United States
Fact-checked

At UnitedStatesNow, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is the Working Families Party?

Henry Gaudet
Henry Gaudet

The Working Families Party was first formed in 1998 in New York by a coalition of labor unions, community organizations and political activist groups that were dissatisfied with the ability of the two-party system to represent their views. New York’s Working Families Party has led to the founding of similar Working Families Parties in Delaware, Vermont, Connecticut, South Carolina and Oregon. Although the party occasionally has put forward its own candidates, it more often backs a Democrat or Republican candidate, a practice known as fusion voting.

In 1998, the Working Families Party first made its mark by endorsing the Democratic candidate for New York governor, Peter F. Valone. He lost the election to George Pataki, but Valone got a little more than 50,000 votes from the Working Families Party, enough to grant the new party a position on future ballots. When the Green Party and Liberal Party lost their ballot positions in 2002, the Working Families Party was New York’s only liberal minor party remaining.

When the Green Party and Liberal Party lost their ballot positions in 2002, the Working Families Party was New York’s only liberal minor party remaining.
When the Green Party and Liberal Party lost their ballot positions in 2002, the Working Families Party was New York’s only liberal minor party remaining.

New York’s election laws allow for fusion voting, in which more than one party endorses a single candidate. This allows voters to feel that they can support smaller political parties such as the Working Families Party without wasting a vote on an unelectable candidate. Fusion voting also has been an effective tool to get Democrats and Republicans to address issues that concern the minor party.

Fusion voting has been an effective tool to get Democrats and Republicans to address issues that concern the minor party.
Fusion voting has been an effective tool to get Democrats and Republicans to address issues that concern the minor party.

Built from a grassroots base of labor and community activists, the Working Family Party’s agenda revolves around issues affecting working class families. The party members believe that elected officials should be accountable for the decisions they make and the policies they support. Working Family Party members support an increase in the minimum wage, guaranteed sick pay and paid family leave. Affordable housing, green technologies in the home and workplace, healthcare and public transportation also are issues of concern to the party and its supporters.

Traditionally, these policies would have been seen as the Democratic platform. In fact, many of the candidates endorsed by the party run as Democrats. Party supporters, despite taking an active role in the party’s direction and voting for party candidates, often are registered as Democrats, Republicans or Independents. Many voters, though, felt that their voice was being drowned out by well-funded lobbyists and saw the Working Families Party as a way of regaining the attention of their elected officials. In some elections, the party has endorsed receptive Republican candidates over Democrats who seemed to be disconnected.

Discussion Comments

anon354262

Who are some candidates that working families have put forward?

ZsaZsa56

What is the status of the working families party today? Are they taking a stance in the upcoming 2012 elections? Do they have as many members as before or have they grown/shrank?

backdraft

I am definitely sympathetic to the goals of the working families party and I wish that these issues got more attention in the public sphere. The government sometimes gets incorrectly labeled as being concerned mostly with the problems of the poor. People look at food stamps, medicare, social security and other benefits programs and think that the lower class is doing just fine.

The simple truth is that it is as hard to be poor as it always has and the people at the bottom of society are marginalized, discriminated against, silenced and abused more than any other segment of the population. Try to deny it. No matter what the democratic party says, the poor really have no advocate in the halls of power. Thank god the conscientious folks at the working families party ate fighting the good fight

jonrss

I wish that more people had the initiative to form their own third parties. I know that most of them do not have a snowball's chance in hell of getting to the highest offices in the land. But there are real opportunities for third party candidates to gain power at the local level.

There are instances of thrird party candidates getting elected mayor of large cities or state senators in competitive districts. Several of them have been socialists. If you do not feel that your views are being represented by one of the major two parties it is completely your right to form your own party and work your way through the democratic process like anyone else. It might be an uphill battle, but miracles can happen in politics.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • When the Green Party and Liberal Party lost their ballot positions in 2002, the Working Families Party was New York’s only liberal minor party remaining.
      By: Stephen Coburn
      When the Green Party and Liberal Party lost their ballot positions in 2002, the Working Families Party was New York’s only liberal minor party remaining.
    • Fusion voting has been an effective tool to get Democrats and Republicans to address issues that concern the minor party.
      By: Andrey Burmakin
      Fusion voting has been an effective tool to get Democrats and Republicans to address issues that concern the minor party.