Politics
Teamsters leadership backs Republican candidates amid divergence with local union chapters
National union officials and President Sean O'Brien have endorsed and contributed to Republicans for the 2026 midterms despite opposing preferences from local union bodies.
The short version
- National Teamsters leadership, led by President Sean O'Brien, is endorsing and financially backing several Republican candidates in the 2026 election cycle.
- The national moves diverge from multiple state conferences and local chapters that endorsed Democratic opponents.
- The endorsements continue internal friction over O'Brien's bipartisan outreach following his 2024 Republican National Convention appearance and subsequent unopposed reelection.
Key facts
- Teamsters President Sean O'Brien made personal contributions to Republican US Senate candidate Scott Brown in New Hampshire and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.[The Guardian]
- New Hampshire's Teamsters Local 633 had endorsed Democratic candidate Chris Pappas for the Senate race prior to O'Brien's contribution to Brown.[The Guardian]
- The national Teamsters PAC and O'Brien endorsed Republican US Representative Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania after the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters had previously voted to endorse Democratic Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.[The Guardian]
- The Ohio Conference of Teamsters endorsed Republican US Representative Max Miller, citing his support for the Faster Labor Contracts Act despite his 14% lifetime voting score from the AFL-CIO.[The Guardian]
- O'Brien and his slate secured reelection unopposed for another five-year term earlier in 2026 after a challenger slate failed to obtain the required 5% of delegate support to qualify for the ballot.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which conflicting national and local endorsements will influence voter turnout and choices among rank-and-file union members in upcoming general elections remains unclear.[The Guardian]