Hoffa Leads Vote For Teamsters Post

James P. Hoffa took the lead Friday in early ballot counting for president of the Teamsters union once headed by his father, but it wasn’t the runaway some had predicted.

With 85,101 votes from the southern and eastern regions processed, Hoffa led with 43,215 votes, or 51 percent. Tom Leedham, chief of the union’s warehouse division, had 35,487, or 42 percent. Counting continues through the weekend.

John Metz of St. Louis, who did not actively campaign, had 5,338 votes, or 6 percent.

More than three-fourths of the votes remained to be counted, including some temporarily set aside because they could not be read by computer.

Leedham supporters were encouraged by the early numbers, saying he was hampered by his late entry into the race and by an opponent with extraordinary name recognition.

Hoffa is the son of Jimmy Hoffa, who rose to the top of what was then the nation’s largest union in 1957 and remained in power for a decade, until he was sent to prison for jury tampering and fraud. He disappeared in 1975 and is presumed dead.

Counting is expected to be completed Monday.