Tom Leedham plans to challenge James Hoffa for the presidency of the 1.4 million-member Teamsters Union.

Leedham is the principal officer of Oregon Local 206 and a former International Union Vice President and Warehouse Division Director.

Leedham supporters are launching a drive to collect 50,000 signatures on an official accreditation petition so that members can hear from the Tom Leedham Strong Contracts, Good Pensions slate in upcoming issues of the Teamster Magazine. Under the election rules, only accredited candidates can publish their views in the magazine’s campaign battle pages.

In addition to Leedham, the petition will officially accredit a slate of initial regional and at-large vice presidential candidates, and it will continue to add additional candidates and explore alliances and coalitions with other anti-Hoffa forces in the run-up to the 2006 Teamster Convention.