayoral bid

       The Bowser campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Washington Teachers’ Union President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons was not available Wednesday.

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       Council member Trayon White (D-Ward 8) is also running for the city’s top position. Because D.C. is overwhelmingly Democratic, its primaries tend to be far more competitive than general elections.

       The Washington Teachers’ Union has had an acrimonious relationship with the Bowser administration for much of the pandemic, clashing over how and when to reopen school buildings safely for in-person learning. The city is still negotiating a new employment contract with the union, whose current contract has been lapsed since September 2019.

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       In 2014, during an unusually competitive general election, the teachers union opted not to endorse anyone, saying it would work with whoever was elected. Bowser did not have a strong competitor in the 2018 primary.

       In 2020, the union endorsed White as he ran to keep his council seat.

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       For much of Bowser’s tenure, the union was led by Elizabeth Davis, a veteran teacher and city activist who died in a car crash last April. Pogue Lyon has led the union since.

       In the council chair race, the Washington Teachers’ Union endorsed challenger Erin Palmer over incumbent Phil Mendelson (D). It also endorsed Zachary Parker, the president of the D.C. State Board of Education, for the Ward 5 seat, which is being vacated by council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D), who is running for attorney general.

       White also picked up the endorsement of Jews United for Justice this week. Bowser’s website prominently touts her early endorsement by Emily’s List, the political action committee that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights.

       White said he was “particularly proud” of the teachers union endorsement, since education is a central focus of his campaign. He pointed to high teacher turnover rates as a cause of “utter instability” in city schools and said one reason teachers support him is that he has vowed to replace the performance-evaluation system, known as IMPACT, that many dislike.

       “I believe very genuinely that educating our young people is the most important thing we do as a government. It’s also one of the places that we have fallen the most short,” White said.