On Monday, October 7, the BFT Executive Council, comprised of all stewards and officers, voted to endorse Chris Wilson for Mayor, and Mary Fortier, Bob Vojtek, and Calvin Brown for respective City Council seats.
Each candidate was also endorsed by the AFT CT prior to gaining the BFT endorsement, and their responses to an AFT CT questionnaire can be found by following the links below.
The following endorsement for Chris Wilson appeared in the Bristol Press:
Earlier this month, the Bristol Federation of Teachers endorsed Chris Wilson for mayor. It wasn’t a hard decision to make. In his time as a Board of Education commissioner and eventual chairman, Chris established a positive rapport with Bristol teachers and the union that represents them. Chris has maintained an open door policy and always been a straight shooter, free from the trappings of ego and ideology. The last few years have seen enormous change in the Bristol public schools and in the teaching profession in general. We haven’t always agreed, but we’ve disagreed respectfully and been able to talk honestly, each from our own perspective. Chris has always approached problems as a pragmatist, and our schools have benefited from his leadership. In a time when too many of those who hold public office, both at the national and local level, have ground the wheels of government to a halt and poisoned politics with grandstanding and finger pointing, Bristol could benefit from a mayor willing to work with all sides, one who simply wants to solve problems and get the job done. Chris Wilson is the best candidate to do just that.
David Hayes
President
Bristol Federation of Teachers
Bristol Federation of Teachers 