On Thursday, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) announced it will not endorse any candidate in the upcoming presidential election. This decision marks a shift from 2020 when the IAFF strongly backed Joe Biden. The union’s executive board stated that members voted by a narrow margin of 1.2 percent to withhold endorsement in the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Union President Edward Kelly emphasized that the IAFF would continue working to improve firefighters’ lives, noting that the union’s unity was best preserved by not choosing a candidate.
This decision follows a similar move by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which also chose not to endorse a candidate after a majority of its members supported Trump. The Teamsters criticized both Trump and Harris for failing to make commitments to protect union interests, further complicating Harris’s position in the election.