Firefighters union skips 2024 endorsement and won’t endorse Harris or Trump

WASHINGTON – The International Association of Firefighters said Thursday it will not endorse any candidate in the 2024 presidential election, a slap in the face to Vice President Kamala Harris, who touted her support for workers during the campaign.

The union, which represents more than 350,000 firefighters and other emergency workers, was the first union to endorse President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

In a statement, the IAFF said the union’s board voted “by a margin of 1.2%” on Thursday not to endorse either former President Donald Trump or Harris.

“The IAFF Board has recognized that we will be able to better support our members and make progress on the issues that are important to them if we stand shoulder to shoulder as a union,” the IAFF said in a statement. “This decision, which we took very seriously, is the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity.”

Minnesota Governor and 2024 Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz speaks at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Convention at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on August 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP) (Photo: JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776194922 ORIG FILE ID: 2168098505

More: The Teamsters Union Is Overlooking the President’s Endorsement in 2024 and Will Not Endorse Harris or Trump

“We encourage our members – and all eligible voters – to get out and make their voices heard in the upcoming elections,” the statement continued.

The failure to endorse the firefighters’ union comes after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters also decided last month not to endorse the 2024 elections for the first time since 1996.

“This is another devastating blow to Kamala Harris’ failed campaign,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said in a statement.

Both Harris and Trump’s campaigns have gained support from the firefighters union, and Harris’ running mate Tim Walz and Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance spoke at the IAFF annual convention last month in Boston. As Vance spoke, union members booed him loudly in the crowd.

Even if the firefighters union and Teamsters remain neutral in the election, Harris has the support of nine of the nation’s 10 largest labor unions, including the United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers.

Contact Joey Garrison on X, formerly on Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Firefighters union skips support for 2024, a blow to Harris