AAUP Endorses 11 Winners in 2026 Elections
The faculty union made its first official candidate endorsements in its 110-year history, backing winners across House and Senate races.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Elections
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The American Association of University Professors endorsed 11 candidates who won in the 2026 elections, announcing the slate on Nov. 6. The endorsements mark the first time the union has officially backed candidates for office in its history.
Why it matters
The move signals a new level of direct political engagement by a major faculty membership organization that represents academic professionals at colleges and universities nationwide. The union says it will hold the newly elected members accountable to its priorities.
The union endorsed 11 winners, including Senate winners Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Sherrod Brown in Ohio. The AAUP was founded in 1915 and has members and chapters at colleges and universities across the country.
The players
American Association of University Professors
A membership association and union founded in 1915 that represents faculty and other academic professionals at colleges and universities across the United States.
Sherrod Brown
A former U.S. senator from Ohio who won a Senate race in 2026 and received the AAUP's endorsement.
Abdul El-Sayed
A Michigan candidate who won a Senate race in 2026 and received the AAUP's endorsement.
The details
Endorsed House winners include three New Jersey candidates: Adam Hamawy in the 12th District, Rebecca Bennett in the 7th District, and Rep. Analilia Mejia in the 11th District. Other endorsed winners came from Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Timeline
Nov. 6, 2026: AAUP announces its endorsed winners in the 2026 elections.
Political Context
The AAUP's decision to endorse candidates for the first time in its 110-year history marks a departure from its longstanding practice of staying out of formal electoral politics. The union frames the move around academic freedom and higher education funding goals.
Academic professionals and students at colleges and universities may see the newly elected members of Congress take up academic freedom and research funding issues. The union plans to press lawmakers on writing academic freedom protections into law and creating a debt-free higher education system.
The takeaway
Organized faculty are now openly playing electoral politics, and their endorsed lawmakers will face direct pressure to deliver on academic freedom and higher education funding.
Further reading
For more on how candidates and parties compete for office, see Elections.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NJTODAY.
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