FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2026
September 16, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce for Reelection and Don Leonard for Election to Congress
Categories:
Congress, Election 2026, House
AFGE says Joyce and Leonard will fight for federal employees and all working families
INDIANAPOLIS –– The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsements of Rep. Dave Joyce for reelection to Congress representing Ohio’s 14th Congressional District and Don Leonard for election to Congress representing Ohio’s 15th Congressional District. The general election is Nov. 3.
Rep. Dave Joyce serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which funds many of the agencies that employ the federal workforce, including the Office of Personnel Management. He was one of 20 House Republicans who voted for the Protect America’s Workforce Act (HR 2550), which would rescind President Trump’s March 2025 executive order banning collective bargaining for most of the federal workforce.
Joyce has built a reputation as one of the most bipartisan members of the Ohio delegation, teaming with Rep. Shontel Brown on the Commission on the American Workforce Act and leading bipartisan efforts through the House Great Lakes Task Force to protect a region home to thousands of federal workers at agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Don Leonard was raised by a single mother who sometimes struggled to make ends meet, and the family experienced homelessness during the 1993 recession. When Leonard shattered his wrist in a childhood bike accident, Medicaid covered the surgery. With the help of government safety nets, devoted public school teachers, and student loans, Leonard graduated from college magna cum laude, served in the Peace Corps in South America, and earned a Ph.D. in government from Cornell University.
For the past decade, Leonard has taught city and regional planning at Ohio State University, preparing his students to pursue their own dreams.
“Dave Joyce and Don Leonard both understand that federal workers deserve advocates in Washington who will actually listen to them,” said AFGE District 6 National Vice President Arnold Scott. “Congressman Joyce has shown he can work across the aisle to fund the agencies our members rely on, and I’ve been impressed with the way Don is engaging our membership. He’s made time on multiple occasions to hear directly from AFGE members about the hardships they’re facing under this administration. And by refusing corporate PAC money, he’s made clear he’ll work for his constituents – not corporations. AFGE is proud to stand behind both of them.”
AFGE previously announced other endorsements in the state, including Dr. Amy Acton for Ohio governor, former Sen. Sherrod Brown for reelection to the seat he held from 2007 to 2025, Brian Poindexter for election to the U.S. House representing Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, and six incumbents for reelection to their seats in the U.S. House.
More than 56,000 federal employees live in Ohio – caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents nearly 47,000 federal employees in District 6, which includes Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
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