Two Qualify For Spots On Teamsters Ballot

Two Teamsters union officials have qualified for spots on the ballot in the organization’s re-run presidential election against James Hoffa.

Tom Leedham, who runs the union’s warehousing division, and John Metz, who runs its public employees division, garnered enough delegate votes to qualify for the official ballot.

Hoffa, who lost the original 1996 election to incumbent Ron Carey, automatically qualified for the contest, which is scheduled to take place in October.

Carey’s victory was later overturned by federal monitors who uncovered a scheme to funnel union funds to his campaign treasury. Carey, who denies any wrongdoing, was later disqualified from the new election.