U.S. Sen. Jon Husted picks up union endorsements, leads Sherrod Brown in poll of union voters
Union endorsements are no longer a foregone conclusion for Democrats, as U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, has gained both union endorsements and support from union voters.
Husted has picked up several union endorsements and leads Democratic opponent Sherrod Brown in a recent poll of Ohio union household members.
A survey conducted by the Coalition to Protect American Workers found that Husted leads Brown 48% to 42% among union households. The Republican candidate has been endorsed by the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 66 and Local 18, the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council, and the International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers.
International President Timothy Simmons said the union endorsed Husted because of his voting record and policy positions.
“On behalf of the Boilermakers who keep Ohio’s manufacturing, rail and energy sectors running, we proudly endorse Jon Husted to continue serving in the U.S. Senate,” Simmons said in a release. “Jon’s unwavering support for skilled trades, domestic energy production and workforce training ensures that high-quality union jobs in power plants, refineries and shipbuilding continue to thrive.”
“His advocacy for apprenticeships opens doors to the high-paying careers Boilermakers have built for generations,” Simmons added.
International said that it was the fourth union to shift support from Brown to Husted in the press release announcing the endorsement.
Michael Bertolone, the business manager of IUOE Local 18, told News 5 Cleveland that the union chapter endorsed Husted because of his involvement with operating engineers.
“Jon has put in the time and effort with the operating engineers to earn that endorsement,” Bertolone told the station. “He’s done so much in the state of Ohio.”
Bertolone also said that Brown does not have the same relationship with members of the union chapter.
“We haven’t developed a relationship with Sherrod Brown,” Bertolone said. “The time and the effort just was not put in.”
Husted has also been endorsed by Americans for Prosperity, a national organization that advocates for free-market policies. AFP Action Senior Advisor Donovan O’Neil said that Husted’s policies benefit Ohio workers.
“Jon Husted is the trusted choice for Ohio,” O’Neil said. “He’s working every day to lower costs for hardworking Ohioans by fighting inflationary spending, cutting taxes, and removing job-killing regulations.”
“Ohioans can’t afford a return to Sherrod Brown’s tax and spend policies that drove up inflation and put the American Dream further out of reach.”
Husted is also shown to be in the lead in the Senate election in other polls, according to an analysis of survey data by Real Clear Politics.
CPAW found that Vivek Ramaswamy leads Amy Acton 48% to 41% among union households in the gubernatorial election.
Ramasawamy has gained union endorsements from the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, Affiliated Construction Trades, the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council.
He is also endorsed by the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council, Laborer’s District Council, Carpenters Local 2, Millwright Local 1090, and IUOE Local 18.
The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund also recently endorsed Ramaswamy.
CPAW also said that 56% union households voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and that the president currently has a plus-nine net approval in this sample.
The survey found that 83% of participants agreed that American workers have more freedoms than workers anywhere else in the world. A majority of participants opposed policies that allow union leaders to pressure workers into voting without a secret ballot and election-stalling by union bosses.
