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Anti-union Tennessee Republicans celebrated at the weekend after workers at the VW plant in Chattanooga voted narrowly against union representation.
The defeat was a devastating setback for the United Auto Workers union's effort to organise southern factories.
The 712-626 vote result was released late on Friday and stunned many labour movement activists who had expected a UAW win.
But they had not taken into account a virulent campaign by right-wing Republicans who had claimed that a union win would dissuade other car-makers from entering the region.
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker was the most vocal opponent in the Republican campaign against the union.
He had even asserted that VW would not build a new SUV in Chattanooga if workers approved the union - a dishonest claim that was later denied by a VW executive.
Volkswagen had tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organisers into the Chattanooga factory to make their pitch for union representation.
The union pointed out that the so-called Centre for Worker Freedom had mounted a billboard campaign in Chattanooga opposing the vote and exerted pressure all through the campaign.
The UAW has tried for decades to organise a foreign-owned plant in the region.
UAW regional director Gary Casteel, who headed organising efforts at the plant, said that the union may challenge the election results with the National Labour Relations Board.
"There was some outside influence exerted in this process," Mr Casteel said on Friday night.
"There are still some issues that have to be sorted out about this election and we'll let the people that do that evaluate the impact further down the road."
"It is pretty devastating" for the union, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labour and industry group at the Michigan Centre for Automotive Research.
"If this was going to work anywhere, this is where it was going to work."
But Ms Dziczek said she did not expect the union to give up on southern factories.
"I think they will continue to push everywhere they were pushing and see if they get more traction," she said.
