The Teamsters union's decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris is sparking concerns among some Democrats that their hold on the "blue wall" — Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — may be crumbling.
In 2016, former President Donald Trump surprised everyone when he swept the three states, which had voted Democrat in every election since 1992. President Joe Biden was able to win the three states back in 2020.
While polls show Harris leading or tied with Trump in the three states, Democrats are concerned the former president could have higher-than-expected support among union members, particularly men, Politico reported. Internal polling released by the Teamsters showed members overwhelmingly supporting Trump, though some unino locals have endorsed Kamala in a break from the national organization's stance.
Democrats told Politico Harris still has work to do to win over older, white, working-class voters, who can determine who wins the Rust Belt states and have most been impacted by inflation.
"Trump has a solid, solid base of working-class people that have bought into his message," Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, which has endorsed Harris, told Politico. "It's movable and it's been moving. But it's not like some tide that's turned."
A pro-Harris union official told Politico that Teamsters' members support for Harris gave him "HRC [Hillary Rodham Clinton] flashbacks." Clinton lost the blue wall states in 2016 despite being favored.
Democrats expressed concern that Harris is not hitting Trump enough over his previous comments threatening Social Security and Medicare and she remains unknown to older white voters, Politico said.
Harris' Communications Director Brian Fallon pointed out to Politico the Teamsters councils and locals in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that have endorsed Harris.
"I think that it's quite possible that by the end of this election cycle that she'll be more trusted than Trump on handling the economy," Fallon said.
Former Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., told Politico he believes the United Auto Workers endorsement of Harris will help her carry the state.
"Working-class people, in general, I think will definitely determine the election, and I think that we're going to duke it out right to the end," Levin said.
Bill Carroll, president of Teamsters Joint Council 39 in Wisconsin, told Politico he was "shocked" when he saw that Teamsters members overwhelmingly supported Trump.
"Maybe we haven't conveyed the importance of good labor policy, federally, and what that means for our members," Carroll said. "We need to find a way to show them the bigger picture."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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