The Ohio Conference of Teamsters has endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio, marking a massive shift from past support of Democrat candidates in the Buckeye State and beyond.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, has already picked up a handful of union endorsements, according to a scorecard from the Ohio Dispatch.
Ramaswamy’s campaign boasts endorsements from the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council and the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council.
Notably, the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters and the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters have both endorsed Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown’s campaign as well. Brown — who has long marketed himself as a pro-labor candidate — was ousted by current Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) this past November after serving three terms in the upper chamber.
Brown announced his comeback bid earlier this year and is heavily-favored to earn the Democratic Party nomination, setting up one of the more closely-watched Senate races in the upcoming midterm cycle.
For Ramaswamy, the labor union endorsements add to nods from President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party. Like Brown, he is heavily favored to earn the Republican nomination.
The Ohio Conference of Teamsters, which represents more than 50,000 workers in the state, had previously supported former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who unsuccessfully ran against JD Vance in 2022. Ryan is rumored to be milling a bid for governor, representing another shift in labor union attitude towards Republican candidates.
Ramaswamy’s campaign told Fox News that they have already surpassed more than $200,000 in contributions from individuals who previously supported Ryan in statewide races.
“The Teamsters are proud to endorse Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor of Ohio. Our members want a leader who will fight for good-paying jobs and strengthen the future for Ohio’s working families,” Patrick J. Darrow, president of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, said. “Vivek has demonstrated a commitment to listening to labor and partnering with us to deliver real results, and we look forward to working with him.”
The Republican candidate said he was “very grateful” to receive the endorsement.
“This isn’t about left vs. right, it’s about up vs. down,” he added. “We are building a movement that restores dignity to work, rewards those who keep our economy moving, and ensures every Ohioan has a fair shot at the American Dream. Together, we will make Ohio the best place in America to work, raise a family, and pursue a better life for the next generation.”
The latest endorsement continues a trend of major labor unions endorsing Republican candidates after supporting Democrats for years. A number of the nation’s largest unions, including United Auto Workers (UAW) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have praised the president’s tariff strategy.
Last year, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien drew the ire of the Democratic Party by becoming the first Teamsters president to speak at the Republican National Convention. Throughout his rousing speech, the labor leader praised a number of Republicans, including then-candidate Trump, for opening the convention’s doors to the Teamsters and listening to concerns from organized labor. O’Brien had long stated that he intended to address the Democratic National Convention as well — citing ideological diversity among union members — though Democratic Party leaders never got back to him after his RNC speech.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, O’Brien explained that Vice President Kamala Harris refused to sit for a full interview with union representatives. O’Brien noted that this is customary for any candidate seeking the union’s endorsement, adding that President-elect Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others had no issue with sitting for a full interview. President Biden, on the other hand, was only able to complete four questions before his aides pulled the plug on the interview. Union leadership then concluded that Biden “wasn’t the same man” and had shown evidence of cognitive decline, O’Brien told Carlson.
When Biden suspended his presidential campaign in July, Harris believed that she could count on the union for support, as the Teamsters have historically endorsed Democrats. She refused to sit for an interview for a number of weeks, however, leading O’Brien to believe that she felt she was above them and could order the union around. When she finally did agree to an interview Harris answered just four questions before smugly explaining that she would win “with to without” the Teamsters’ endorsement.
“It was insane behavior,” O’Brien said.
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