As Biden looms, key union backs off on endorsing Hillary

by Tim Devaney - 10/03/15 10:29 AM ET

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton seems to have lost a major union endorsement.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is backing off of its earlier plans to support the Clinton campaign, according to a New York Times report that cites a anonymous source within the union.

{mosads}The fire fighters have lost faith in Clinton, and some are supportive of Vice President Joe Biden — who may still enter the Democratic race for 2016 — so top officials feared such an endorsement could have divided the union’s members, the source told the Times. The issue came up during the during a board meeting in September.

“Secretary Clinton doesn’t sell well here,” Roy L. McGhee III, a union board member, told the Times. “I think the Republican attack machine, the media machine, has made sure of that. The vice president will do better. He’s popular among firefighters.”

According to the source, IAFF general president Harold Schaitberger informed Clinton’s campaign of the decision to back away from its endorsement earlier in the week.

Two larger unions — the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — are hesitating to endorse a Democratic candidate during the primaries and may wait until the general election to get involved.

Tags Hillary Clinton International Association of Fire Fighters Joe Biden