LEXINGTON, Ky. — The National Education Association announced its endorsement of Democratic congressional candidate Zach Dembo on Monday, bolstering his position in a competitive race for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District seat ahead of the May 19 primary.

The NEA, the nation's largest labor union, said Dembo's teaching background and advocacy for public education made him the right choice. "Zach Dembo is a champion for America's students and Kentucky working families," NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement, adding that he will "prevent diverting funding from the public schools that 90 percent of our students attend into unaccountable and discriminatory private schools through vouchers."

Dembo, a former eighth-grade teacher in Mississippi's Delta region, is among seven Democrats vying for the Democratic nomination in a district that has drawn unusually intense competition for a central Kentucky seat. Five Republicans are also competing on the GOP side. The race is open because incumbent Republican Andy Barr is running for U.S. Senate.

The endorsement continues a string of high-profile supporters for Dembo, the campaign said, including former Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, veteranâ groups VoteVets and With Honor, and policy organizations focused on foreign affairs. Dembo, a Navy JAG veteran and former federal prosecutor who resigned from the Justice Department, said in a statement that the endorsement demonstrated the union's commitment to public education and teacher dignity.

The 6th District seat, based in Lexington and surrounding communities in central Kentucky, is considered more competitive than it has been in recent cycles. Political analysts have shifted their ratings downward, citing the district's demographic shift and an unusually robust Democratic field.