Firefighters union in key swing state refuses to endorse Kamala Harris

The Michigan firefighters union won’t issue an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race, in another blow to Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The snub follows the International Association of Fire Fighters Oct. 3 announcement that it would not back Harris, 59, or former President Donald Trump, 78, on Nov. 5.

“We are following the IAFF recommendation on the presidential election,” Matt Sahr, president of the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, told Politico Tuesday.

“However, we have made it clear to our members that our executive board believes Harris is the best choice for supporting our labor issues,” he added. 

The union’s snub follows the International Association of Fire Fighters Oct. 3 announcement that it would not back Kamala Harris. AP

Harris campaign officials reportedly felt the MPFFU might break with IAFF’s decision not to endorse and back the vice president in the pivotal battleground state — which has 15 Electoral College votes up for grabs in November. 

The decision not to endorse appears to stem from divisions between union leadership and rank-and-file members, the latter of which are more likely to support Trump. 

IAFF General President Edward Kelly had asked state-level firefighter unions to not break with the national non-endorsement, according to Politico, over fears that unions in key swing states — such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Arizona — could endorse Trump in response. 

Kelly’s warning appears to have been heeded in Michigan and Pennsylvania, which similarly decided to not endorse a presidential candidate in 2024. 

The California firefighters union, however, formally endorsed Harris on Monday.  

The Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union will not endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential race. Michigan Professional Fire Fighters

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), a former firefighter and the only retired IAFF member in Congress, told The Post earlier this month that firefighter unions breaking with Harris is a “big deal,” noting that the unions have traditionally endorsed the Democratic nominee. 

“I think the majority of the membership wanted to endorse President Trump,” Gimenez added. 

In September, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has also long backed Democrats, defied the will of its pro-Trump membership and declined to make a presidential endorsement.