We’re back with our monthly newsletter, John.
This newsletter is our way of keeping you informed about some of the great work happening in our party — from updates on how our movement is keeping Republicans accountable in Congress to the new electoral battles emerging in states across the country and the organizing we’re doing around them.
There's a lot to catch you up on from January, so let's get to it!
OUR NEWEST CLASS OF WFP CHAMPIONS IN CONGRESS
Earlier this month, our newest class of WFP champions in Congress — Austin’s Greg Casar, Chicago’s Delia Ramirez, Pittsburgh’s Summer Lee, Vermont’s Becca Balint, Dallas’s Jasmine Crockett, and Florida’s Maxwell Frost — were officially sworn into office.
.png "Welcome to Congress! Photo of new Representatives Greg Casar, Delia Ramirez, Maxwell Frost, Summer Lee, Becca Balint, and Jasmine Crockett sitting together.")
They join fellow WFP Champions Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and more to make the largest Progressive Caucus in congressional history.
And with a MAGA Republican majority in the House already doing the bidding of billionaires, threatening to drive our economy off a cliff unless they can make unpopular cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and doubling down on their anti-abortion extremism — we’re going to need a buttress of progressive House members who can stiffen the Democratic Party’s spine for the uphill battles that lie ahead of us.
WFP IS READY TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE
Some pundits, and even some organizations, may think of a year like 2023 as an “off-year,” but for all of us at the Working Families Party, nothing could be further from the truth — because when we organize early, we win.
With as many as five flippable House races, the path to taking back the House from Republicans in 2024 runs straight through New York — and our organizers have already started to blueprint the work of recruiting, supporting, and electing candidates in key congressional districts.
In a recent strategy memo, “WFP can take back Congress,” New York Working Families Party State Director Sochie Nnaemeka outlined a plan to conduct research, deepen political organization in crucial districts, and build communication networks to lay the groundwork for flipping five Republican-held congressional seats in New York.
Read the coverage in POLITICO.
BUILDING UP PROGRESSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Four years ago, Pennsylvania Working Families Party shocked the political establishment by electing Kendra Brooks to the Philadelphia City Council on the WFP line! This year, PAWFP is back at it again, hoping to defeat the last remaining Republican on the City Council, and elect Nicolas O’Rourke on the WFP line in their place. But it will be a tough fight ahead to re-elect Kendra and elect Nicolas. Check out our coverage of the City Council race in Billy Penn.
But PAWFP doesn’t just have eyes on the City Council. PAWFP is also proud to endorse Jarrett Smith for Philadelphia City Commissioner, who is also running on the WFP line! As the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Pennsylvania Legislative Director, Jarrett has a proven history of fighting for working families, and we are excited to throw our support behind him. Read more about this race in PoliticsPA.
ABORTION BATTLE IN WISCONSIN
On the 50th anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade, WFP members joined thousands of pro-choice demonstrators marching through the streets of Madison, Wisconsin — where the fate of abortion rights, voting rights, and union rights hinges on an upcoming state Supreme Court race.
Working Families Power National Director of Organizing and Tech Innovation Jennifer Knox at the ‘Bigger Than Roe National March on Madison’ in Wisconsin on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
Over the next few weeks, our partner organization Working Families Power will be hosting virtual Postcard Parties to get out the word on what's at stake and a reminder to vote in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Primary Election on February 21st.
Join a postcard party with Working Families Power to mobilize your friends, family, or anyone you know in Wisconsin.
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
WFP Weekly Text Party
(Tuesdays, 6:00 to 8:00PM ET)
Join our friends at Working Families Power on Tuesdays in February to text voters in Wisconsin ahead of the State Supreme Court primary on Tuesday, February 21st.
Campaign Camp: Recruiting Awesome Candidates
(Wednesday, February 22nd + Saturday, February 25th from 12:00 to 3:00 PM ET)
We’re really excited to announce that our training program — WFP Campaign Camp — is back for 2023!
At WFP Campaign Camp we aim to offer a powerful set of training modules that build on your own skills, experience, and passion — and take it to the next level.
Whether you’re a candidate, thinking about running for office, or an activist looking to sharpen your political campaign skills, join us at our first training of the year: “Awesome Candidates!”
We’ll cover what makes an awesome candidate, how to find and recruit awesome candidates, contextualize WFP as a political party, debunk some myths about winning an election, and map out how to get a campaign started.
WFP National Welcome Gathering
(Saturday, February 21 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM ET)
Whether you're a new supporter or a longtime member of WFP, 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. And we can help you sort out a meaningful next step with the party. All are welcome!
Check out more upcoming events here.
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 to fight for working families. Will you consider contributing $3 or any amount to WFP today to help fuel our work in 2023?
Pitch in
Thanks for making it all the way through, 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!
Thank you,
All of us at the Working Families Party
