NEW YORK CITY, NY — Today, New York Working Families Party (NYWFP) announced its endorsement of Justin Brannan in the race for New York City Comptroller. Justin Brannan is the first citywide endorsement NYWFP is making this cycle. 

The NYWFP is committed to electing leaders who will focus on improving the lives of workers and their families instead of leveraging the power of government for the benefit of the rich and well-connected. Candidates who apply for the Working Families Party endorsement complete a robust questionnaire and interview process. At a time when local elected officials are on the frontline of protecting our communities and democracy, NYWFP is investing deeply in elections like the NYC Comptroller to ensure New Yorkers have trusted leaders who fight for working families. 

In the face of an emboldened Trump regime and scandal-ridden Mayor, Justin has stood arm-in-arm with our communities facing the worst of attacks. In the months ahead, New York Working Families Party is excited to support his campaign to knock on doors, engage voters across communities, and ultimately win his election.

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“The New York Working Families Party is proud and excited to endorse Justin Brannan for New York City Comptroller. Justin knows how to listen to people across the political spectrum without abandoning a commitment to working families. Representing one of the purplest districts in the city, he has been a fighter for workers and their families year after year in his role negotiating the city’s budget. We trust him to be a champion who will lead with courage, tenacity, and integrity,” said Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper, Co-Directors, New York Working Families Party.

“Every decision I make as an elected official is guided by one simple question: Does it make life better for everyday working people? So it is a true honor to earn the endorsement of the mighty Working Families Party. New York City will never survive as a playground for the rich. We must be a palace for working people. That’s why our campaign is building a diverse coalition of New Yorkers who are fed up with a government that boasts a $115 billion budget while pushing a false austerity narrative to justify cuts to pre-K and our libraries. Now, as we face an existential threat from Donald Trump and his band of unelected oligarchs, I will be a bulldog fighting for working people and I’m proud to do it side by side with the Working Families Party,” said Justin Brannan, candidate for New York City Comptroller.

“I am so proud to be standing here today to announce our endorsement of Justin Brannan for Comptroller. In his role as Finance Chair, Justin has shown that he is always willing to fight for working families,” said Ebony Hollingsworth, Outreach Chair of the NYWFP Bronx Chapter. “Justin’s plans to invest pension funds into the creation of affordable housing specifically for city employees is truly visionary and exciting, because it means that more generations of people in my family will be able to afford to live in New York City. And I know that’s why he’s getting so much support from elected officials in the boogie down Bronx. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, we are so proud of our political home — the NY Working Families Party — for endorsing Justin Brannan as our champion!”

“I am very proud to be standing here today to share with the world that in my neck of woods, in the upper west side of Manhattan, there is a lot of support for Justin Brannan,” said Nan Faessler, NYWFP Manhattan chapter member. “Why? Because we have seen him lead the fights against the mayor’s budget cuts in libraries, on pre-K, and so much more. We have seen Justin refuse to accept the mayor’s scapegoating of immigrants to impose his budget cuts. We have seen Justin fight against corruption, and we have seen him fight to make sure that NYC’s non-profits are protected from the mayor’s chaos. We know Justin fights like hell for New Yorkers.”

“Justin speaks out and he steps up when we need voices to add support to issues impacting vulnerable people… He has been a total bulldog in protecting our critical social services. He’s been a leader in the council and a champion for the critical types of services and programs that working families need… He’s been a childcare advocate…He stood up when the mayor was trying to cut our public education system and refused to invest in our families. He stood up when it came to CUNY, he was speaking out and pushing back…Whenever there was the conversation that we had to move with austerity, that we had to cut, that we had to find savings — every single time, [the Committee on Finance] and our finance chair were right, there was money,” said Councilmember Sandy Nurse. “I think Justin is the right person for us… I am proud to support him and I think he’s the right one for the job.”

“Sincerity is really what we need right now to cut through the noise in our political scene… Justin’s campaign is a start for us, not just to show progressive values, but also how that can tie to working class people and to bring together our economic populism message,” said Whitney Hu, Political Director of CUFFH Action. “CUFFH [is] part of the non-profits facing the crunch right now with the current administration not releasing funding… We have found such solace in talking to Justin as the chair of finance… Justin got it from day one, and this is the sort of expertise we need in the Comptroller’s office.”

“I am out here supporting my colleague, a person I trust, that I have been working with [on] budget after budget to focus on what’s best for working families of the Bronx and this city, and that’s my friend and colleague, Justin Brannan,” said Councilmember Amanda Farias. “I am here to support the party that [not only] supports us each election cycle, but continues to show up for our neighbors and our residents and the budget items that are making sure we are safeguarding and protecting everyday New Yorkers.”

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The Working Families Party will continue screening additional candidates and will announce further endorsements in the upcoming weeks, including for New York City Mayor, New York City Public Advocate, and for open seats in the New York City Council with the goal of building a majority of candidates who will unequivocally stand up for working families.