WASHINGTON–In yesterday’s Florida primaries, credit unions appear to have lost one and won one when it comes to candidates behind whom they had thrown support.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R), who has the backing of credit unions, won the Florida GOP Senate primary by a huge margin over several challengers, including Carols Beruff, who is believed to have invested as much as $7 million of his own money in the race.
But in U.S. House District 2 in Florida, which includes the Tallahassee area, it appears Mary Thomas, who CUNA’s Trey Hawkins had called “an avowed credit union supporter,” has lost her race to GOP rival Neal Dunn. The race was very tight, with Dunn winning 41.4% of the vote to Thomas’ 39.3%.
CUNA, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, and local CUs had all thrown their support behind Thomas. Credit unions sent mailings to more than 6,000 CU member households that are also Republican. If elected, Thomas would become the first Indian-American woman to serve in Congress; while born in the U.S., her parents arrived in the U.S. from India in 1972.
Credit unions are also watching races in Arizona, the other state to hold primaries yesterday. CUToday.info will provide updated coverage.