State Sen. Merika Coleman, who finished fourth in the Democratic primary in Alabama’s redrawn 2nd Congressional District, on Tuesday announced her endorsement of House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels in the runoff for the Democratic nomination.

Coleman, who served with Daniels in the Alabama House before her election to the state Senate and who is chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said Daniels has proven he will fight on issues, including issues important to women, and has shown the ability to work across the aisle with the Republican majority that controls the Legislature.

“In November, the Republicans do not want to run against a man that has a track record,” Coleman said. “And he has a track record for helping families in the state of Alabama.

Daniels faces former U.S. Justice Department official Shomari Figures of Mobile in the April 16 runoff.

The Democratic nominee will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Dick Brewbaker and Caroleene Dobson.

Figures led the 11-candidate field in the March 5 primary with 24,825 votes, or 43%. Daniels finished second with 12,774 votes, or 22%.

The Alabama Democratic Conference, considered the most influential Black political organization in the state Democratic Party, endorsed Figures on Saturday.

Coleman announced her endorsement of Daniels at the office of the Alabama AFL CIO, which endorsed Daniels before the primary.

“Our message to our members is we need to support folks who support us,” Alabama AFL CIO President Bren Riley said Tuesday. “I don’t care what party they’re in. I don’t care who they sleep with. I don’t care who they’re married to. I don’t even care what bathroom they use. If they support us, by God we need to support them.”

Riley said an example of Daniels’ support for union members was his sponsorship of a bill that exempted overtime pay, work in excess of 40 hours in a week, from the state income tax, which carries a rate of 5%. Riley said Daniels was able to get his bill passed with bipartisan support even though Democrats hold only 28 of 105 House seats.

“Because of the super minority, they’ve got a tough row to hoe,” Riley said. “But just his efforts with the tax incentive on overtime helps folks that go to work every day.”

“And the sad thing about people that work overtime, that money ain’t going in a 401-k. It’s going to the damn economy. And instead of paying 5% on that income, they’re paying 10% (sales tax) when they go spend it. So we think it’s a positive windfall for the state.”

A federal court approved a new map in October changing the 2nd Congressional District from a safe Republican district to one where a Democrat can win. A Democratic victory would mean a second Democrat and second Black member in Alabama’s seven-member congressional delegation and would be a factor in determining control of Congress.

Daniels has represented a Huntsville-area district in the Alabama House since 2014. He has been House minority leader since 2017. Daniels grew up in Bullock County and said he maintains deep ties in the 2nd District.

Figures is a Mobile native who worked in the Obama administration and as deputy chief of staff and counselor to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. He is the son of longtime state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures and Michael Figures, a state senator who died in 1996.