UAW Region 2B endorses J.D. Ford for Congress

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Ford

The United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 2B officially announced its endorsement on Thursday, April 9 of State Senator J.D. Ford for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.

Ford remains the only candidate in the race to earn the backing of organized labor, following a previous endorsement from the SMART Union (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers).

UAW Region 2B serves Indiana and Ohio and its support carries immense weight in the 5th District, particularly in Kokomo, a global hub for automotive manufacturing. As the industry transitions to electric vehicles, the UAW identified Ford as the champion best equipped to ensure that the Battery Belt remains a Union Belt.

“UAW Region 2B is proud to endorse J.D. Ford for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District,” Region 2B UAW Director David Green said. “We need elected officials like J.D. Ford who are willing to fight for working families and our communities. Affordability and accountability are needed now more than ever and J.D. Ford will help Hoosiers get the dignity they deserve.”

For Senator Ford, the endorsement is more than a political milestone. It’s personal.

“This endorsement hits home because I grew up in a union household. My dad is a union man, and I saw firsthand how a collective bargaining agreement can secure a family’s lifestyle,” Ford said. “Growing up, I learned that a union card is a ticket to dignity, health security, and a stable retirement. To have the UAW stand with me is the greatest honor of this campaign because their fight is my family’s fight.”

The endorsement comes on the heels of Senator Ford being honored last week with the Charles S. Kinchelow Sr. UAW Local 933 Civil & Human Rights Appreciation Award. The award recognizes Ford’s career-long commitment to the intersection of labor rights and social justice – a core priority for the UAW’s modern ‘Stand Up’ movement.

“Kokomo is the heart of American transmission production, and as we flip the factories to build the next generation of batteries, we cannot leave our veteran internal combustion engine workers behind,” Ford said. “I’ve spent my time in the Statehouse creating the EV Product Commission to ensure this transition benefits union hands. In Congress, I will be the watchdog ensuring federal investments coming to Howard County stay in the pockets of the people doing the work.”

As the sole labor-endorsed candidate, Ford’s platform remains focused on the “Hoosier Voices” of the 5th District, advocating for the PRO Act, strict subsidy clawbacks for corporations that offshore jobs, and protecting Social Security for the workers who built Indiana.

About J.D. Ford
J.D. Ford is a two-term state senator, Democratic Senate Caucus Whip, and previously served as the Caucus Chair. Ford, known for his people-first approach, flipped a long-held Republican district by listening to the needs of Hoosiers. Ford is the first and only openly LGBTQ+ member of the Indiana General Assembly and now he’s ready to take his service to Hoosiers all the way to Washington D.C. Learn more about the candidate at ElectJDFord.com.