Former Houston city council member Amanda Edwards backs Royce West for U.S. Senate

Edwards is the fifth Democrat who also ran in the primary to endorse West, who earlier won a progressive group’s nod, while Pete Buttigieg threw his support behind MJ Hegar.

AUSTIN — Former Democratic Senate hopeful Amanda Edwards on Friday endorsed Royce West for U.S. Senate, becoming the fifth also-ran from the March primary to back the longtime state senator from Dallas.

“He will bring about the change we need when it comes to health care, climate change, education, criminal justice reform and many issues I championed as a candidate in this race,” said Edwards, a former Houston city council member who finished fifth in the March 3 voting.

“I support Senator West because of his strong Democratic values,” Edwards said in a written statement.

She joined labor organizer Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez of Austin, former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston, progressive activist Sema Hernandez of Houston and Beaumont NAACP leader Michael Cooper in backing West over lead vote-getter MJ Hegar in the July 14 Democratic runoff.

“The support that has coalesced around Senator West represents more than 1 million total votes from the March 3 primary,” when 1.87 million were cast, noted West spokesman Vince Leibowitz. He said the Congressional Black Caucus also has decided to endorse West.

Read the full article here.