Philadelphia, PA – On Monday night, Joe Torsella, Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania State Treasurer, received the endorsement of the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council. The council, which represents nearly 40 Philadelphia-area unions, voted unanimously to support Torsella in the April Democratic Primary.
“I am proud to say the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council has endorsed Joe Torsella for State Treasurer,” said John Doughtery, President of the Philadelphia Building Trades. “I’ve known Joe personally for nearly two decades, since he first turned things around at the National Constitution Center and brought that project to life. We in Southeastern Pennsylvania know that Joe’s a can-do problem solver who will be a strong advocate for working families throughout our Commonwealth. We look forward to having someone of Joe’s talent and integrity in the Treasurer’s office, and working with him to improve the state’s finances and economy.”
“I am so grateful and honored to have the endorsement and support of the Philadelphia Building Trades, which represents tens of thousands of hard-working Pennsylvanians,” Torsella said. “I’ve had a great working relationship with many members of the Council since my days as President of the National Constitution Center. I look forward to working with them in this campaign and in office to find solutions to the challenges we face of rebuilding our infrastructure, expanding access to affordable higher education and vocational training, and creating more financial security for hard-working Pennsylvanians.”
Joe Torsella has spent his life in public service making public institutions more efficient, more transparent, and more innovative. As President Barack Obama’s Ambassador to the United Nations for UN Management and Reform from 2011 to 2014, Joe was the architect and chief public spokesperson for the U.S.-led reform of the UN’s $36 billion budget. As Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia, Joe helped Ed Rendell close a $1.6 billion deficit. Joe has done it as the founding CEO of the National Constitution Center, helping it go from virtual bankruptcy to national treasure. Joe served as the Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, leading the Board to pass a landmark accountability measure implementing rigorous statewide requirements for high school graduation.
A native of Berwick, Joe is a former Rhodes Scholar and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Carolyn P. Short, a partner at Reed Smith LLP, have four children and live in Flourtown, Pennsylvania.