Teamsters President Endorses Ashley Moody Against Democrat Angie Nixon

The leader of one of the nation’s oldest and largest unions stunned political observers with a surprise endorsement of a Senate Republican stalwart over the weekend.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien, who nearly came to blows with current Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during a Senate hearing before finally getting to know each other, gave a resounding endorsement to Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., signaling a major break with national union sentiment that has tended to favor Democrats.

“I just voted for the first time in the state of Florida and I am very proud to have voted for Senator Ashley Moody,” O’Brien, whose 123-year-old union has about 1.3 million members, announced Sunday.

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“Senator Moody has been extremely helpful in working with the Teamsters to protect workers’ pensions, defend good-paying jobs, and support well-funded union apprenticeship programs.”

“The Teamsters look forward to working with Senator Moody in her role on the Senate HELP Committee to pass the Faster Workplace Act and sign this critical legislation to protect American workers,” he added.

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O’Brien, a “lifelong Democrat,” previously spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, but noted at the time that the Democratic Party had rejected his request to speak at its convention.

“If the far left wants to criticize me and attack me, that’s OK. If the far right wants to do the same thing, that’s great. I represent 1.3 million hard-working men and women,” O’Brien said at the time.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Teamsters as well as Moody’s campaign for comment.

Moody, a former state attorney general, said in a statement that she was proud to have O’Brien’s support:

“I will always fight to protect American workers, strengthen good-paying jobs and ensure resources are available to train our next generation. It has been great to deliver results for Florida’s working families,” she said.

After O’Brien endorsed Moody, the lawmaker’s Democratic opponent responded by posting a photo she once took with O’Brien and writing that “Ashley Moody never marched with you.”

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Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks during a news conference outside the West Wing of the White House October 30, 2025, in Washington, DC, flanked by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. (AFP via Getty Images)

“But ok bro. Well done to all the rank and file Teamsters who vote for me. I will always stand with you,” Democratic candidate Angie Nixon, a state lawmaker from Jacksonville whose platform is considered aligned with the DSA, wrote on X.

O’Brien was also criticized for voting in Florida, which appeared to signal a shift from his hometown of Boston.

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DSA candidate Angie Nixon has qualified for a high-profile Senate showdown in November against Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. (Nixon: Joe Raedle; Moody: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

“Be a union leader – move to a notoriously anti-union state – vote for a notoriously anti-union candidate – brag about it – really cool stuff, man,” said a top commenter on O’Brien’s post. Other critics have called O’Brien a “scabs,” union jargon for someone who crosses a strike picket line to return to work for the company with which he disagrees.

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The Teamsters leader’s announcement marked a remarkable development as polls are expected to open across the country in a few hours.