Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson scored the endorsement of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO on Tuesday, a boost in what is looking to be a competitive and drama-filled race to keep his seat.

Philadelphia’s AFL-CIO represents 130,000 city workers and more than 100 local labor unions. Johnson, a Democrat, will face a tough primary against Ori Feibush, a real estate developer from Point Breeze.

The Johnson-Feibush race escalated over the summer when Feibush filed a federal lawsuit against Johnson, claiming that Johnson had blocked him from real estate purchases in order to punish Feibush for waging a campaign against him. Philadelphia Magazine also revealed an attempt by an influential Johnson political operative to encourage the creation of an anti-Feibush website.

Johnson expressed his gratitude for the “incredible honor to have the endorsement of Philadelphia’s AFL-CIO in my re-election campaign,” highlighting his efforts to help the city’s working families in his first term.

“In my second term I’m going to continue to work for them by pushing for full funding for our public schools, creating more job training and apprenticeship programs for young people, increasing the minimum wage, and providing tax credits for low-income families to send their kids to high-quality early learning programs,” Johnson said in a statement announcing the endorsement. “Our working families make our city great and I’m proud to have their support.”

Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Patrick Eiding sang praises for the City Councilman and his support of working class families.

“Kenyatta Johnson has demonstrated time and time again that he’s someone we can count on to stand up for the rights and values of working families in our city,” Eiding stated. “From his work to raise standards for Philadelphia International Airport workers to his leadership on raising the minimum wage in the city, he’s the one we need in city council.”