Chris Koster (D)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline)-Missouri Democratic candidate for attorney general Chris Koster has been endorsed by one of the state's leading labor groups, his campaign said Tuesday.
The Missouri AFL-CIO praised Koster, a former Republican, for putting the state's workers ahead of partisan politics.
"Chris Koster has been a steadfast friend of Missouri's working families throughout his career in public service," said Missouri AFL-CIO President Hugh McVey. "We look forward to working with him as our next Attorney General to protect good jobs, high wages, and fair benefits for Missouri's workforce."
Koster, a state senator and former local prosecutor, has said he will aggressively pursue prevailing wage violations. He has said he will also target employers who hire illegal immigrants.
"In these tough economic times, when the cost of everything is going up - from gas to groceries to health care - and wages are staying stagnant or decreasing, it is more important than ever that we have a champion in the attorney general's office who is prepared to stand up for working families against big business and corporate interests," Koster said in a statement.
Koster, who is vying to replace outgoing Attorney General Jay Nixon, won the Democratic AG nomination by just 829 votes. He will face state Senate Pro Tempore Michael Gibbons, a Republican, in November.
From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.