John,
It’s time for the WFP monthly newsletter, your opportunity to catch up on what you may have missed in our fight for working class political power!
Keep reading for updates on our key elections, how we’re building power in the states, and more.
Tune in for the WFP State of the Union Response with Nicolas O’Rourke
This year, we’re so excited to have Nicolas O’Rourke deliver the 2024 Working Families Party State of the Union Response!
.png "Working Families Party State of the Union Respoinse featuring Working Families Party Philadelphia Councilmember At-Large Nicolas O'Rourke. Photo of Nicolas O'Rourke.")
Shortly following President Biden’s speech next Thursday, March 7th, Councilmember O’Rourke will lay out WFP’s vision for working-class governance from city halls to Congress. He’ll describe how, with a bold agenda of healthcare, housing, public safety, and peace, we can transform the status quo that has held this country back for too long.
And he'll also lay out how we can block the MAGA movement from power while building governing power for working families in every city and in every corner of this country — to win the future we all deserve.
Sign up here or text SOTU to 30403, and we’ll let you know when Nicolas O’Rourke goes live with the 2024 WFP State of the Union Response.
Election victories in Wisconsin and New York
The Wisconsin Working Families Party saw major wins in their primary municipal elections on February 10, with 88% of our candidates moving on to the top-two general election on April 2. We maintained our strength in Milwaukee, while continuing to expand into Racine, Kenosha, Green Bay, and Wausau — allowing us to continue building statewide power and making Wisconsin’s cities work for working families.
We’re particularly energized by the news that Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed into law new, fair legislative maps to undo extreme gerrymandering by state Republicans. We’re proud to have helped elect Governor Evers and State Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, both of whom were critical to winning maps that truly represent the people of Wisconsin.
Vox explained: ”This redistricting means that Democrats actually have a shot at retaking the majority of the State Assembly in November, a prospect that was virtually impossible under the state’s prior maps, which the GOP had heavily gerrymandered in its favor.”
In New York, the congressional district formerly represented by George Santos had its special election last month, and thanks in part to the work by Battleground New York — a coalition including the WFP — we were able to flip this district from red to blue and get us one seat closer to taking back the House of Representatives.
The American Prospect wrote about our coalition: “All of these groups are superb at the ground game of retail politics, using the full tool kit of texting, phone banks, door-knocking, and get-out-the-vote help.”
The path to taking back the House this year runs through New York, so it’s critically important that we and our partners keep up the work of talking with voters and sharing our vision for a country that works for the many, not the few.
To help keep up the work of winning power across the country at the local, state, and federal level, pitch in to support our organizing now.
NJWFP champion Sue Altman clears the field in congressional primary
Former New Jersey WFP State Director Sue Altman is running for Congress in one of the most closely-watched House races of the year. And a few weeks ago, seeing the strength of the movement we’re building, Sue’s final Democratic primary opponent dropped out of the race and endorsed her!
Sue can now focus on defeating incumbent Republican Tom Kean, Jr., who has refused to condemn the January 6 insurrection, voted against codifying abortion rights on the state and federal level, earned a 100% rating from the NRA in 2020, and used his position to support some of the most radical members of the GOP.
This race is a toss-up, but together, we can win back this critical seat, regain control of the House of Representatives, and send this anti-corruption organizer, former teacher, pro basketball player, and WFP leader to Congress. Click here to split a donation between the WFP and Sue’s campaign now.
RIWFP launches its Working Families Agenda
The Rhode Island Working Families Party has spent years electing and supporting progressive lawmakers who will put our communities first.
And now, they’re banding together and using our collective power to launch the Working Families Agenda: a set of policy proposals that would raise taxes on people making more than $1 million each year to pay for affordable housing, lower prescription drug costs, free meals for students, and more.
.png "Photo of Working Families Agenda press conference. Elected officials stand in a room with a podium that reads \"Pass the Working Families Agenda. Next to them is a sign saying: \"The Working Families Agenda. Build housing for all. Fund public transportation. Expand paid family leave. Make prescriptions more affordable. Provide school meals for every child. Raise revenue for Rhode Islanders. Hold police accountable.")
WFP champion State Rep. Karen Alzate explained: “This is a matter of social justice. Disparities in wealth have reached staging levels. It is our responsibility to ensure that those who have benefited the most from our society pay their fair share.”
Read more from The Public’s Radio here.
WFP National Director Maurice Mitchell on our national strategy
Hear from WFP National Director Maurice Mitchell on how we’re growing our movement and making change nationwide in Convergence Magazine podcast Hegemonicon’s episode “How the Working Families Party Is Building Progressive Governing Power, with Maurice Mitchell.”
.png "Hegemonicon: How the Working Families Party is Building Progressing Governing Power featuring Maurice Mitchell. Convergence. Find on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Photo of Maurice Mitchell.")
Maurice Mitchell: We will be in a position where our people — our agenda, people on the left, progressives, other folks — can actually govern. And so we're building carefully, step by step, seriously, rigorously the institutional power, the candidate pipelines, the movement power, the activist power, the coalitions in order to do that. And when that happens, we believe it's going to unlock a lot of possibility.
Catch the full episode here.
An update on Gaza, and what you can do to help
As the Israeli military prepares to invade Rafah — the city in Gaza where more than one million refugees have fled amidst Israel’s bombing campaign — we need to take action and demand a ceasefire now.
Text CEASEFIRE to 30403, and we’ll guide you through calling your member of Congress to share your support for a ceasefire.
Upcoming events
WFP Tuesday Text Party
Send texts to voters with the WFP Text Team on Tuesday, March 12 at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT! We’ll be reaching Ohio voters about four important primary elections happening in their communities this month. RSVP now.
RSVP
March WFP Welcome Gathering
On Thursday, March 14 at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, join us virtually for a WFP Welcome Gathering! Our monthly gatherings are an amazing way to hear directly from WFP activists and your fellow members about how we’re building a country for the many, not the few. Sign up here, and we'll send you the link to join.
RSVP
Thanks for catching up with us, John!
If you’re excited about the work that we’re doing together, can you invest in our organizing with a donation of $10 or any amount today?
Pitch in
In solidarity,
Team WFP
