Political beliefs outweigh union ties for key group of Michigan voters

Voters in union households could end up being one of the most important groups in key 2024 battleground states. But they are far from a cohesive bloc.

A series of focus groups highlighted the deep divides among union voters and their families in states like Michigan, where President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both courting them. And they illustrated why the voters largely plan to prioritize their own political views far above their union affiliation as they consider who to support in November.

The battle over union households in Michigan is particularly important given that Biden won the state by less than 3 percentage points in 2020. Calling himself the most “pro-union” president in recent memory, Biden joined autoworkers on the picket line last year and has repeatedly courted union workers and their leadership on the trail. Months after that trip, the UAW endorsed Biden.

But Trump is making a big play for unions too. He met with the Teamsters earlier this year as he sought their endorsement, and he blasted UAW leadership during the strike for not representing their membership.

Recent polls show Biden has the edge with voters in union households, but with leads inside the margin of error — down from his edge in 2020 exit polling.

Not one of the 15 participants in the focus groups, which included Michigan union members and those with union members in their households, said they considered Trump’s policies pro-union. And only Democratic voters said they considered Biden’s policies pro-union.

Given the choice between only Biden and Trump, seven focus group participants chose Biden, six chose Trump and two wouldn’t vote. When offered more choices, the two who didn’t plan to vote each chose independent