https://www.axios.com/2024/04/14/teamsters-donation-josh-hawley-senate-republicans
Scoop: Teamsters make another move toward GOP
headshot
Hans Nichols
The Teamsters union's political action committee is jumping into the Missouri Senate race, contributing $5,000 to Sen. Josh Hawley's re-election campaign, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's the latest indication that one of the country's biggest and most powerful labor unions — which has yet to endorse in the presidential election — is willing to back Republicans who share its priorities.
In the past, the PAC has given overwhelmingly to Democrats, but Hawley has made a point to align himself with the labor movement, joining picket lines with the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers.
In total, Hawley's first-quarter fundraising report will show that he raked in $2.56 million through April 1 and has $5.48 million cash on hand, according to a Hawley adviser.
The other side: Hawley's likely Democratic opponent, Lucas Kunce, raised over $2.25 million in the first quarter, with Democrats eyeing a potential statewide vote on abortion rights as a way to make the race competitive.
Zoom out: Historically, the Democratic Party and unions have been close to synonymous, with union leaders sending big checks to their candidates and using their members to run ground games on Election Day.
But Republicans, led by former President Trump, have made inroads with working-class voters, if not all of their leaders.
The United Auto Workers, led by Shawn Fain, has endorsed Biden, but Trump is working the Teamsters hard. He paid a personal visit to the union's president, Sean O'Brien, in January.
Afterward, Trump claimed he had a "good shot" at receiving the endorsement from the Teamsters, which has approximately 1.3 million members.
In January, the Teamsters' political arm contributed $45,000 to the Republican National Committee's convention fund, its first big donation to the RNC since 2004, according to the Washington Post.
The Teamsters also contributed $135,000 to the Democratic National Committee last year.
Zoom in: Hawley, first elected to the Senate in 2018, has worked to burnish his pro-union credentials inside the chamber and on picket lines.
Last month, Hawley joined Teamsters workers on strike at Graybar Electric outside St. Louis.
In late 2022, he voted for an amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to add seven paid sick days to the rail workers' contract.
By the numbers: In the 2022 election cycle, the Teamsters PAC gave $1.28 million to Democratic candidates and $30,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.
In 2020, its Democratic tilt was even more pronounced, with the PAC giving $1.59 million to Democrats and $37,000 to the GOP.
The bottom line: There's still some deep — and personal — animosity between the Teamster president and some Republican senators.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) challenged O'Brien to a fight during a Senate hearing in November.
Scoop: Teamsters make another move toward GOP
headshot
Hans Nichols
The Teamsters union's political action committee is jumping into the Missouri Senate race, contributing $5,000 to Sen. Josh Hawley's re-election campaign, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's the latest indication that one of the country's biggest and most powerful labor unions — which has yet to endorse in the presidential election — is willing to back Republicans who share its priorities.
In the past, the PAC has given overwhelmingly to Democrats, but Hawley has made a point to align himself with the labor movement, joining picket lines with the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers.
In total, Hawley's first-quarter fundraising report will show that he raked in $2.56 million through April 1 and has $5.48 million cash on hand, according to a Hawley adviser.
The other side: Hawley's likely Democratic opponent, Lucas Kunce, raised over $2.25 million in the first quarter, with Democrats eyeing a potential statewide vote on abortion rights as a way to make the race competitive.
Zoom out: Historically, the Democratic Party and unions have been close to synonymous, with union leaders sending big checks to their candidates and using their members to run ground games on Election Day.
But Republicans, led by former President Trump, have made inroads with working-class voters, if not all of their leaders.
The United Auto Workers, led by Shawn Fain, has endorsed Biden, but Trump is working the Teamsters hard. He paid a personal visit to the union's president, Sean O'Brien, in January.
Afterward, Trump claimed he had a "good shot" at receiving the endorsement from the Teamsters, which has approximately 1.3 million members.
In January, the Teamsters' political arm contributed $45,000 to the Republican National Committee's convention fund, its first big donation to the RNC since 2004, according to the Washington Post.
The Teamsters also contributed $135,000 to the Democratic National Committee last year.
Zoom in: Hawley, first elected to the Senate in 2018, has worked to burnish his pro-union credentials inside the chamber and on picket lines.
Last month, Hawley joined Teamsters workers on strike at Graybar Electric outside St. Louis.
In late 2022, he voted for an amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to add seven paid sick days to the rail workers' contract.
By the numbers: In the 2022 election cycle, the Teamsters PAC gave $1.28 million to Democratic candidates and $30,000 to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets.
In 2020, its Democratic tilt was even more pronounced, with the PAC giving $1.59 million to Democrats and $37,000 to the GOP.
The bottom line: There's still some deep — and personal — animosity between the Teamster president and some Republican senators.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) challenged O'Brien to a fight during a Senate hearing in November.
