After weeks of speculation, several prominent Texas Democratic politicians and leaders have decided who they want to lead the national party in the Trump era: former U.S. Department of Labor secretary Tom Perez.

Among the big names backing Perez are Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the campaign announced Friday. He also picked up endorsements from former Houston mayor Annise Parker, El Paso state Sen. Jose Rodriguez, and U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela of Brownsville.

“It is more apparent than ever that we need to make fundamental changes at the DNC to get back to basics and fortify our state parties, not just use them as ATM machines,” Perez said in a statement. “And as Texans know all too well, we'll also need to be creative and aggressive about battling voter suppression efforts that strip Americans of their fundamental right to vote.”

The 11-member race for Democratic National Committee chairman has drawn candidates from across the country who will be in Houston this weekend to attend the DNC’s Future Forum.

Perez’s faces his stiffest competition from U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who has the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Ellison also has the backing of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats and several longtime Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.

“African American voters across the country and in Texas, are deeply concerned about the direction of the Democratic Party and want to ensure that the base of the Party is represented," Gene Collins, the group's chairman, said in a statement.