Some moderate senate incumbents, who lost in the primary election, endorsed Democrats.

But in the 1990's, under Ron Carey, the union generally endorsed Democrats.

Mr. Newman said that many religious leaders he knew had remained silent or had endorsed Democrats.

Although they were chummy during their news conference, they would not make a commitment to endorse each other or even other Democrats in the future.

It also endorsed Democrats in all five races for the House of Representatives.

The nine-paragraph letter encouraged its recipients to endorse other Democrats.

But some union officials said the administration was adopting these rules as retaliation after unions overwhelmingly endorsed Democrats in last month's elections.

Historically, it has union ties and a tendency to endorse Democrats: 850 of them in 900 races over four years.

Unions typically endorse Democrats even when they vote against union goals.

Its adopted positions are generally liberal, and in recent years the organization, more often than not, endorses Democrats.