A host of labor unions backed Gov. Greg Abbott last week in his bid for reelection, endorsements the Republican governor says represent a historic break from the Democratic Party by organized labor.
Teamsters Joint Council 58 and Joint Council 80, representing 40,000 workers across Texas, endorsed Abbott last Wednesday, joined by several other unions representing multiple industries.
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The endorsements split organized labor’s support in the governor’s race between Abbott and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, a shift from unions’ historic support of Democratic candidates in Texas.
The Plumbers Local Union 68, International Longshoremen South Atlantic & Gulf Coast District Association and the Pipefitters Local Union 211 also backed Abbott for a record fourth term as governor last week. The endorsements continue a rightward shift of working class voters’ political preferences, but experts say the relationship between organized labor and the Democratic Party remains largely intact.
Brent Taylor, secretary-treasurer of Joint Council 80 and international vice president for the Teamsters’ southern region, cited the “open door” policy Abbott has had with the Teamsters while in office, noting his support for apprenticeship and job training programs, as well as the state’s robust job growth.
“The Teamsters do not care if you have a D, an R or an I next to your name,” Taylor said at a news conference in Houston last Wednesday. “We’re interested in one thing. Are you ready to help us tackle big issues to improve the lives of working families?”
Hinojosa has won the endorsements of the Service Employees International Union-Texas and the Texas AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor group with more than 250,000 members in Texas. Leonard Aguilar, president of Texas AFL-CIO, said more than a decade of Abbott in the governor’s mansion has failed to improve the standing of labor unions in the state.
“This isn’t about Republicans vs. Democrats,” Aguilar said. “It’s workers vs. billionaires. That’s why nearly 400 local unions affiliated with the Texas AFL-CIO are backing Gina Hinojosa for governor.”
Hinojosa said she would champion pro-labor union policies as governor and touted her own endorsements in the race.
“This election is between working Texans vs. billionaires, and Labor knows I’ve always been on their side,” Hinojosa wrote in a statement. “Greg Abbott has spent over a decade siding with elite corporate interests while weakening labor rights. As governor, I’ll stand with working Texans on the picket line, fight for the right to organize and ensure that working families have a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives.”
The Teamsters support of Abbott comes after the group’s national organization declined to endorse either President Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris for president in 2024. But the union’s president, Sean O’Brien, spoke at the Republican National Convention that year and Trump made significant inroads with working class voters in his presidential election victory, a group that has traditionally supported Democratic candidates and joined unions.
While the political preferences of the union’s members may be shifting in Texas, union leadership is also interested in picking a winner that will be an ally in future legislative sessions, said Mark Jones, a Rice University political science fellow.
“You see a split in the labor unions as well between the labor unions based off public employees, which tend to be overwhelmingly Democratic, and the unions whose base of support is in the private sector, where you tend to see more variance,” Jones said.
At the event hosted by Plumbers Local Union 68 where Abbott announced the labor endorsements, the governor touted Texas’ strong economy and said he and the labor unions shared the same mission of bringing good jobs to the state.
“I thank them for their endorsement, but more importantly, I thank them for what they do every single day to keep the economy booming,” Abbott said. “Together, we will keep Texas the best state in America for doing business, and we will provide the job skill training that ensures Texas has the best workforce in the United States.”
Texas’ economy is at the center of Abbott’s campaign message, pointing to its strength as proof that Republican policies are effective. The economy, along with an expanded base of support from labor unions and more than $100 million in his campaign account, make Abbott the strongest statewide Republican candidate on the ballot this November, Jones said.
In a year where Trump’s approval rating is underwater in Texas and Democrats are buoyed by recent upset victories in special elections in Texas and around the country, Abbott may be hoping that down ballot Texas Republicans can ride his coattails to victory in November, Jones said.
“Texas has accomplished a lot economically … but it’s very important to emphasize this is not something that the governor does alone,” Abbott said. “This is a team effort in the Capitol.”
Texas remains a right-to-work state prohibiting mandatory union membership and dues. Texas law also prevents collective bargaining for most public employees and prohibits strikes by public employees against the state.
Disclosure: Rice University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.