Ahead of this weekend’s state Democratic Party endorsement meeting, the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades has thrown its support behind Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) for auditor general.

The Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council is made up of 16 Regional Councils and more than 115 local unions from 15 International Building Trades Unions.

“The Pennsylvania Building Trades makes endorsements based on two main criteria: will this person stand up for good jobs and for working people,” said president Rob Bair. “We are with Malcolm, not because he’s a Democrat, but because he’s a fighter.

“(He) has a strong record of standing up for workers and a real vision for the Auditor General’s office. We trust him and believe his commitment to create a Bureau of Labor and Worker Protections to go after wage theft, misclassification, and union busting will be a game changer for our members.”

Kenyatta, who was also endorsed by the Philadelphia Building Trades Council last week, said, “I’m humbled and excited to receive this endorsement. It speaks to my commitment to be a public advocate and watchdog who stands up unequivocally for working families. It also highlights the huge coalition we are building to win this primary and to defeat Tim DeFoor next fall.

“I’m running for Auditor General because it’s time for the underdog to be a watchdog for Pennsylvania’s working families. To ask the tough questions, to help reimagine and streamline government, and to help build the coalitions to fix what’s wrong. It’s what I’ve done as a State Representative for nearly five years, working to protect workers’ rights, enact common-sense gun safety policies, and root out government corruption and waste.”

A third-generation North Philadelphia native, Kenyatta ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2022. He earned a B.A. in Public Communications and a minor in Political Science from Temple University, a M.S. in Strategic and Digital Communications from Drexel University and completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executives in State and Local Government program.

Two other Democrats also have put their hats in the ring for the Democratic nomination, including former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) and Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley.