James P. Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, declared victory in his race for a new five-year term. He declared himself the winner over Tom Leedham, the president of a Teamsters local in Oregon, even though the official count was not expected to be completed until this weekend. With most of the votes counted, Mr. Hoffa had more than a two-to-one lead. Mr. Hoffa, son of James R. Hoffa, who headed the union from 1957 to 1971, was first elected president of the 1.4 million-member union in 1998. Mr. Hoffa, who led the Teamsters out of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. last year, has made increasing his union’s membership a central goal.
Source: NY Times
