"Sh*t’s too expensive and working people are fired up:" organized labor Gets Out the Vote

With the midterm elections just days away, union workers across the country are hard at work knocking on doors, making phone calls, and talking with neighbors in support of candidates running for offices all up and down the midterm ballot.

The AFL-CIO has been engaging in a nationwide Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign since early spring, where tens of thousands of union volunteers have knocked on doors and made millions of phone calls for their endorsed candidates. "The AFL-CIO’s internal polling shows 83% of union members are very enthusiastic to vote, up 10 points from 2022," the AFL-CIO said. "Turning that off-the-chart enthusiasm into votes will demand the unique union trust and relationships with members that are built through labor’s year-round organizing." When a candidate is endorsed by the organization, it opens the door for that candidate to take advantage of a large GOTV effort. The AFL-CIO opened 140 field offices in 35 states in service of that effort.

“For decades, we've been told the states and districts labor has put in play were out of reach, just like every worker who’s tried to organize a union or stood on the picket line is told that what they deserve is out of reach,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement. “But when we come together—whether it’s to take on a bad boss or hundreds of millions of dollars in spending—we can achieve things no one ever thought possible. Union candidates are doing just that: putting once-safe seats in play and forcing billionaires to scramble to empty their pockets. This cycle, the labor movement has put it all on the line, using our infrastructure and the trust we have to mobilize millions of voters to elect people who will fight for us.”

The biggest question hanging in the minds of voters in this midterm election is who will control Congress. The AFL-CIO points out that in many of these races, billionaires have shoveled millions of dollars into the campaigns of rival candidates, saying "billionaire donors are being forced to pour money into seats they usually take for granted. When the difference is only a few thousand votes between candidates, labor’s ability to make key races competitive could be decisive in control of the House and Senate."

Most eyes are fixed on the outcome of the Senate elections, where a number of seats are up for grabs. Here are just some of the races folks are watching, and which candidates organized labor has thrown their weight behind.

Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed

In one of the nation's most-watched and hotly contested races, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers. The Michigan AFL-CIO and other major labor unions have endorsed El-Sayed as their next representative in the Senate. "We need a lifelong Michigander who understands how forever wars abroad drive up the prices we pay for gas and groceries here at home. Tell you one thing for DAMN sure – that ain’t Mike Rogers," said Ron Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO in a statement.

Update: 10/30/2026, 5pm MST:

Alaska: Mary Peltola

The Alaska AFL-CIO has endorsed Mary Peltola, who is running against Senator Dan Sullivan. In 2024, Trump won this state by 13 points and a democrat has not won a Senate seat since 2008. Peltola's campaign is accused of running 'spoiler candidates' in the hotly contested race, with the DOJ opening an investigation into what it calls 'election fraud' in the state. Read more about this here.

Maine: Troy Jackson

After Graham Platner dropped out of the Maine senate race, the Maine AFL-CIO backed Troy Jackson as the candidate to replace him. Additionally, other unions such as the IAM Union have endorsed Jackson in recent months. “The Maine State Council is proud to stand behind Troy Jackson in his bid to advocate for working families in the U.S. Senate on behalf of the state of Maine,” said IAM Union Maine State Council President Anthony Leeman in July release. “Our Maine State Council is proud to endorse Troy because we know he’ll always put working people ahead of corporate special interests and never stop fighting for the men and women who keep our state moving.” 

Ohio: Sherrod Brown

The Ohio AFL-CIO has endorsed "longtime labor ally" Sherrod Brown for the Senate.

“The Ohio AFL-CIO is proud to endorse Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate,” said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. “Sherrod has never backed down from a fight to stand up for all Ohioans, no matter what part of the state they call home. Whether fighting for good jobs that expand the working middle class, securing earned retirement benefits, or taking on powerful special interests, Sherrod has consistently delivered for working families. He is guided by the values he learned growing up in Mansfield, and unlike his opponent, he will make the affordability crisis his number one priority. Ohioans deserve a senator who will fight every day for a worker-first agenda — not one who caters to the interests of billionaires.”

Nebraska: Dan Osborn

The Nebraska State AFL-CIO has endorsed Independent candidate Dan Osborn for US Senate. Osborn is a rank-and-file union leader who rose to prominence during the 2021 Kellogg's strike in Omaha, Nebraska, and first ran for office against Deb Fischer during the 2024 elections. Osborn is running against former Nebraska governor and current Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts.

(Editorial disclaimer: I interviewed Dan multiple times during the Kellogg's Strike for The Real News Network, and helped moderate a multi-hour livestream in late 2021 that raised tens of thousands of dollars for striking Kellogg's workers.)

Texas: James Talarico

In Texas, James Talarico has been endorsed as the preferred candidate by organized labor. According to the AFL-CIO, "Talarico is a union member and former public school teacher facing Ken Paxton, whom Elon Musk is propping up with $190 million in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. At an early vote rally for union members in Houston, Talarico told AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, “First and foremost, we’ve got to get the PRO Act passed over the finish line so we can guarantee everyone’s right to organize in this country.”"

A look beyond the horse race

Beyond the elections, voters in multiple states will have the chance to directly effect their ability to live, work, and organize. Here is a short list of ballot initiatives The Common Route is watching next week.

A constitutional amendment could enshrine the right to organize in Vermont

In Vermont, voters will get the chance to decide whether to amend the state constitution to guarantee unions the right to organize. The initiative, called Proposition 3, would also ensure that no future laws could interfere with that right. (Check out the text of the proposition below)

“This is not about forcing anyone to join a union,” said Vermont State Labor Council President Larry Moquin Jr. in a recent column. “It is about making sure that workers who choose to organize have a fundamental right to do so and to have a voice in the workplace. It is about ensuring that a worker who believes their wages are unfair, their workplace is unsafe, or their working conditions need to change can stand together with their coworkers and advocate for themselves. It protects the voice of the workers on the jobsite and won’t allow rogue politicians to take away worker rights.”

The Common Route will be watching for the results of this ballot measure on Election Day next week.

Oakland stands ready to vote for $30/hour minimum wage

In Alameda County, California, voters will have the chance to decide if they want to see minimum wage raised to $30/hour. According to reporting from KTVU Fox 2, The Living Wage For All Coalition submitted enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot back in July.

Under the proposed Living Wage For All measure in Alameda County, the hourly minimum wage would reach $30 by July 1, 2037, followed by annual increases of at least 3%. Large employers would phase in a $30 minimum wage first, with smaller businesses having a longer timeline to comply.

Additionally, the measure would strengthen enforcement of Alameda County Wage and Employment Standards Laws, and workers subjected to illegal retaliation or wage theft could recover treble damages, allowing courts to triple compensation for lost wages.

Some additional resources for voters

Bolts Magazine has a fantastic and detailed resource to help you make sense of what's at stake this November. Check it out:

Your Cheat Sheet to the 2026 General Elections - Bolts

Congressional races will take center stage on Nov. 3, but they’re just the tip of what to watch. Prosecutors and governors, attorneys general and sheriffs, school boards and mayors, utility... Read More

BoltsDaniel Nichanian

Editorial note: Mel Buer is a member of the Newsguild-CWA, a labor union of which the staff members of the AFL-CIO are also members.