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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe United Auto Workers (UAW) is trying to turn its membership and campaign network into political influence in Michigan ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterms. Its 2026 Democratic primary effort included door knocking, calls and early-vote outreach; the union says it helped its endorsed candidates win nominations. But members are not politically uniform, and the union’s past corruption scandal, closed-door bargaining and shrinking membership complicate its effort to rebuild trust. As of October 10, the general-election effect of the campaign was still unknown.
A canvassing encounter in Macomb County captures the divide
In Shelby Township, retired Ford worker Walter Usakowski supported the UAW-backed Democratic slate, but he was unsure how many former co-workers would do the same. He knew UAW members who supported Donald Trump. The Associated Press reported that residents contacted by canvassers often named cost of living as a priority, while disagreeing over which party would address it better. Macomb County had voted for Trump by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, according to the AP’s October 10, 2026, report.
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The encounters offer a view of the challenge, not a representative survey of UAW members. The union generally backs Democrats, while its membership includes people with different views about which party best serves working-class interests. One member told the AP that some Trump supporters may never be on the union’s side; that was an individual assessment, not a finding about the membership as a whole. Associated Press reporting, October 10, 2026.
What the UAW did in Michigan’s 2026 primary
Endorsements and member forums
The UAW’s member-elected Michigan Community Action Program board led endorsements of Jocelyn Benson for governor and Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate, the union announced June 5. The UAW said it backed Benson in connection with its May Day 2028 plans. It described El-Sayed as aligned with priorities including Medicare for All and a ban on stock buybacks; these were the union’s stated reasons for the endorsements, not neutral assessments of the candidates. The union also held candidate forums where members could ask questions. UAW announcement, June 5, 2026.
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The AP reported that the UAW endorsed El-Sayed over rival Haley Stevens, whose credentials included service on an auto-bailout task force. The contrast illustrates that an endorsement is a choice about which candidate the union wants to support; it does not establish that members agree with that choice or will vote accordingly.
Reported field operation and primary results
After Benson and El-Sayed won their Democratic nominations, the UAW said its operation also supported congressional candidate Donovan McKinney in Michigan’s 13th District. In an August 5 release, the union reported the following activity and early-voting turnout:
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| Measure | UAW-reported figure |
|---|---|
| Members involved in canvassing | Almost 800 |
| Doors knocked | 15,000 |
| Calls made | More than 145,000 |
| UAW voters who voted during early voting | 112,887 |
These are figures reported by the union, which has an interest in showing its program’s reach. They document the scale the UAW says it achieved, but do not independently establish how many votes its work changed or prove that its activity caused any candidate to win. In the release, UAW President Shawn Fain said: “They underestimated the power of workers talking to workers.” That was a partisan statement in the union’s account of its campaign. UAW release, August 5, 2026.
Why direct voter contact matters
The union’s approach extends beyond publishing endorsements. The AP reported that the UAW held its Michigan political-arm conference in September for the first time since 2018. Robert Bruno, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor professor, emphasized the distinction between backing a candidate and persuading voters: “You don’t win campaigns off of your endorsements. You win campaigns at the door, or at the bar, or at the union hall.” That helps explain the emphasis on canvassing and calls, though the reporting does not establish how effective those contacts were in the primary.
Why political unity and trust are difficult
Members do not vote as a single bloc
Union endorsements express the organization’s position, not a binding instruction to every member. The Macomb County reporting shows the practical gap: canvassers were talking with people who shared concerns such as living costs but did not necessarily share a view about which party could address them. A member’s political choice may also differ from the union’s endorsement without making that person’s membership or workplace concerns any less real.
A corruption history and bargaining distrust
The trust challenge is not only partisan. The AP reported that more than 10 UAW officials had pleaded guilty since 2017 in a corruption investigation that found millions of dollars in union dues had been stolen. Members also criticized closed-door contract negotiations. Fain was elected president in 2023 on a transparency platform, and the AP said labor-dispute victories with Detroit’s three major automakers strengthened member support. Those developments coexist: victories can bolster confidence, while past misconduct and opaque processes can leave members wary.
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JJ Jewell, a member of the UAW Community Action Program executive committee, acknowledged the scale of the work: “It’s not going to be an overnight thing.” Fain told the AP, “We are as active as we can be right now.” The statements describe the union’s effort and ambition; they do not show that distrust has been resolved.
A smaller membership base than in the past
The UAW says it has more than 350,000 active and retired members in Michigan. The AP contrasted that with more than 600,000 active and retired UAW members in the state in the 1980s. These figures are reported by the union and AP, not presented as independently audited counts. The comparison points to a smaller base than decades ago, even as the union retains an organizing infrastructure it is trying to mobilize politically.
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What the UAW’s leverage can—and cannot—show before November
The UAW has demonstrated that it can organize endorsements, forums, canvassing, calls and early-vote outreach in Michigan. The union’s reported primary numbers indicate substantial activity, while the AP’s account shows why translating that capacity into unified political support is not straightforward. Organizational reach and member agreement are different things.
The November 3, 2026, general election had not taken place when the AP published its report on October 10. The available reporting therefore does not show whether the UAW’s endorsements or voter contact will determine the outcome, or how many divided members it can persuade. At that point, Fain said he had won another four-year term, but the result had not yet been certified, according to the AP. Associated Press, October 10, 2026.
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