Missouri AFL-CIO backs Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate

Missouri’s Labor Movement Is rallying behind Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate

By TIM ROWDEN
Editor-in-Chief

Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri AFL-CIO is endorsing Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate, the first statewide AFL-CIO endorsement for any U.S. Senate challenger in the 2024 cycle and one of the earliest endorsements from the organization for a non-incumbent in Missouri history.

This marks an important moment in the campaign as the state’s Labor Movement rallies behind Kunce, a 13-year Marine veteran who has promised to be a warrior for working people in the U.S. Senate. It also reveals that despite incumbent Republican Josh Hawley’s claims to be “pro-worker,” the working people of Missouri aren’t buying it.

“From his worker-focused campaign to his service in the Marine Corps, it’s clear that Lucas Kunce will be a champion for working people in the U.S. Senate who will always put service to Missouri first before himself,” said Jacob Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO. “Lucas Kunce is the ally that working people need in the U.S. Senate, and so Missouri’s Labor Movement is mobilizing now to help him win this seat.”

The announcement came prior to St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell announcing that he was entering the Senate race.

The Missouri AFL-CIO endorsement of Kunce follows a string of union endorsements across the state, including:

• The St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council, which represents 18 locals and over 15,000 members on the eastern side of Missouri.
• The Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters, which represents 7,000 fire fighters, EMTs, dispatchers, and paramedics.
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655, Missouri’s largest private-sector local union.
• The Kansas City Building Trades, which represents 21 locals and tens of thousands of workers in western Missouri.
• St. Louis union locals, including Bricklayers Local 1/ Tilesetters Local 18, Insulators Local 1, Roofers Local 2 and Sprinkler Fitters Local 268.
• More union locals and Labor organizations across Missouri.

“I’m humbled to be endorsed by the Missouri AFL-CIO,” said Kunce. “From day one, this campaign has been a fight to take this U.S. Senate seat back for working people. When the working people of Missouri unite, they win. So together, we’re going to defeat Josh Hawley in 2024, empower working people, and rebuild our state.”

Kunce is a 13-year Marine veteran, national security expert and antitrust advocate.

After three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Kunce was stationed at the Pentagon, where he served on the Joint Staff to contain the threat of nuclear and chemical weapons around the globe, and later represented the United States in arms control negotiations with NATO and Russia.

After active duty, he became the National Security Director for the American Economic Liberties Project, where he fought back against the corporate monopolists and corrupt politicians who strip our communities for parts while undermining our security.