We're back with the June WFP update, John. These monthly updates are an inside look at what's happening in our party, including key primary elections and all the organizing WFP members are doing to build a better future for our country.
THE PRIMARY WINS KEEP COMING FOR WFP CHAMPIONS
In our last newsletter, we covered some primary results out of Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. We have some updates on some of those races, as well as more this month out of California and New Mexico.
In case you missed it, Jamie McLeod-Skinner defeated corporate Democrat Kurt Schrader in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District! Our National Director Maurice Mitchell called Jamie's victory over one of Big Pharma's favorite Democrats a "David and Goliath moment" in the Washington Post — we're inclined to agree.
In Pennsylvania, WFP champion Summer Lee prevailed in PA-12 despite a multi-million dollar smear campaign led by AIPAC and DMFI.
And in Texas, Michelle Vallejo officially declared victory in her runoff election in TX-15, but will still head to an official recount (you can donate to her campaign's recount fund here). Jessica Cisneros trails in her runoff election in TX-28 but it is headed to an official recount as well (you can donate to her campaign's recount fund here).
WFP-endorsed candidates running in California and New Mexico also had a lot to celebrate after last week's primaries:
- Several CA WFP champions running for California Assembly, State Senate, District Attorney, mayoral, and local Boards of Supervisors seats won or advanced to runoff elections in the fall — including Assemblymember Alex Lee who defeated a million-dollar effort by real estate and big money to win this seat.
- Several WFP champions in New Mexico defeated yet another attempt by corporate interests in the state to grab back power from progressives in the New Mexico legislature. Congressional candidate Gabe Vasquez won his primary in NM-02 and will face an extreme Trump Republican in November.
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Building a Working Families Majority in states across the country and in Congress is not just a goal of ours for the future. It's not something we plan to do down the line. It's what we are doing in Congress and statehouses across the nation — right now.
But powerful forces will not stop trying to defeat us. Our people-powered candidates continue to face an unprecedented amount of spending from right-wing Super PACs and billionaires who are terrified by the idea of more champions for working families taking seats in Congress and state legislatures.
These dark money forces have tried to stop our movement before, but we're showing up and doing the work to out-organize the special interests.
Can you contribute $3 or any amount today to our Working Families Majority Fund? The primary for WFP champion Delia Ramirez (IL-03) is coming up in less than two weeks, and we have to be prepared for anything.
UPCOMING PRIMARY ELECTION CALENDAR
WFP VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Ryan McCarthy
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Ryan McCarthy is an experienced and dedicated speaker, educator, and founder of the Global Kindness Initiative, who has trained thousands of teachers and community leaders from a wide diversity of backgrounds and communities from New York to San Francisco and Palestine to Beijing.
In addition to his work supporting organizations and communities, Ryan is passionate about empowering national political leaders who are committed to working toward a more equitable and sustainable future. Ryan has been organizing volunteers and leading phone banks with WFP during the 2022 primary season and has been proud to be part of such a dedicated, intentional, and visionary community of changemakers. Ryan strongly believes that we are in great need of change in how we treat our planet and our most vulnerable communities — and that the more we work for it, the faster that desperately needed change will come.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Call Party for Delia Ramirez!
(TODAY, June 18, 2-4pm ET)
Coming off all of our big primaries in May, we need to keep up the fight to win a Working Families Majority in Congress going through the summer. TODAY we're making calls for WFP champ Delia Ramirez ahead of her June 28 primary election in Illinois's newly drawn Third Congressional District. RSVP here and join us on the phones this afternoon!
WFP Tuesday Text Party
(Tuesdays, 6-8pm ET)
It's clearer now than ever that we need WFP Champions fighting for us in Congress. We'll be texting for Delia Ramirez in IL-03. We'll also get the word out for Robbie Leonard for State's Attorney in Baltimore County, MD, a champion of our WFP Criminal Justice Initiative.
Call Party to Elect Mandela Barnes to the Senate!
(Thursday, June 23, 6-8pm ET)
Join us to talk to Wisconsin voters about WFP champion Mandela Barnes and why he's the best choice for the Senate! We'll provide training, scripts, and the folks to call and make it easy for you to get involved.
WFP National Welcome Gathering
(Saturday, June 25, 3-4:30pm ET)
Whether you're a new supporter or a longtime member, welcome gatherings are an energetic space where you can meet other working people with the same vision of building a world where we can thrive, and not just survive. We'll share our desires and vision for a political party that truly is for us and by us. We'll get concrete about how we are building the power we need to have an impact locally and nationally in this political moment. You can get your questions about the party answered here. All are welcome!
Check out more upcoming events here.
OTHER WFP UPDATES AND CLIPS
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In a huge victory, New Jersey Working Families Party's lawsuit to reform New Jersey’s primary ballot design — which enables a handful of party insiders, not voters, to pick winners in primary races — is officially moving forward. Read more about it in the Star-Ledger.
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WFP champion Leonela Felix and endorsed candidate Cherie Fruz led the charge to legalize marijuana in Rhode Island and fought to include a critical automatic expungement clause in the final legislation. Read more in the Boston Globe.
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Recent progressive victories in Oregon and Pennsylvania show momentum for candidates like Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, WFP's Jake Spence tells Wispolitics. WFP was also named as one of Mandela's largest backers in this Politico piece about a tightening race.
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We're all reeling from the latest mass shooting, this time in a city many WFP members and staff call home. WFP's Eric Rosso talked with the Philadelphia Inquirer about his harrowing experience fleeing from gunfire after exiting a concert.
Thanks for taking the time to read more about WFP's work, John. This newsletter is our way of keeping our movement informed about the work we're doing. If you have thoughts on the kind of content you'd like to see in the future, just reply directly to this email and let us know!
We know that was a lot to read and catch up on, but what we put in this email you just read represents only a small fraction of the work we're doing every day to fight for working families. If you're able, can you contribute $3 or any amount to the Working Families Party today to help fuel our organizing across the country?
Contribute $3 »
In solidarity,
All of us at the Working Families Party
