International Association of Fire Fighters Snubs Kamala Harris — Follows Teamsters’ Lead by Not Endorsing a Candidate After Backing Biden in 2020
Poor Kamala.
Once again, Kamala Harris finds herself left in the political dust.
This time, it’s the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) delivering a hard-hitting blow by deciding not to endorse any presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
For a union that proudly stood by Joe Biden in 2020, Harris must be feeling the sting.
The IAFF, which represents over 300,000 career firefighters and emergency responders, has long been a reliable supporter of Democrat presidential candidates.
However, the union’s executive board has decided to sit out the 2024 endorsement game, much like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which also refused to endorse a candidate, turning its back on decades of Democratic loyalty.
This represents a major shift for the IAFF, which had consistently endorsed the Democrat nominee in every presidential election from 1984 to 2012, except for 2016, when they chose to remain neutral and snubbed Hillary Clinton.
Even in 2020, when Biden faced off against Trump, the IAFF didn’t hesitate to throw its weight behind Biden.
But now, it appears that Biden’s lackluster leadership—and Harris’s even more dismal record—has finally soured the firefighters’ once unwavering support.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly released the following statement on X:
“Today, the IAFF Executive Board, by a margin of 1.2%, voted to not endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election. Over the past year, the IAFF took unprecedented steps to hear our members’ views on the candidates and the policy issues that matter most to them.
As we have over our 106-year history, the IAFF will continue its work to improve the lives of fire fighters and their families. The IAFF Executive Board determined that we are better able to advocate for our members and make progress on the issues that matter to them if we, as a union, are standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
This decision, which we took very seriously, is the best way to preserve and strengthen our unity.
We encourage our members – and all eligible voters – to get out and make their voices heard in the upcoming election.”
A statement from @IAFFPresident following today’s IAFF Executive Board meeting pic.twitter.com/D6K6eQFrF7
— International Association of Fire Fighters (@IAFFofficial) October 3, 2024
This decision is part of a growing trend among unions once firmly in the Democrats’ corner.
Just two weeks ago, the Teamsters made waves by refusing to endorse any candidate for president, despite the fact that their rank-and-file membership heavily favors Donald Trump.
Internal polling showed that 59% of Teamster members preferred Trump over Harris, who could only muster 34% support. Yet, in their public statement, the union leadership glossed over this, pretending that no candidate—Trump or Harris—met their standards.
The truth is, both the Teamsters and the IAFF are feeling the heat from their own members, many of whom are tired of watching the Democrats fail to deliver. Kamala Harris, in particular, has been an easy target.
From her abysmal track record as Vice President to her hollow promises, it’s no wonder that even once-reliable allies like the IAFF and Teamsters are backing away.
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