WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 19, 2026) – United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 announced today that they are endorsing Aparna Raj for the Ward 1 DC Council seat.
A union member herself, Aparna has been a consistent ally to unions and the labor movement in the District.
“One of the core reasons I’m running in this race is to build more power for working people. In a city that is growing more and more unaffordable, I will always fight on behalf of workers for liveable wages and stronger protections. I have consistently walked picket lines and marched with workers fighting for a better workplace that allows them to live with dignity, and I will bring that same fight to the DC Council”, says Aparna.
One of the largest private sector labor unions in the region, UFCW Local 400 represents 35,000 members working in retail food in Safeway, Shoppers, and Giant Food grocery stores, along with workers in health care, retail department stores, food processing, service and other industries.
“We are proud to endorse Aparna Raj for DC Council,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici. “And the reason is simple: she shows up. When restaurant workers push for better wages, she shows up. When retail workers rally against wage theft, she shows up. When union members fight for better contracts, she shows up. As a true champion of working families, she always shows up to help. We don’t have to wonder what she stands for – she has proven it over and over. We have no doubt she will continue to champion the needs of our members and look forward to her leadership on the DC Council.”
In addition to UFCW Local 400, Raj has received endorsements from six other labor unions – the most of any candidate in the Ward 1 race to date, including the Washington Teachers’ Union Local 6; UNITE HERE Local 25 and Local 23; Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, and American Federation of Government Employees Local 2725 and Local 2978. Aparna has also been endorsed by the Working Families Party, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America, and Run for Something.
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United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 is led by President Mark Federici and represents 35,000 members working in the grocery, retail, health care, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. www.ufcw400.org