UAW may endorse presidential candidate by year-end

DETROIT (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers union could decide by the end of the year which Democratic candidate to endorse in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said on Tuesday.

"Once we get feedback from all of our 11 regions and then analyze that... we'll make a determination with our board," Gettelfinger told the Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit.

When asked if the union might endorse a candidate before the end of the year and the first crucial primaries, Gettelfinger said that was possible. "We may or we may not," he said.

The two top Democratic contenders for the November 2008 election are Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. The backing of organized labor has traditionally been a strong source of support for the Democratic party.

The UAW endorsed Senator John Kerry for president during his failed campaign in the 2004 election.

Gettelfinger declined to reveal which candidate he personally prefers.

"I've changed my mind along the way a little bit," he said. "I'm still open on it."

The endorsement before the end of the year could mean the union could select its candidate before the crucial New Hampshire and Iowa nomination contest slated for early January.

(For summit blog: summitnotebook.reuters.com/)

(Editing by Carol Bishopric)