Rep. Kendrick Meek today picked up the endorsement of Florida's SEIU - the Service Employees International Union - a potentially big factor in the Democratic primary.
Union president Monica Russo said the union was "estatic and proud" to endorse Meek's run for the US Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez. She called Meek a "fighter" with "conviction, compassion and guts."
She said the union and Meek have a long history of working together and that Meek asked for the union's endorsement before he decided to run for the Senate. "We've never been more excited about a candidate than we are about Kendrick," she said.
Asked why the union endorsed so early, Russo said "when our members heard Kendrick might be running, they barraged us to endorse early.
"There has been no push back....it's been unanimous," she said of the support. She said the union expects "more than a couple of good candidates" for Senate, but called Meek "unrivaled" in "going to the mat for our folks."
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