Unions place early bets on Republicans in key Ohio races
Source: NBC News
Sept. 12, 2025, 5:00 AM EDT
Organized labor is shifting to the right in Ohio, where several unions have issued surprisingly early endorsements of Republicans in the states races for governor and U.S. Senate.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a billionaire closely aligned with President Donald Trumps MAGA movement, already has three labor groups backing him for governor in 2026, with the most recent nod coming this week from the Central Midwest Carpenters Union. And Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican appointed to fill Vice President JD Vances old Senate seat, has two supporting him in next years special election to fill the remainder of Vances term.
The endorsements on their own arent a total shock, coming from groups that occasionally back GOP candidates in a state where unions have been spreading their political donations more evenly between the two parties. In Ohio, voters from households with at least one union member favored Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris, 54%-45%, in last year's general election, according to NBC News exit polling part of a broader, long-term shift around the U.S.
But the timing of Ramaswamy and Husteds labor endorsements, nine months before the May 2026 primaries, has raised eyebrows. The Democratic field for governor is unsettled, with former Rep. Tim Ryan, a labor-friendly candidate who lost the Senate race to Vance in 2022, expected to decide whether to run soon.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/unions-place-early-bets-republicans-key-ohio-races-rcna230306

Aristus
(70,822 posts)
rurallib
(64,125 posts)EYESORE 9001
(29,005 posts)Union membership has sure changed since my working career began ☹️
ChicagoTeamster
(17 posts)The trees voted for the axe because he was partly made of wood and he convinced them he was one of them but the sheep only vote for the wolf because he lied to them and said he would eat the other sheep but not them
SpankMe
(3,592 posts)Unions endorsing Republicans is like white-supremacist militias endorsing Democrats. Republican policy is to eliminate collective bargaining and weaken organized labor. It's actually in the Republican party platform.
This so-called union support isn't about organized labor. It's a proxy for other issues.
Hieronymus Phact
(660 posts)Union guys like guns, Democrats want to take them away.
End of story.
Midnight Writer
(24,675 posts)I was shocked by what their candidacies revealed about my fellow union members.
It was eye-opening.
ECL213
(405 posts)So, let's back the party that supports the people hiring all those dirty, brown, illegal, non-union immigrants, because surely that will put an end to it.
My dad was a union Democrat for most of his life, but he was also a racist, so when Trump came along he didn't think twice about switching parties.
KS Toronado
(21,200 posts)Fairly common knowledge around Wichita Ks that Learjet's Union was bought off. If it could
happen in Kansas, it could happen everywhere. Rs always try to kill Unions.
DiverDave
(5,167 posts)I had a friend who's union steward went on trips with the owners.
kimbutgar
(25,967 posts)When things get bad the repukes cant blame the Democratic Party and be ok with the repuke union busting denizens that if the repuke legislature outlaws labor unions ( which I wouldnt put it past them). And the,beer a lot of our media now is more right wing nbc news included.
Lucky Luciano
(11,734 posts)Last edited Fri Sep 12, 2025, 01:35 PM - Edit history (1)
Though Bernies approach going to where they are and getting them on board is better.
SunSeeker
(56,620 posts)bromeando
(135 posts)Republicans are for Right To Work laws. They don't care about the working classes. Some people never learn.
Nigrum Cattus
(993 posts)They hate prevailing wage, now these idiots want more
of that ? I will now only support unions that endorse
non-repugs. That includes using UPS (teamsters) we
can easily use non-union fedex.
mdbl
(7,303 posts)I would LOVE to know how many things were accomplished on behalf of their union members by a republican. I haven't lived in Ohio in a while but as far as I can remember since Mr Raygun was prez- NADA, none, nothing. But someone prove me wrong. Every republican state has done nothing but water down labor laws, OSHA, and anything else helpful to unions. The rule of a repug candidate towards unions has only been pander and ignore after in office. I am afraid they will gain nothing, and might even lose what little they have left. I would be voting this leadership out of my local.
Raven123
(7,014 posts)Last edited Fri Sep 12, 2025, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)
Ohio glows in the dark red, Im afraid.