Teamsters in Arizona have officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in this year’s presidential election, diverging from their national leadership’s decision to remain neutral. The endorsement comes after the General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to support any candidate in the 2024 race, a first in the powerful labor union’s history since 1988.
“The Harris/Walz campaign earned the unanimous support of our executive board due to their strong positions and consistent actions on labor-related issues,” Teamsters Local 104, which represents approximately 9,600 Arizona members, stated in an announcement on Thursday.
While the local executive board voiced strong support for Harris and Walz, polling conducted among Local 104 members between July 24 and September 15 revealed a preference for former President Donald Trump, with 54% of respondents favoring Trump over Harris at 40%. Despite this, the board’s endorsement was driven by a clear focus on labor rights.
Nationally, the Teamsters union, which represents 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, opted not to endorse a candidate, a move that Trump interpreted as a victory. “It’s a great honor,” Trump said, celebrating the union’s decision not to back the Democratic ticket.
However, Teamsters in Arizona join several other local councils across the country in endorsing Harris, including key battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. The national union had reportedly been poised to endorse President Joe Biden, but a shift in polling following Harris’ elevation to the top of the ticket led to their neutral stance.
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien emphasized the importance of member unity, stating, “Democrats, Republicans, and independents proudly call our union home, and we have a duty to represent and respect every one of them. No candidate for president has earned the endorsement of the Teamsters’ International Union this year, but we encourage all our members to vote and stay engaged in the political process.”
