Following Silicon Valley Investors, UAW Also Declares Support for Harris

Ahead of the U.S. presidential election this November, more than 100 Silicon Valley venture capital (VC) investors, including Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a major donor to the Democratic Party, have come out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. The United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest union in the American automotive industry, also declared their support for Vice President Harris.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

On the 31st of last month (local time), Hoffman and other VC investors released a joint statement on the website "VCs for KAMALA," pledging, "As VC investors, founders, and technology leaders, we commit to voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election."

They stated, "We spend every day finding, investing in, and supporting entrepreneurs who build the future," adding, "We pursue pro-business, pro-American Dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technology progress." They also emphasized, "We believe democracy is the foundation of America," and "At this critical moment, we have united to support Harris."

The list of signatories includes not only Hoffman but also names such as Mark Cuban, former owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and a cryptocurrency investor; Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures who invested in OpenAI; renowned angel investor Ron Conway; and billionaire Chris Sacca. A link was also posted for those wishing to join in the support declaration or donations.

The New York Times (NYT) reported, "More than 100 VC investors have signed on," describing it as "a public rebuttal amid divided opinions among tech leaders about whom to support in the presidential election." This move counters the declarations of support for former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, by business figures and Silicon Valley investors including Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Earlier, the NYT reported that after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election, pro-Democratic voices in Silicon Valley have grown louder, intensifying the internal conflict between the 'Trump faction vs. Harris faction.'

On the same day, the UAW also officially declared its support for Vice President Harris's presidential bid. UAW President Shawn Fain stated, "Our goal in this election is to defeat Trump and elect Harris," adding, "We stand at a crossroads. We can either re-elect a billionaire who opposes everything the union stands for or elect Harris, who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the fight against corporate greed."

CNN reported, citing sources, that Vice President Harris and President Fain spoke on the phone for 10 to 15 minutes that evening. Vice President Harris is scheduled to meet with UAW members next week and participate in a rally together in Michigan. Earlier, the UAW had officially endorsed President Joe Biden at the beginning of the year, but expressed concerns as age-related controversies surrounding Biden spread through TV debates and other forums.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.