More credit union-backed candidates advance to general election

Credit union-backed candidates continue to prevail in primary elections.

Candidates with the support of the Credit Union Legislative Action Fund, the Credit Union National Association’s federal political action committee, pulled off wins in this week’s Alabama, Maine and Texas primaries.

Former Texas Congressman Pete Sessions, a longtime credit union supporter who was defeated in the 2018 election, beat Renee Swann in the Republican primary. He will face Democratic Rich Kelly in November to represent Texas’s 17^th district, a seat held by Republican Bill Flores, who is not seeing reelection.

In the race for Alabama’s 1st Congressional district, Jeremy Carl defeated Bill Hightower with 52% of the vote in the Republican primary. Carl, a Mobile County commissioner, will run against Democrat James Averhart in November to fill a seat left open by Rep. Bradley Byrne, who will not seek reelection.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, won her Republican primary and will seek a fifth term against Democrat Sara Gideon in the general election. Collins has long supported credit union causes, including introducing legislation that helped create the Paycheck Protection Program.

Also in Maine, incumbent Reps. Chelle Pingree and Jared Golden, both Democrats, won uncontested primaries. Both have the support of CULAC.

CUNA said earlier this year that CULAC would spend a record amount of money to support candidates in advance of the election. Through July 14, the trade group said, candidates backed by the league and CULAC have won 257 races nationwide.