Local Group Pulls Endorsement for Candidate

EAST TEXAS — An East Texas tea party group has withdrawn its endorsement of Mary Lou Bruner for the State Board of Education, saying the candidate’s statements have raised questions about her integrity. According to the Longview News-journal and KETK, Grassroots America-We The People, based in Tyler, said Wednesday evening that it had voted to drop its endorsement of Bruner, who is in a runoff for the Republican nomination for the District 9 seat that represents 31 East Texas counties. She is facing Keven Ellis, president of the Lufkin ISD school board.

Earlier this week, Grassroots America-We The People said it was reconsidering its endorsement of Bruner after her May 4 appearance at a meeting with East Texas school superintendents. At that meeting, the retired elementary teacher made statements called out immediately as false by the educators.