Davis, Van de Putte Get Nods From Texas AFL-CIO
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The Texas AFL-CIO's political arm on Sunday voted to give its endorsement to Wendy Davis for governor and Leticia Van de Putte for lieutenant governor. But in another key statewide contest, it said it would remain neutral in the U.S. Senate race.
Five Democrats are currently vying for the U.S. Senate nomination, including former congressional candidate David Alameel and El Paso attorney Maxey Scherr. The Texas AFL-CIO took a "no endorsement" position in the race, which obligates the labor federation and its constituent groups to remain neutral in the contest.
Davis earlier endorsed Alameel in the Senate primary. AFL-CIO spokesman Ed Sills said that although the organization is neutral now, it is free to endorse at a later time.
Here are the remainder of the AFL-CIO endorsements. Note that a "no position" means indivual unions can take independent positions in a race:
• Attorney General - Sam Houston
• Comptroller - Mike Collier
• Land Commissioner - John Cook
• Agriculture Commissioner - Hugh Fitzsimons III
• Texas Railroad Commission, Place 2 - Steve Brown
• Texas Supreme Court, Place 1 - Bill Moody
• Texas Supreme Court, Place 6 - No position
• Texas Supreme Court, Place 7 - Gina Benavides
• Texas Supreme Court, Place 8 - No position
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 - No position
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 - No position
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9-No position
The Texas AFL-CIO endorsed only Democrats for statewide office. For agriculture commissioner, labor endorsed Fitzsimons over humorist and former gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman. For railroad commissioner, labor endorsed Steve Brown over Dale Henry.
Also of note was labor's decision not to take a position in the race for Place 6 on the Texas Supreme Court. That contest features Lawrence "Larry" Meyers, the Court of Criminal Appeals justice who switched parties to run for the Supreme Court as a Democrat.
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