REDFORD TOWNSHIP— It was the perfect place to receive the endorsement of the national firefighters union: a shiny new fire station in a working-class town outside Detroit, in the key state of Michigan.
But when Kamala Harris showed up Friday in Redford Township, there was no endorsement waiting for her.
The International Association of Firefighters declined to endorse Harris, a reminder of the Democratic candidate’s difficulties in securing the same support from unions that President Joe Biden garnered four years ago. The Teamsters union also declined to endorse Harris last month.
Michigan firefighters union leader Matthew Sahr showed up at Harris’ event in Redford Township, though not to endorse her.
“We could have chosen not to go. But what kind of message would that send?” Sahr noted.
The stumbles reflect shifting allegiances in American politics, at a time when Harris is competing with former President Donald Trump for the support of working-class voters who for years were expected to back Democrats.
In her firehouse speech, Harris used the same attack rhetoric against Trump, saying that he “has been a union-buster his entire career” and would launch an “all-out attack” on unionized workers.
“We know that when union wages go up, all wages go up,” Harris told a small crowd at the firehouse that included representatives from different unions. “And, at the end of the day, when unions are strong, America is strong,” said the Democrat who left without receiving the support she expected.
