The Teamsters Union, one of the largest unions in the country, is refusing to endorse a Presidential candidate for the 2024 election. This is a shock to Democrats, who usually count on the endorsement of the country’s major unions.
This is the first time in almost 65 years that the Teamsters have not endorsed a candidate. The Teamsters’ President also made an appearance at the Republican National Convention, despite no The Hill says:
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien told The Hill that the union did not endorse Vice President Harris or former President Trump “because both candidates didn’t commit on the core issues that we need to get accomplished on behalf of our members.”
This is only the third time the union hasn’t endorsed a presidential candidate since 1960, and comes after a closely-watched process that involved roundtables with both candidates, extensive member polling and the first appearance by a Teamsters president on the Republican National Convention stage.
The Teamsters internally polled their members and realized that most of them supported Donald Trump. The leadership, usually in the pocket of the Democrats, decided to not endorse as a compromise. CNN explains:
Ahead of the decision, the Teamsters shared internal data showing that a majority of members supported Trump over Harris. According to an electronic member poll that was initiated after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, about 60% of members believed the union should endorse Trump while 34% supported Harris. About 6% said they supported another candidate.
“It’s a great honor. They’re not going to endorse the Democrats. That’s a big thing,” Trump said during a campaign stop in New York City on Wednesday. “Democrats automatically have the Teamsters. They took a vote, and I guess I was at 60% or more, and that’s a great honor.”
This change shows that the Republican Party is realigning towards the working people, while Democrats are consolidating their hold on suburban professionals.
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