When the Teamsters labor union declined on Sept. 18 to endorse a presidential candidate, the media quickly spun it as a loss for Vice President Kamala Harris. But the bigger losers are Teamsters members, the majority of whom have now been ignored by union leaders who claim to represent them. Republicans should seize this opportunity to strengthen outreach to union members, who are more aligned with the GOP than many realize.
No doubt, Harris hoped to get the nod from the Teamsters, which has historically backed Democratic presidential candidates, including in 2016 and 2020. But despite their nonendorsement, Teamsters leadership still strongly prefers Harris’s Democratic policies over former President Donald Trump and Republicans values. That fact is clear in the Teamsters’ political spending, 99% of which goes to left-wing causes. Many of the union’s local leaders are also endorsing Harris.
