Nelson Vandermeer voted Republican for decades but feared President Donald Trump’s tariffs would hurt workers more than help. Last year, that fear became personal, The Associated Press reported.
The 62-year-old lost his job as a product designer at Howard Miller, a Zeeland, Michigan, clockmaker that relied on overseas parts. After a century in business, the company closed its factory, sold its inventory and brand name and laid off nearly 200 workers, according to the AP.
“So much for bringing jobs back,” Vandermeer said. He plans to vote straight Democratic in the midterms.
Republicans face a backlash over the tariffs Trump made central to his economic agenda, the AP reported. Although the country has added manufacturing jobs this year, the sector has fewer employees than when Trump returned to office in January 2025.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said a factory boom is underway, citing increases in manufacturing output and nonresidential construction.
Vandermeer lives in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, represented by Republican Bill Huizenga, who is seeking a ninth term. A Huizenga spokesperson said he “sees a potential role for tariffs” while “recognizing the need to address their broader economic effects.” His Democratic opponent, state Sen. Sean McCann, has criticized him for opposing legislation to rein in Trump’s tariffs.
In Iowa, Tracy Chew, 55, lost her job at a Case backhoe plant in Burlington, which announced its closure before the tariffs; her daughter, husband and son-in-law also lost jobs. Chew, who voted for Trump in 2016, said she is leaning Democratic. “Tariffs are not targeting the right companies, the right amount,” she said.
Winnebago Industries cut 200 jobs last year after import costs for aluminum, steel and electronics rose by tens of millions of dollars, the AP reported. Similar issues are surfacing in competitive races in Kansas, Iowa and Ohio.
Sources: KTAR News/AP. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Peter Elfelt / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
