Powerful union leader backs Republican in key Senate showdown
Teamsters Leader Endorses Kansas Republican Senator in Bid to Keep Senate Majority
In a move that could influence the balance of power in Washington, Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien announced his endorsement of incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall for reelection in Kansas. The endorsement comes amid a Senate race that many observers see as pivotal for the Republican majority in the upper chamber.
O’Brien told reporters that Marshall “has proven time and time again that he is a friend of labor.” He added that the Kansas senator’s membership on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has allowed him to “partner with us on legislation that protects workers, even when it requires breaking rank with his own party.” O’Brien also said the two would “continue to work together to fight for the rights of hardworking Americans.”
The endorsement is supported locally by Teamsters Local 696 in Topeka, which declared it proud to back “the candidate in this race who continues to be a voice for the middle‑class workers of our great state.” Local president Mike Scribner emphasized that “Kansas Teamsters need someone in Washington who is willing to fight on their behalf,” and noted that Marshall “has shown that he is the person for the job.”
Senator Marshall, a longtime advocate of labor‑friendly legislation, has introduced several bills that appeal to the Teamsters. These include the Faster Labor Contracts Act, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (co‑sponsored with Democrat Ed Markey), his own Railway Safety Act, and the Overtime Wages Relief Act, which removes federal tax on up to $10,000 of overtime earnings for individuals and $20,000 for married couples.
Marshall’s reelection campaign faces Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, the lead pastor of Kansas’s largest Methodist megachurch. Hamilton has raised nearly $4.1 million, while the incumbent has brought in just over $6.2 million. The race is rated “likely Republican” by the Cook Political Report, though Kansas remains a red‑state stronghold and Republicans have not yet mobilized significant national support for the seat.
The Kansas Senate seat carries particular weight because the state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since the 1930s, when George McGill served a single term. That historic pattern underscores the importance of the upcoming contest for both parties.
O’Brien’s endorsement is part of a broader trend of union leaders engaging directly with key electoral battles. He has appeared as a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention and has forged alliances with high‑profile Republican figures, including Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and former Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
For the Teamsters, the endorsement signals a strategic partnership with a Republican who has demonstrated a willingness to cross party lines on labor issues. For the Senate, it adds another dimension to a race that could shape the partisan balance in the chamber after the midterm elections.