The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) has refused to endorse candidates ahead of next month’s US presidential election, despite efforts by both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump to lobby the union.
“We took this decision very seriously as it was the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity,” the IAFF said in a statement.
The union, which has about 350,000 members, is a key part of the coalition built by Joe Biden and was the first union to support his 2020 presidential bid.
It is the second major union to refrain from supporting Harris and Trump as tens of millions of Americans prepare to cast their votes. The U.S. transportation union Teamsters International, which represents more than 1.3 million workers, also announced it would not endorse the candidate.
Both campaigns have sought support from the IAFF, with Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, and Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, speaking at the union’s convention in August.
In his speech, Walz claimed that as Minnesota’s governor he signed “the most comprehensive fire law in the nation.” Vance, who endured boos from the audience, insisted that he and Trump represent a “new kind of Republican Party” and will “never stop fighting” for first responders.
The IAFF announced Thursday that its board of directors voted not to endorse the presidential candidate by a margin of 1.2 percentage points. “We encourage our members, and all voters, to get out and make their voices heard in the next election,” union president Edward Kelly said.
This is not the first time the IAFF has withheld support from a candidate. He supported Barack Obama in 2008, but reportedly shelved plans to publicly support Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
