Meek Gets Help From Labor

Congressman Kendrick Meek is out to an early lead tonight in Florida's Democratic Senate primary--with 28% of precincts reporting, the AP (via Politico) has Meek leading with 54% of the vote--and he partly has labor to thank.

Some stats forwarded earlier today by the Service Employees International Union:

• 1,000 SEIU member political organizers volunteered across the state.
• SEIU distributed nearly 50,000 workplace flyers in support of Kendrick Meek.
• SEIU members made 432,527 volunteer and independent expenditure phone calls to primary voters and knocked on nearly 3,700 doors.
• Members led petition collection teams across the state to help Meek become the first U.S. Senate candidate to qualify for the ballot by petition.

Meek has been drastically outspent by the billionaire Greene, who had poured $14.4 million into his campaign according to Federal Election Commission reports through August 4, and a total of $23 million as of yesterday, according to published news reports. Meek's campaign estimates Greene has spent $26 million.