The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) announced on Thursday that it would remain neutral by choosing not to endorse a candidate in this year's presidential election, becoming the second major union in recent weeks to do so.
The union's executive committee endorsed President Biden's bid for the White House in 2020. IAFF President Edward Kelly said in a statement that members voted by a margin of 1.2 percentage points not to support either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Trump.
“Over the past year, the IAFF has taken unprecedented steps to listen to our members on the candidates and policy issues that matter most to them,” Kelly said of the decision.
“As we have for 106 years, IAFF will continue to work to improve the lives of firefighters and their families,” he added. “The IAFF Board of Directors has determined that by acting shoulder to shoulder as a union, we can better advocate for our members and advance the issues that matter to them. We take this decision very seriously. Embrace it and that is the best way to maintain and strengthen our unity.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump. The International Association of Firefighters announced Thursday that it would not endorse either presidential candidate. (Getty Images)
FOX News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign and the Trump campaign.
The IAFF's decision comes weeks after the International Teamsters Association also announced it would not endorse the candidate.
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The Teamsters announced the results of an internal poll on its 2024 candidates, with an online poll showing 59.6% of union members supported Trump over Harris at 34%. In a telephone poll, Teamsters favored Trump over Harris, 58% to 31%.
Teamsters favored Trump over Harris, 58% to 31%. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has announced that it will not endorse any presidential candidates in 2024. (Fox News)
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“Extensive polling of our members shows no majority support for Vice President Harris, nor universal support among our members for President Trump,” the union said at the time.
