Union endorsement of GOP's Rockey raises questions about labor's role in Allegheny County executive race
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The endorsement of Allegheny County executive candidate Joe Rockey, a Republican, by one of the area's largest unions raises the question of a split in organized labor's traditional support for Democrats.
KDKA-TV political editor Jon Delano takes a closer look at this issue.
When Joe Biden first announced for president in April 2019, he went to a union hall, the Teamsters, in Pittsburgh to make his announcement.
Unions and the Democratic Party are often thought synonymous.
"Organized labor is the backbone of the Democratic Party and has been responsible for electing Democrats up and down the ballot. It's very difficult for a Democrat to win unless they can have the support of organized labor," says Mike Mikus, a Democratic political strategist.
Mikus, who has run many state and local campaigns for Democrats, says while unions frequently disagree in Democratic primaries, they usually back the Democratic winner in the general election.
But that may not happen in this year's race for Allegheny County executive between Democrat Sara Innamorato and Republican Joe Rockey.
"It's not a Democrat or Republican issue, it's a union issue," said Phil Ameris, president of the Pennsylvania Laborers District Council on Thursday in Pittsburgh. "Joe knows what it is to work hard. Joe understands what our union represents. Joe Rockey is the person for the job."
With that, the Laborers Union, representing 7,000 local people including county airport and public works employees, became the first union to endorse Rockey.
But other unions will have to follow to help Rockey beat a Democrat, says Mikus.
"Sara Innamorato is the hands-down favorite to win in the fall. That said, if Joe Rockey is able to put a coalition together, including other members of organized labor and other interests that typically vote Democratic, he can make it a race," notes Mikus.
Rockey's most likely union support, says Mikus, could come from the powerful building trades unions that backed John Weinstein in the Democratic primary.
He says certain issues open a door for pro-union centrist Republicans.
"I think it's happening more and more given the fact that building trades do so much work in the energy industry, and the Democratic Party's positions on energy sometimes come under fire from the building trades."
Innamorato's biggest labor support comes from the Services Employees Union, which embraces many progressive issues, like banning fracking.
Mikus says they do much more.
"They put boots on the ground. They send people door to door. They are one of the best-organized unions I've seen, and they're able to impact elections through that grassroots effort," he said.
Bottom line: It will take substantial labor support in the weeks ahead for Rockey to make this a race in a two-to-one Democratic county.
