Former Congressman Rick Nolan, one of the Democrats hoping to get the party endorsement to run against U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack in the 8th District, has been endorsed by the United Food and Commercial International Workers (UFCW) union.

The union, which has 12,000 members in the Midwest (not all in the 8th District), said it likes Nolan's proven ability to win elections and his strong record of support for organized labor.

Said a statement from Don Seaquist, president of UFCW Local 1189:

“We’re excited and proud to endorse Rick Nolan in the race to beat Tea Party Republican Chip Cravaack. This is a very important endorsement for our union. The assault on working families has never been more aggressive. We need more than someone who just supports our fight for collective bargaining rights, fair wages, and job creation. We need a champion and an effective leader at this critical hour.”

Also seeking the Democratic nomination in the 8th are former state Sen. Tarryl Clark, Duluth City Council Member Jeff Anderson and former Al Franken staffer Daniel Fanning.