Credit unions appeared to have backed both winners in last Tuesday's Senate primaries, with former state commissioner of education Betty Castor, appearing to win the Democratic primary, and Mel Martinez, former Bush Administration Housing Secretary, appearing to eke out a win on the Republican side.
If the results hold up, it will require the credit union lobby, which has supported both candidates, to choose between them in November's general election to succeed Democrat Bob Graham, who is retiring after three terms.
Castor is a long-time credit union member who has never had a bank account; while Martinez has courted credit unions carefully during his tenure in Washington and during the campaign. Officials with the Florida CU League told The Credit Union Journal earlier they feel that either candidate will represent credit union interests if elected to the Senate.
