Warren reveals more endorsements from former Castro, O’Rourke supporters

The Massachusetts U.S. senator's latest endorsements come from four state lawmakers who represent O’Rourke's native El Paso and previously supported him or Castro.

The battle for former supporters of Julián Castro and Beto O’Rourke is continuing apace as Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren unveils a fresh round of endorsements from Texas lawmakers.

In announcement first shared with The Texas Tribune, Warren’s campaign unveiled the support of four legislators who represent O’Rourke’s native El Paso: Sen. José Rodríguez; Reps. Art Fierro and Mary González; and House Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody. All four previously supported Castro or O’Rourke, and some, like Moody, were initial O’Rourke supporters who switched over to Castro after O’Rourke ended his campaign in November.

“I’m proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren for President because she has a proven track record as a fighter for working families and a champion for LGBTQ+ equality,” González, who chairs the House LGBT Caucus, said in statement. “I know she’ll make big, structural change to deliver real progress to people in Texas and across the country.”

The latest announcement comes as Warren keeps increasing her focus on the state ahead of Super Tuesday, or March 3. The rush for support within the state opened up after the departures of both Texans in the race — and Castro’s decision to back Warren shortly after he dropped out earlier this month. Since then, Warren and Joe Biden have been trading endorsement rollouts. In one case, the former vice president released a list of new Texas endorsements the day after Castro endorsed Warren.

While the former vice president has easily maintained the most congressional endorsements in Texas, Warren is catching up to him among state lawmakers. She now has the support of seven members of the Legislature to his 11.

Biden has been the poll leader ahead of the Texas primary, though Warren’s campaign was the earliest to build a formal organization here. Former New York City Michael Bloomberg is also making a serious push for the state, recently announcing a presence here larger than that of any other Democratic contender.

by Alex Samuels and Patrick SvitekJ