Teamsters in Arizona endorse Kamala Harris after union’s national leaders pass
Oct 3, 2024, 1:51 PM | Updated: Oct 4, 2024, 6:26 am
Teamsters in Arizona are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, seen during a rally in Glendale on Aug. 9, 2024, in this year's presidential race. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Teamsters in Arizona are endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the labor union’s national leaders declined to take sides in this year’s presidential race.
“The Harris/Walz campaign garnered unanimous support from our executive board based solely on their positions and past actions on labor-related issues,” Teamsters Local 104, which represents approximately 9,600 Arizona members, said in a Thursday announcement.
The Arizona executive board endorsement didn’t align with the results of Local 104 member polling conducted July 24-Sept. 15, which favored Trump over Harris by a 54%-40% margin.
The General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had endorsed the Democratic nominee in every presidential election after 1988, when it backed George H.W. Bush.
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However, national Teamsters leadership announced on Sept. 18 that it was not taking sides in this year’s race, a first for the powerful labor union, which represents 1.3 million workers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump treated the Teamsters’ neutrality during his third presidential run as a victory.
“It’s a great honor,” he said at the time. “They’re not going to endorse the Democrats. That’s a big thing.”
Teamsters in Arizona aren’t alone in backing Harris
Despite the national union stance, multiple local councils around the U.S. have gone on to endorse Harris, including in battleground states Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Pennsylvania and now Teamsters in Arizona.
The national union apparently was poised to endorse President Joe Biden while he was still the Democratic candidate, but member polling showed a preference for Trump after Harris replaced the incumbent at the top of the ticket.
“Democrats, Republicans and independents proudly call our union home, and we have a duty to represent and respect every one of them. We strongly encourage all our members to vote in the upcoming election, and to remain engaged in the political process. But this year, no candidate for president has earned the endorsement of the Teamsters’ International Union,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said while announcing the non-endorsement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
