Former Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg (at right on the phone) was endorsed Thursday by the Minnesota AFL-CIO in his race for the U.S. House from the Sixth District. If he wins the nomination, Tinklenberg will challenge first-term Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Stillwater.

Tinklenberg, who is also a former mayor of Blaine, and banker Bob Olson (at left, on the microphone) are seeking the DFL endorsement in that race. The AFL-CIO endorsement, while important, is not much of a surprise, since the AFL-CIO strongly backed Tinklenberg in 2006, when he narrowly lost an endorsement race for the same congressional seat to children’s advocate Patty Wetterling. (Wetterling won the nomination but lost the general election Bachmann.)

But in that 2006 race, the politically powerful government workers’ union, the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) endorsed Wetterling over Tinklenberg. AFSCME interviewed the 6th District candidates last night but hasn’t yet announced an endorsement.

Tinklenberg is favored against Olson for the DFL endorsement. If AFSCME were to endorse Olson, the race would appear more competitive. One source told me yesterday that some of the AFSCME leaders had apologized to Tinklenberg for endorsing his opponent in 2006, which would seem to bode well for his chances of getting the AFSCME endorsement this time and put him in a commanding position in the race for DFL endorsement.