Hoffa Declares Victory in Teamsters Election

Teamsters union President James P. Hoffa declared his reelection bid a success, saying it reflected a mandate from his 1.4 million members to end 12 years of government oversight over the union.

Hoffa, 60, whose father, James R. Hoffa, led the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during a scandalous tenure four decades ago, led challenger Tom Leedham, a local union officer from Oregon, 65% to 35%, according to an unofficial tally of 227,233 ballots out of 348,080 cast.

Leedham, 60, who lost to Hoffa when the two faced in a special election in 1998, conceded that his comeback bid had failed.

Court-appointed Election Administrator William Wertheimer must still declare a winner in the race, which saw the lowest voter turnout in the 10 years since the union started allowing its rank and file to elect its top leaders.