Ward 1 incumbent Jim Graham and Ward 6 Council candidate Charles Allen got some labor backing for their respective campaigns today, with both winning the endorsements of the Service Employees International Union.

The union endorsement gives a boost to Tommy Wells heir Allen in his race against former Harry Reid staffer Darrell Thompson, with the Ward 6 race shaping up to be the most competitive race outside of the mayoral primary.

Thompson campaign manager Aimee Occhetti tells LL that her candidate should be receiving some labor endorsements soon, but declined to name the unions. Allen, meanwhile, is expecting some of the union’s 45,000 members in the D.C. area to help out his campaign.

“They absolutely put boots on the ground,” Allen says.

The union also endorsed Ward 3’s Mary Cheh and Chairman Phil Mendelson, neither of whom is facing a serious challenger. The union will endorse at-large candidates and mayoral candidates next month, according to spokeswoman Julie Karant.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery