Aug 12, 11:45 PM

Teamsters Union Donates $62,000 to Republicans After $36 Billion 2021 Pension Bailout, Withholding 2024 Harris Endorsement

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union historically aligned with the Democratic Party, is shifting its political support towards Republican candidates in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien has contributed approximately $62,000 to nearly two dozen GOP congressional candidates and an additional $5,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. This move follows the union’s decision to withhold endorsement from Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and marks a departure from its traditional Democratic backing. The shift comes despite the union receiving the largest private pension bailout in American history—$36 billion—from the Biden administration in 2021, which amounted to about $103,000 per Teamster member due to the union’s financial challenges. The union’s realignment has been characterized as a response to perceived Democratic neglect of working-class interests. The Teamsters’ political contributions to Republicans signal a broader realignment in labor union support ahead of the midterms, with the union now playing a more active role in backing GOP candidates in battleground races.