November has been a whirlwind John, with voters heading to the polls in key races and our members and organizers pushing bold campaigns to put working people first.
Keep reading for highlights from coast to coast — from historic local and state wins to fights against billionaire interference — and see how we’re building momentum to elect more WFP champions nationwide:
MAMDANI TSUNAMI
A political wave swept through New York City this month — and the Working Families Party helped drive it.
WFP champion and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is set to become NYC’s next mayor, after defeating disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and overcoming a staggering $40 million in Super PAC spending. Zohran ran on a bold affordability agenda for the working class, including free and fast buses, a rent freeze, and universal childcare.
Voters responded in historic numbers: Zohran earned more than one million votes — the most for any NYC mayoral candidate since 1965. The WFP line also made history, surpassing the Republican ballot line. (Fun fact: Zohran himself voted on the WFP line.) For more on the WFP effect, see The New York Times.
And the momentum didn’t stop in the city. Across New York State, WFP-endorsed candidates made history: Dorcey Applyrs, Mayor-elect of Albany, Sean Ryan, Mayor-elect of Buffalo, and Sharon Owens, Mayor-elect of Syracuse, with both Sharon and Dorcey becoming the first Black mayors of their cities.
WFP also helped elect Working Families-only candidates like Tamika Stewart in Newburgh and Nicole Watts in Onondaga County.
For more on WFP victories upstate, check out New York Focus, and see POLITICO’s coverage of how the New York Working Families Party is reshaping politics in this new era.
SEATTLE JOINS THE WAVE
After New York City, Seattle was the next city to fall to the power of working people. Transit organizer and activist Katie Wilson was elected mayor, defeating the corporate-backed status quo and signaling a generational shift in city leadership — another major victory for the WFP’s working-class movement.
WFP-backed candidates also won across the city and region: Dionne Foster (Position 9, City Council), Eddie Lin (Position 2, City Council), Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8, City Council incumbent), Girmay Zahilay (King County Executive), and Erika Evans (Seattle City Attorney). Voters made it clear they want leaders who will lower costs, expand affordable housing, fund public schools, ensure healthcare access, and improve public transit.
As WFP Northwest Regional Director Vanessa Clifford said, this election is a “complete rejection of corporate Democratic leadership” and a mandate to put working people in office.
The Seattle Times also highlighted WFP’s ongoing work in Washington State, including the successful pro-worker council slate in Seattle — showing that our movement isn’t just winning elections, it’s building lasting political power.
PENNSYLVANIA STANDS UP TO BILLIONAIRES
In Pennsylvania, voters retained all three Supreme Court justices on the ballot, preserving a 5‑2 Democratic majority — a critical victory against billionaire interference.
Right-wing mega-donor Jeffrey Yass spent millions trying to buy the court, flooding the state with lies, misleading mailers, and anti-democracy messaging. But voters weren’t fooled — they delivered a resounding rejection of billionaire control.
WFP led a record-breaking grassroots effort, knocking on over 175,000 doors, making 700,000 calls, sending 50,000 texts, and running anti-billionaire ads to cut through the disinformation.
As Shoshanna Israel, our Mid-Atlantic Political Director, put it: “Voters are saying loud and clear — our courts aren’t for sale. Billionaire money failed, and people power won.”
This isn’t just a Pennsylvania story. In a swing state that shapes national politics, stopping billionaires from buying the courts is a victory for democracy everywhere — and a warning to corporate-backed extremists that working people will fight back in 2026 and beyond.
AND BEYOND
Zohran Mamdani’s win in New York City was historic — but it’s part of a national wave of victories for working-class candidates, sweeping big cities, small towns, and rural communities from coast to coast.
Here are just a few more standouts:
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A New Class of Mayors: Beyond NYC, WFP-backed mayors are taking office in key cities nationwide. In Dayton, OH, Shenise Turner-Sloss upset incumbent Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr., running on a bold pro-worker agenda. In Colorado, Emily Francis won in Fort Collins and Susie Hidalgo-Fahring in Longmont, signaling that WFP-backed progressive leadership can succeed outside traditional Democratic strongholds.
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Building a Bench of City Councilors: Across the country, WFP candidates are strengthening local governments. In Detroit, Denzel McCampbell and Gabriela Santiago-Romero won seats representing the interests of working-class residents. Atlanta welcomed Kelsea Bond, and in Aurora, CO, the council flipped from red to blue, amplifying working-class voices.
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Flipping Red to Orange: WFP candidates are transforming historically Republican-held offices. Bobby Sanchez ended 15 years of GOP control in New Britain, CT. Christina Vogel won Erie County, PA, and multiple WFP-backed candidates flipped districts in Virginia, helping build the largest Democratic caucus there in a generation.
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Defeating Billionaire Interference and MAGA Influence: Beyond PA, WFP organizers blocked billionaire-backed interference and mobilized voters to protect democracy across key states. In California, we turned out disaffected voters to support Prop 50, paving the way for up to five new Democratic-leaning districts next cycle. In New Jersey, we invested over $300,000 in field and advertising to move Black and Latino voters to reject the Republican gubernatorial candidate. In Georgia, Dr. Alicia M. Johnson flipped a statewide Public Service Commission seat, a potential bellwether for 2026.
