US firefighters union declines to back Harris or Trump in upcoming election

In a significant setback for Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid to remain in the White House, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) announced on Thursday that it would not endorse any presidential candidate in the upcoming election. The decision marks a major blow to Harris’ campaign, which has been heavily reliant on organized labor to engage working-class voters, especially in crucial swing states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In his statement, General President Edward Kelly explained that the union, which represents approximately 300,000 career firefighters and emergency responders, made the decision not to endorse by a narrow margin of 1.2%. “This decision, which we took very seriously, is the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity,” Kelly said.

This announcement comes as a disappointment to the Harris campaign, which has actively sought endorsements from labor unions to bolster its outreach efforts. Notably, the IAFF was the first union to endorse Democrat Joe Biden at the start of his successful campaign against then-President Donald Trump in 2019.

While the Harris campaign has yet to publicly comment on the IAFF’s decision, the Trump campaign wasted no time in seizing the opportunity, labeling the announcement as “another devastating blow to Kamala Harris’ failing campaign.”

The IAFF’s decision follows a similar move by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of the nation’s largest unions, which also opted not to endorse a candidate in this year’s presidential race. However, Harris has secured regional endorsements from various Teamsters locals, representing over a million workers, and has gained the backing of other significant labor organizations since taking Biden’s place on the Democratic ticket, including the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Harris has committed to continuing many of the labor policies championed by Biden, who often refers to himself as the most pro-union president in history.

Some senior officials in the Harris campaign, along with academics and fellow Democrats, have suggested that the IAFF’s decision not to endorse may reflect lingering biases against women in leadership roles. This is not the first time the union has hesitated to endorse a female candidate; it backed away from endorsing Hillary Clinton in 2015.

Both presidential campaigns made personal appeals to the firefighters union members in August, with Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, speaking at the event. Additionally, Harris addressed an IAFF legislative conference in Washington, D.C., in March, before Biden exited the race.

As the campaign unfolds, the IAFF’s decision could have lasting implications for Harris’ efforts to galvanize support among labor voters as she aims to secure her position in the upcoming presidential election.