Idaho congressional candidate Larry Grant was endorsed today by the United Transportation Union, the largest railroad operating union in North America. Grant is in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for the congressional seat now held by Republican Bill Sali. Local UTU business representative George Millward, announcing the early endorsement, said, “We endorse candidates who are committed to helping the working families of America. Larry Grant has shown that he believes that ordinary Americans deserve a fair shake.” Grant, who ran a close race against Sali in 2006, was endorsed by an array of unions then, including the Idaho AFL-CIO. He noted that he backed the increase in the federal minimum wage, which Sali strenuously opposed. Grant faces Walt Minnick and Rand Lewis in the Democratic primary; Sali is being challenged by Matt Salisbury in the GOP primary.

But the most unusual pre-primary endorsement so far this year came in the U.S. Senate race, when the state GOP chairman and all but one of the state’s top GOP elected officials endorsed Jim Risch at his announcement for the open Senate seat, though he has an opponent in the GOP primary, former elk rancher Rex Rammell.

---

---