From the campaign:
Campaign manager Jeff Weaver issued the following statement on Tuesday after the Working Families Party board voted to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for president:
"Bernie has devoted his career to helping working families and is gratified by the support of the Working Families Party. Together they will work to take on the billionaire class and change the the rigged economy that is being held up by a corrupt political system."
Feel free to add additional information to this. I’ll post more as it arrives.
In my view, this is important simply for the fact that:
1. It gives a stamp of approval for progressives and others who play inside the Democratic Party machine that supporting Bernie is ok.
2. In specific states where the WFP is active, and most importantly, New York, on the ground, it helps in the congressional districts to win delegates. I think of my own 13th in NY where this could make the difference of winning another delegate or perhaps two.
Here is the WFP’s official statement:
Today, the Working Families Party announced its endorsement for Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary for President. The announcement marks the first-ever national endorsement for the Working Families Party.
Working Families Party National Director Dan Cantor said: "We want to live in a nation that allows all people to live a decent life, no matter what is in their parents' bank account or who is in their family tree. But the super-rich have used their economic muscle to buy political muscle, and unless you're one of them, what you think government should do basically doesn't count. That's why we're standing with Bernie Sanders to build the political revolution and make our nation into one where every family can thrive."
The announcement followed a Working Families Party membership vote. An overwhelming super-majority of 87.4% of Working Families Party members voted for Senator Sanders, compared to 11.5% for Secretary Hillary Clinton Clinton and 1.1% for former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. The final endorsement decision was dependent on both the membership vote and the votes of the WFP's national advisory board, which includes representatives from all the WFP's state organizations. The Working Families Party's endorsement will bring Senator Sanders' campaign the support of the party's activist base and skilled operatives.
The Working Families Party is a progressive party that fights for the 99% -- and wins. With chapters in ten states and a supporter-base that spans the nation, the Working Families Party has won public policies that make a difference in the lives of working families, from paid sick days laws and minimum wage increases to reforms to criminal justice laws and policing practices to wins on student debt and environmental protection. The WFP's progressive candidates pipeline is recruiting, training and electing the next generation of progressive leaders.
2015 has been a big year for the Working Families Party. In Chicago, United Working Families backed Jesus "Chuy" Garcia for Mayor and held Mayor Rahm Emanuel to a historic run-off election, and helped elect the largest-ever progressive city council caucus. Working Families Party members won special elections for state legislative seats. Connecticut State Senator Ed Gomes and New York State Assemblymember Diana Richardson became the first two state legislators elected only on the Working Families Party ballot line. In Ferguson, Missouri, WFP helped increase African American turnout in the city's municipal elections following the killing of Michael Brown. Pennsylvania Working Families successfully backed Philadelphia Mayor-elect Jim Kenney in his competitive Democratic Primary. In November, Elizabeth, New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure guaranteeing paid sick days with 86% of the vote, making Elizabeth the tenth municipal paid sick days victory for New Jersey Working Families; Hartford elected three WFP members to the Hartford City Council and a record 71 out of 111 of the New York WFP's progressive pipeline candidates were elected to local office around the state. Meanwhile, new Working Families chapters launched this year in Wisconsin and Rhode Island.
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