The New Jersey AFL-CIO has endorsed Republican Rep. Chris Smith for re-election to a 20th term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Smith also has the backing of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council in his race against Democrat Josh Welle.

“For me, the cause of working families—and the critical importance of unions in the never-ending fight for fair wages and benefits, workplace protections and other important terms of employment achieved through collective bargaining is a core conviction,” Smith said in a speech to delegates on Tuesday. “I strongly support Davis-Bacon; project labor agreements; best value contracting and robust funding of the Amtrak Gateway project.”