It wasn’t simply 2024: the Teamsters Basic President Sean O’Brien is signaling a extra everlasting realignment by donating to battleground Republicans within the upcoming midterms.
For the second 12 months in a row, the labor union’s political arm donated to the Republicans’ Home marketing campaign arm after practically 20 years of largely backing Democrats. The labor union’s D.R.I.V.E political motion committee — Democrat, Republican, Unbiased Voter Training — gave the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee $5,000 within the second quarter.
Along with giving to the NRCC, Teamsters doled out a mixed $62,000 in contributions to almost two-dozen GOP congressional candidates, together with in vital battleground districts:
Rob Bresnahan, Mike Kelly and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer of Minnesota
Nicole Malliotakis, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler of New York
Jefferson Shreve of Indiana
Dave Taylor, Bob Latta, Michael Rulli and Dave Joyce of Ohio
Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith of New Jersey
David Rouzer of North Carolina
Tom Barrett of Michigan
Blake Moore of Utah
Darin LaHood and Mike Bost of Illinois
Troy Nehls of Texas
Vern Buchanan of Florida
The group additionally gave this 12 months to GOP Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania.And it’s not simply Congress: the Teamsters’ political arm donated $50,000 to the Republican Attorneys Basic Affiliation this previous June.
“Our members are working people whose interests cut across party lines,” Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, advised POLITICO. “And there’s no value in living in a bubble … where you only talk to certain people to the exclusion of others.”
The group hasn’t forsaken Democrats — it nonetheless offers them extra, together with $15,000 to the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee in April. A DCCC spokesperson didn’t reply to a request for remark.
However the GOP donations signify a marked shift within the pivotal labor union’s technique since 2024, when Teamsters Basic President Sean O’Brien delivered a historic deal with on the Republican Nationwide Conference in Milwaukee and his outfit started extra severely supporting Republicans.
It comes as O’Brien has sought to succeed in out past the union’s conventional viewers — and union members themselves are extra open to backing Republicans. He just lately hosted Ramaswamy on his podcast, and sat with The Free Press for an interview with Bari Weiss.
And it’s a warning signal for Democrats that their labor help — lengthy a keystone of their base — continues to erode, as President Donald Trump chisels away at it in his effort to remake the GOP as a working-class get together.
“Labor unions are finally recognizing the fact that their memberships are made up of workers from across the political spectrum,” mentioned Bresnahan, who acquired $5,000 from the Teamsters and whose grandfather was a member of the IBEW.
Final 12 months, the Teamsters donated $25,000 to the NRCC and gave $45,000 to the RNC in an effort to diversify their help as their rank-and-file members transfer rightward.
“Hard-working men and women across the country are rallying behind Republicans up and down the ballot because we fight for their jobs, their families, and their future,” mentioned NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella. “Democrats have abandoned them for their deeply out of touch, radical policies. We’re bringing these voters home, and they will be key in growing our House majority.”
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