Working Families Party Sets Sights On Endorsing The Next Mayor
Sochie Nnaemeka at Tax the Rich press conference in Albany. COURTESY OF SENATOR MICHAEL GIANARIS’S OFFICE
Riding momentum from its victory over the Cuomo administration late last year, the Working Families Party is galvanizing members to influence the New York City mayor’s race. The left-leaning coalition is in the final stages of its endorsement process, with a key vote slated for Tuesday.
This is a far cry from last spring when the Working Families Party faced an existential crisis. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature agreed on last-minute language in the 2020 budget that raised by nearly three-fold the number of votes required for minor parties to keep their official ballot line. It was a move designed to destroy entities like the WFP which had challenged Cuomo in the past and sought to push the Democratic party he led to the left.
The move failed in a big way, with the help of a strong social media campaign and an all-star roster of progressive surrogates, from Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders to a host of state and local representatives. The result: 250,000 voters just in New York City cast their ballots last November on the WFP line, nearly double the number of votes the party needed statewide to survive.
Now, the WFP is hoping to bring that organizing power to the 2021 New York City mayoral race, starting with the endorsement process already underway. It’s not a given the party will endorse one or more candidates; according to its bylaws, an endorsement motion needs to be approved by 60% of their voting members.
“Whoever it is that we choose, should we choose, has the benefit of the Working Families Party not only the brand identity, but of being a clear, chosen progressive,” said Sochie Nnaemeka, the director of the New York State chapter of the WFP.
The endorsement process is often a tricky one, where the varied interests under the organization’s big tent may pull in different directions. In 2013, they never formally endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor, even though they were seen as a key influencer in terms of his early success and policies. The party has also taken flack for backing Cuomo’s re-election in 2014 over the candidate many saw as more progressive, Zephyr Teachout.
The party leadership said when considering candidates for mayor they would look for progressive positions on housing, reducing the footprint and population of local jails, strengthening public schools, protecting workers rights, addressing climate change, and securing immigrant rights when it comes to voting, healthcare, and access to legal services.
The candidate selection process began in March when the WFP sent a detailed questionnaire to candidates. At the same time, chapter leaders trained members on the endorsement process, including how they would interview candidates. The interviews were translated into Spanish, Bangla, Korean, and Mandarin to ensure all members could participate.
Nnaemeka said they only considered the leading Democratic candidates who are participating in the city’s public finance program, meaning Ray McGuire, who is not fundraising within the system, was not on the list. And Kathryn Garcia opted not to seek the party’s nomination. A spokesperson for her campaign said she recommended the WFP endorse Dianne Morales.
The final step is a vote, scheduled for April 13th, by the members of the WFP’s regional advisory council, a group of nearly two dozen labor unions, community organizations, and borough-based WFP chapters.
One of the larger community organizations in the WFP, New York Communities for Change, stepped out on its own. The affordable housing advocacy group endorsed Scott Stringer last month, citing his plan to ensure the city’s housing subsidies reach the lowest income families and people who are homeless.
Jonathan Westin, NYCC’s executive director, said his organization saw a “top tier” of candidates emerging with Stringer, Andrew Yang and Eric Adams. He said his members were worried about what a Yang or Adams mayoralty would look like for low-income New Yorkers, given the candidates' ties to big tech and real estate.
“We went through that with Mayor Bloomberg,” said Westin. “We don't need another mayor that's going to cater to the billionaire class.”
That’s why he plans to try to persuade other WFP voting members to support Stringer when they meet next week. “We're going to send a message of necessity within that process, and we hope others come on board,” he added.
Nnaemeka said ultimately the party would make a choice that reflects the broadest consensus of its members. “What makes the WFP strong is we come together and strategize towards a shared vision,” she said. “We get to a decision that's larger than the sum of our parts.”