Arizona Teamsters Endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for Presidential Election
In a significant move, the leadership of Arizona’s Teamsters Local 104 has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the upcoming presidential election. This decision comes after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) declined to endorse any candidate for the presidency.
Dawn Schumann, the political director of Teamsters Local 104, explained that the local chapter’s endorsement of Harris is rooted in her longstanding commitment to labor issues. “Vice President Harris has committed to signing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO Act) and has strengthened the National Labor Relations Board,” the union stated in a press release, highlighting her dedication to supporting the middle class over corporate interests.
Teamsters Local 104, which represents over 9,600 members in Arizona, made this endorsement independently after the national body, representing 1.3 million members across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, chose not to endorse a candidate for the first time since 1996.
IBT had previously endorsed Harris as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, marking a long-standing trend of supporting Democratic candidates, with the last Republican endorsement being for George H.W. Bush in 1988. Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien remarked, “The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables,” but noted that neither major candidate made commitments that aligned with the union’s interests.
The decision not to endorse at the national level left local councils with the autonomy to make their own endorsements, according to Schumann. Despite the Arizona executive board’s endorsement, electronic polling among Local 104 members showed a preference for Trump over Harris by 54% to 40% after Biden’s withdrawal. However, Biden previously led Trump by a margin of 54% to 30%, with 12% of members favoring other candidates.
Harris has received endorsements from several other local Teamster unions in key battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Schumann emphasized the importance of evaluating candidates based on their track record concerning labor issues. Harris’s decisive vote on the American Rescue Plan, which included the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act, was pivotal in preserving pensions for over a million retirees and workers.
“She [Harris] stood on the right side of Teamster history when she cast that vote,” Schumann stated. “The actions of what people do is where their true character lies.” Schumann clarified that the endorsement was not driven by financial or political gain but was based on Harris’s contributions to labor causes. She also noted that the endorsement does not bind members to vote for any specific candidate, affirming their freedom to vote as they choose.
While declining to comment on the IBT’s broader decision not to endorse a candidate, Schumann stressed the importance of local unions sharing their perspectives on the best candidates for labor interests with their members.
