For DC 37, 2001 promises to be a hot political year.

The four Democrats who are campaigning for mayor have already started knocking on DC 37’s door, making clear their hope of winning the union’s endorsement.

“In the coming months, you can expect to see more and more candidates at DC 37 and local union meetings,” said Local 1655 President Donald Afflick, who chairs the DC 37 Political Action Committee.

Because of the city’s term-limits law, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and most members of the City Council cannot run for re-election in November. The law also affects Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi and Public Advocate Mark Green, who are both in the mayoral race with Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and City Council Speaker Peter F. Vallone.

In recent months:

• Mr. Hevesi addressed members of Local 983 at a general membership meeting.
  
  
• Mr. Ferrer spoke at a general membership meeting of Clerical-Administrative Local 1549.
  
  
• Mr. Green addressed the local’s Political Action Committee.
  
  
• City Council Speaker Peter F. Vallone greeted DC 37 members at the annual Labor Day Parade.

Given the importance of this electoral cycle and the large number of candidates, DC 37 expects to initiate the endorsement process soon, according to Michael Keogh, associate director of the Political Action Dept.

In that process, the union’s Screening Committee gives politicians questionnaires, interviews them and studies their records.

The committee then makes its recommendations to the Executive Board, which in turn indicates its preferred candidates to the DC 37 Delegates, who have the ultimate say on endorsements.