California firefighters' union endorses Harris

SACRAMENTO, California — California's main firefighters' union on Monday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, breaking with the national union that declined a week and a half ago to make an endorsement in the presidential race.

California Professional Firefighters President Brian Rice said that the state’s firefighters and residents couldn’t afford to elect a president who threatens to withhold wildfire aid because of the state’s political leanings.

Former President Donald Trump has said several times he would not give California federal funds for its damaging wildfires unless Gov. Gavin Newsom went his way on water politics, most recently at a rally in Southern California on Saturday.

“National state of emergency declarations should be about assisting the public whose lives and homes are endangered by wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, not partisan politics,” Rice said in a statement.

He also called the election a “battle for the heart and soul of working America” and said Harris would better protect firefighters’ rights to organize in a union.

“Kamala Harris represents firefighters’ best opportunity to elect a leader who is going to support the work they do and to prioritize their well-being and the well-being of their families,” Rice said.

The union's national chapter, the International Association of Fire Fighters, announced earlier this month that it wouldn't endorse following a first-ever memberwide poll that found 56 percent are Republican and 41 percent wanted the union to consider issues outside its fire service mission, like gun rights and foreign policy, in a presidential endorsement. The decision was seen as a snub for Harris because IAFF was the first union to endorse President Joe Biden in 2020.

Amid a national union identity crisis, California firefighters’ endorsement could theoretically help sway undecided voters in swing states, especially Western states that look to California as a firefighting model. Firefighters unions are the most popular in the country, according to an August YouGov poll .

Rice acknowledged that not all California firefighters may agree with the union leadership’s decision.

“We respect that all voters, including our own members, will take other issues into consideration when they vote,” he said. “As compelling as those reasons may be for some of our members, it’s CPF’s responsibility to recommend what’s best for the bottom line of firefighters’ well-being and the public safety services we deliver."

Harris has endorsements from the vast majority of national labor unions , though a handful of other blue-collar unions have decided to sit out the 2024 contest. That includes the United Mine Workers of America, which announced its decision over a year ago, and more recently the Teamsters after a much-scrutinized courting process . The West Coast Teamsters also broke with the national union to endorse Harris last month .

CPF's 35,000 members include emergency responders, municipal firefighters and Cal Fire firefighters, but not Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management firefighters.