Dear John,

For months, Governor Andrew Cuomo has been telling close allies he wants to kill the Working Families Party in New York.¹ This week, he finally put that plan into motion.

An unelected commission led by Cuomo’s handpicked state party chair just enacted ballot qualification laws aimed specifically at crushing WFP — all to try and stop us from being able to support primary challengers in the future.

This is the most brazen attack we’ve seen yet. Andrew Cuomo thinks he can kill us. But together, we’ll show him just how wrong he is.

Can you chip in with an emergency donation to help us fight back? Anything you can give will help show the power of our progressive movement — our average contribution on emails like this one is just $12.40.

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Andrew Cuomo created this commission earlier this year and gave it the unilateral authority to undermine third parties like WFP in New York. But instead of passing a strong public financing system, this week they voted in favor of a weak one — all as a cover for a politically motivated attack on WFP.

Their plan would drastically increase the vote threshold that WFP needs to qualify for the ballot each cycle. And in doing so, seriously hurt progressives and down-ballot Democrats like the ones we endorse and who run on our ballot line.

The truth is that Andrew Cuomo is absolutely infuriated by the strength of our movement, which has helped deliver transformational gains for working people in New York and across the nation — victories like a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, landmark climate protection, immigrant rights, women's rights, criminal justice reforms, rent protections and more.

If these proposals hold up to legal scrutiny, New York would become the most hostile state in America to minor parties. But we’re never ones to back down from a fight. So here’s our plan:

In 2020, we will bring the full power of the WFP and our allies to bear in challenging those who block progressive change and electing the next generation of progressive leaders — including in Democratic primaries.

We will build the biggest WFP GOTV operation yet to meet these new thresholds and elect progressives from the top of the ballot on down.

And we will win.

Let’s show Andrew Cuomo the strength of our progressive movement. Chip in with an emergency donation to say you stand with the Working Families Party against these attacks.

In solidarity,

Joe Dinkin
Working Families Party

Contribute $3 »

Source:

1. Andrew Cuomo quietly presses to weaken political nemesis in New York, Politico, October 27, 2019

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