AFL-CIO Stays Neutral in Senate Primary
while Endorsing Vélez for Lieutenant Gov
Capitol Inside
January 26, 2026
The Texas AFL-CIO's political arm declined to make an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race on Sunday night when it rallied behind a slate of Democrats in statewide and judicial contests including Austin State Rep. Gina Hinojosa as the prohibitive favorite for the party's nomination for governor in 2026.
The labor organization's Committee on Political Education overlooked another Austin lawmaker when it voted to pitch its support behind Marcos Vélez in a Democratic primary fight for the nod in the race for the job that Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is vying to keep as the Texas Senate president.
Democratic State Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin has appeared to have the inside track for the nomination in the lieutenant governor's competition as the only one of three primary contenders with experience as an elected official. Goodwin entered January with a substantial advantage in funding over the Democrat who the AFL-CIO's COPE is urging its members to support in the primary election on March 3.
But the labor group decided to go with one of its own in Vélez - a Deer Park resident who's been deeply involved in the labor movement in Texas as a union organizer.
The Texas AFL-CIO political committee issued endorsements to State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas for an open race for state attorney general, State Senator Sarah Eckhardt of Austin in the comptroller's race and State Rep. Jon Rosenthal of Houston in a bid for the Texas Railroad Commission. Johnson and Eckardt both face two primary foes on the Democratic primary ballot while Rosenthal is unopposed in round one.
COPE pitched its support behind Jose Loya for a primary fight with Benjamin Flores, a Bay City council member, for the Democratic nomination in the agriculture commissioner's contest. Loya is a Marine veteran who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico and obtained citizenship while serving in Iraq.
Hinojosa appears to be a shoo-in at this point for the nomination in a field of 10 Democratic contenders for a shot at Governor Greg Abbott in the general election in November. The COPE endorsement will give Vélez an infusion of credibility as a novice candidate in a campaign for the second highest statewide office in Texas at the state level. The AFL-CIO's support has long been viewed as a prerequisite to nominations for Democrats in statewide races here.
But Goodwin still appears to have the edge - despite the cold shoulder from the labor organization - thanks in significant part to a head start on the first-round competition and the war chest she amassed over the course of a six-month span before Velez entered the ring in December. Goodwin raised more than $400,000 from contributors in 2025 for the statewide bid that she launched with a $100,000 loan.
Goodwin - a member of the House member since 2019 - ended December with $161,000 when Vélez reported $51,000 in cash on hand. Vélez raised nearly $80,000 last month after the belated start in the statewide quest. Vélez received $20,000 from the United Steel Workers and $34,000 from the Houstonians for Working Families, which also produced a video that his campaign reported as a non-monetary contribution of $25,000.
A third Democrat in the running for Patrick's post - Courtney Head of San Antonio - did not raise a sufficient amount of money to be competitive. But Head still has the potential to force a runoff between the primary rivals who are armed to various degrees if they're close by the time the ballots are cast and counted five weeks from now.
The labor organization chose to remain on the sidelines in the battle between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and State Rep. James Talarico of Austin for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race at the top of the Texas ballot in 2026. COPE hosted a debate on Saturday that featured Talarico and Crockett at the group's convention in Georgetown.
more to come ...
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