Trustees for NASW Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) have made four endorsements for Congress. NASW members are being encouraged to visit the Website often in order to get the latest list of candidates who may be in their jurisdictions.

NASW Senior Political Action Associate Brian Dautch said additional PACE endorsements can be expected in the coming months as more contested primary races are settled across the nation.

Once the Democratic presidential contest is settled, PACE trustees are expected to announce their choice for a presidential endorsement as well, Dautch said.

PACE is the political action arm of NASW. As a political action committee, PACE endorses and financially contributes to candidates from any party who support NASW's policy agenda.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 seats in the U.S. Senate, as well as the presidency, are up for election this year. Dautch said that once endorsements of candidates are posted on the Web site, members can help by contacting their chapters to learn more about the candidates and about ways to volunteer and support the candidates' campaigns.

One component of the endorsements is selecting candidates who support the goals of the Social Work Reinvestment Initiative (SWRI), which aims to secure federal and state funds, Dautch said. PACE trustees are looking for candidates who support such efforts as recruiting new social workers, retaining current social workers, retraining experienced socials workers and supporting social work research. Trustees are also looking for candidates who support major issues such as health care, mental health parity, children's issues and civil rights.