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Columbus, Ohio - The Strickland for Governor campaign today announced that Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland has won the unanimous support of the Cleveland AFL-CIO, Federation of Labor.

"The Cleveland AFL-CIO rarely makes early recommendations like this.  But we feel that Ted Strickland is the best candidate to lead Ohio forward," said John Ryan, executive secretary of the Cleveland AFL-CIO. "That is no slight to other candidates who are thinking of entering, or who have put their name in, the race from our backyard in Cuyahoga County. But we feel Ted Strickland will best represent all of Ohio, especially around issues of jobs and education."

"I am very grateful to the Cleveland AFL-CIO for their decision to support my candidacy to be Ohio's next governor," said Strickland. "I look forward to working with the thousands of members of the Cleveland AFL-CIO and all Ohioans to put our state back on track."

"I believe that by working together, we can jumpstart our stalled economy and create lasting, living-wage jobs. We can revitalize our schools so that they set the pace for the rest of the nation. And we can work to restore to Ohio a government that is as good and as honest as the citizens of our great state," said Strickland.

Earlier this week, the Strickland for Governor campaign announced the endorsements of two major Ohio labor organizations. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents 140,000 active and retired Ohio members, and the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents more than 130,000 Ohio construction workers and retirees, endorsed Strickland to be Ohio's next governor.

Other labor organizations that have endorsed Strickland include the Ohio State Council of Machinists; Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades Council; Ohio Laborers' District Council; Tri-County Building Trades Council; Ohio's United Mine Workers; Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council; United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1099; and Laborers Local 310 in Cleveland.