Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Austin lawyer José Garza in his bid to challenge Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore in the March 3 Democratic primary.

Garza is the co-executive director of the Austin-based nonprofit Workers Defense Project.

"With José as District Attorney, Travis County will gain another champion in the fight to transform our criminal justice system," Warren said in a statement Tuesday. "As an experienced public servant with a proven track record of standing up for working families, I know that José will be the fighter that Travis County communities deserve."

Garza, who also worked in the Obama administration as a secretary for policy at the Department of Labor, has served as a state and federal public defender on the Texas-Mexico border.

The Travis County district attorney’s race has become one of the most watched local contests as Moore’s critics have accused her of not prosecuting enough sexual assault cases. Moore, who is seeking a second term as the county’s top felony prosecutor, says her record shows otherwise.

The Real Justice PAC, a national political action committee that aligns itself with district attorney candidates who oppose incarceration for drug and nonviolent offenses, also has endorsed Garza. It has contributed $34,490 to Garza’s campaign.

The group, designed to unseat big-city prosecutors that it considers unreasonably tough on crime, announced in August that it would target Moore.

Also running in the primary: Erin Martinson, a lawyer who has had various roles advocating for women who are victims of violent crimes.

Martinson raised $92,800 in the last six months of 2019, just below Garza’s $99,800 during the same time period.

Meanwhile, Moore brought in $62,400 over the same six-month period, a significant drop from the $152,100 she grabbed in the first half of 2019. She reported $145,400 in cash on hand.

The figures are the most recent numbers available before candidates have to report again, 30 days ahead of the primary election.

Warren’s endorsement of Garza is the first time the progressive Massachusetts senator has endorsed an Austin candidate and her fourth endorsement of a Texan while on the campaign trail.

On Tuesday, Warren also endorsed Candace Valenzuela in a crowded Democratic primary in North Texas for the congressional seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell.

Warren joined several other presidential candidates last week in endorsing Eliz Markowitz in the Tuesday special election runoff for a state House seat in Fort Bend County.

And in September, Warren backed Jessica Cisneros, the immigration lawyer running to unseat U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.