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A Party for the People: People are hungry for alternatives to the entrenched two-party system — and WFP-only candidates delivered. In Hartford, CT, Shontá Browdy won as Board of Education Chair. Bridgeport elected BOE members Rob Traber and Joe Sokolovic. These victories are rare under first-past-the-post elections, and they demonstrate that when voters are offered genuine choices, working-class candidates can win anywhere.
But the fight isn’t over. We’re also gearing up for a dozen fierce runoff elections in Albuquerque, Jersey City, Atlanta, and more.
Split a donation now between our WFP candidates facing runoff elections in just a few weeks to build on this momentum.
Together we can continue to build a different kind of government — one that works for the many, not just the few.
THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: WHO PAID THE PRICE?
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended with working people paying the price, John. Senate Republicans, aided by eight “moderate” Democrats, passed a funding bill that raises health care premiums for millions, while billionaires keep their profits.
After 40 days of holding out, Republicans got everything they wanted, and Democrats got nothing. Voters expected leaders to fight for working families — not surrender to Trump and the GOP.
We have an alternative. The Working Families Party fights for working people, not billionaire donors. We run candidates where it matters — from City Council to the U.S. Senate — and recruit, train, and elect leaders who will stand up for us.
Take action today: Become a dues-paying member of the Working Families Party with a monthly donation of $10 or more, and help build a party that fights for working families, not billionaires.
Become a dues-paying WFP member »
WE'RE PRIMARYING JOHN FETTERMAN!
At a time when Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are doing everything they can to make life harder for working people, Pennsylvania deserves a senator who will fight for working families — not someone who rolls over.
John Fetterman has voted with Trump more than any other Democratic senator this year, was the only senator in his party to confirm election-denier Pam Bondi as Attorney General, defended the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and just cast the deciding vote on the Republican funding bill that strips health care from millions, including 400,000 of his own constituents.
That’s why we’re launching a primary challenge to John Fetterman. We’re sick and tired of Democrats who refuse to do the bare minimum to stand up for working people.
And even though the election is still 2+ years away, we’re getting a head start — because building power takes time.
If you’re with us, pitch in today to help us recruit and ELECT an actual working class champion to replace Fetterman.
LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TO FLIP A U.S. HOUSE SEAT
In just a few days, we have a real opportunity to flip a congressional seat and send a Working Families champion to Washington.
Tennessee State Rep. Aftyn Behn — a proven fighter for working families — is running against a MAGA Republican backed by the Bezos family and extremist election-buying billionaire Jeffrey Yass. But Aftyn isn’t taking corporate PAC money, and her campaign is powered by people like you.
Aftyn has spent her career passing legislation to rebuild distressed communities, defending reproductive rights, and creating real solutions to make life more affordable for working families — even in districts gerrymandered to favor the wealthy and well-connected.
This election is about more than one seat. With progressive momentum on our side nationwide, it's another chance to reaffirm that voters reject status-quo politicians and stand with candidates who fight for working families, not corporations.
Split a donation between Aftyn and the Working Families Party today to help get out the vote before the December 2nd special election.
WE AIN'T BUYING IT — AND THAT INCLUDES STARBUCKS
This Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, we’re taking a stand against corporations that profit off working people while our government fails us. We're Not Buying from Target for dismantling DEI, Amazon for colluding with the administration, and Home Depot for working with ICE.
But that's not all. Because earlier this month, more than 1,000 Starbucks baristas in 40+ cities walked off the job during the Red Cup promotion, demanding fair pay, more staffing, and respect at work. So we're calling on our supporters to skip Starbucks, too.
Here’s how you can take action:
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Don’t shop at Target, Amazon, Home Depot, or Starbucks. Shop small and local instead.
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Donate what you save to local food justice efforts or mutual aid groups.
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Sign the pledge to stand with Starbucks workers and refuse to buy from the billionaire brewing union-busters.
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Share and post on social media using #WeAintBuyingIt to remind every politician — and every corporation — who this country actually belongs to.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WFP Calls for Nate Jester
The December 2nd runoff is almost here, and we're gearing up to help elect WFP champion Nate Jester to Atlanta's City Council, District 11! Nate’s vision for Atlanta is one where everyone can afford to stay and thrive in their community, where public safety is rooted in care rather than punishment, where jobs and housing work for the many, not just the few, and where our government is accountable to the people, not to profit.
We’re hosting a phonebank on Tuesday, November 25, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, reaching out to District 11 voters to share why Nate is the councilperson Atlanta needs.
Help us add another WFP victory to the 2024 roster! Sign up to phonebank today:
Make WFP calls for Nate Jester »
WFP Mass Call
Don’t miss the WFP Mass Call on December 11th at 8:00 PM ET — we’ll unpack 2025 and chart the path to 2026, building the power we need to win real change for working people.
Join the WFP Mass Call »
Other Upcoming Events
From a special election in Tennessee to key runoffs in Georgia, New Mexico, New Jersey, and beyond to local gatherings, meetups, and holiday events, there are plenty of ways to get involved with WFP this month.
Check out our full map of upcoming events and RSVP to join the fight for working people in your state.
Find an event near you »
Thanks for making it this far, John!
As we celebrate victories and reflect on the power of people over billionaires, we’re already looking ahead: to taking back Congress in 2026, electing more WFP champions, and continuing to build our movement nationwide at every level of government.
Can you make a contribution today to power our movement and help us keep building a country for the many, not the few?
Pitch in
Onward,
Team WFP
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