Kamala Harris Is First Democrat in Decades To Not Get Teamsters Endorsement

Vice President Kamala Harris is the first Democrat in over two decades to not secure the Teamsters union endorsement.

The union, representing over 1.3 million members, has endorsed Democratic candidates for president for over 20 years. However, in a statement released on Wednesday, the union said it will not endorse any presidential candidate in the 2024 election. This is the first time the union has not endorsed a presidential candidate since 1996.

“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said on Wednesday.

O’Brien added that they wanted both candidates to commit to not interfering in “critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries” and honor members’ right to strike. However, neither candidate would make the commitment.

Trump’s campaign was quick to highlight that the majority of Teamsters members wanted the union to endorse the former president. In an email, the campaign acknowledged the union wasn’t making a formal endorsement but added that the polling data the Teamsters released earlier in the day showed 59.6 percent of members said they support Trump.

“President Trump fights for America’s working men and women. President Trump’s agenda will bring tax relief and reverse the inflation that hurts working families the most,” the campaign said.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.