Issued September 19, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) launched a seven-figure paid media program in support of the Harris-Walz ticket and worker-friendly Senate and Gubernatorial candidates across nine key states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The campaign, “The Workers’ Election,” includes ads in seven languages featuring SEIU union members discussing the importance of this election. The campaign speaks directly to the economic issues that are central to this election—prices, wages, and a vision for a future that works for everyone. The campaign will utilize English, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, and other languages.
The campaign includes an unprecedented investment in Spanish-language broadcast, connected TV, and streaming platforms. The ads feature SEIU members from across the country telling their personal stories and why they are fired up to elect Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.
The first ad flight includes the 30 second spot “It’s Okay to Hope Again” and 15 second spots “Extreme Heat” in English and Spanish.
“I’ve been a healthcare worker for over 30 years and a voter and union member for just as long. Not only am I excited to vote for Kamala Harris, I am also very eager to continue our work to elect pro-worker, pro-union leaders across the nation, said Madeline Vazquez, a Health Unit Coordinator in Pennsylvania. “This is our election, and we are more unified than ever.”
$200 million Investment
This investment is part of a $200 million strategy to engage union members and 6 million working-class voters in communities of color in the battleground states. The union will continue its long-term multi-cycle strategy of engaging multiracial working-class voters who are less likely to vote or have never voted at all through field programs, relational organizing, earned and paid media, and partnering with community groups who are trusted messengers in their communities. This work increased turnout by 27% in 2022 with voters the coalition reached.
SEIU’s ad campaign is running in different languages to ensure we meet voters where they are, regardless of their background. By providing culturally relevant and accessible messaging, we empower Latino, Asian, and other multilingual communities to engage fully in the electoral process. Whether it’s English, Spanish, or Chinese, SEIU’s ads are designed to resonate deeply with the issues that matter most to these voters, reinforcing that their votes and voices are critical to shaping the future.
SEIU’s paid media program layers on top of its robust door-knocking operation. The union has been on the ground in key states since September 2023, with canvassers engaging voters in conversations about the issues that impact their lives most. SEIU has reached 3.4 million voters so far this cycle.
“We’re talking to millions of voters, and they’re telling us the same thing: they’re fed up with just scraping by while corporations line their pockets,” said SEIU Executive Vice President Rocio Sáenz. “Low wages and skyrocketing healthcare and housing costs aren’t just accidents—they’re driven by corporate greed. Voters are fed up and demanding leaders who will fight back against this ‘greedflation.’ Ya basta—enough is enough.”