Please read the below memo from WFP National Director Maurice Mitchell:

Nov. 3, 2025
To: Working Families Party National Committee
From: Maurice Mitchell, Working Families Party National Director
Re: The Working Class Wave of 2025

The polls will open in a matter of hours. Volunteers are cutting turf, sending texts, and getting ready to knock on doors and pass out palm cards. Whatever the outcome, I couldn’t be prouder of what Working Families Party members, volunteers, and candidates have accomplished this cycle, or more excited for the possibility of winning governing power for the working class. 

On Tuesday, all eyes will be on New York City, where Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has already forced a sitting mayor from the field and is facing off against disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the general election. Mamdani, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, has built a powerful grassroots movement by staying laser-focused on making life more affordable for New Yorkers through fast and free buses, cheaper housing, and universal childcare that’s gotten him within striking distance of City Hall.

Mamdani’s rise has sent shockwaves through the Democratic establishment and inspired countless young people to take action. But this phenomenon isn’t just happening in New York City. Mamdani is the most prominent example of a working-class wave happening in big cities, small towns, and rural areas around the country. Working Families Party candidates for municipal and state legislative races have already won big in primaries and are poised to rack up even more wins on Tuesday. We have nearly 700 candidates on the ballot this Tuesday. These working class champions are ready to make life more affordable for everyday people, while defending our communities from Trump’s cuts to healthcare and SNAP benefits and his abuse of power. 

The Working Families Party went all-in to drive this municipal wave. Thousands of volunteers knocked doors, texted, made phone calls or sent post cards. In total, we had conversations with more than 600,000 voters in key municipalities and legislative districts while making key investments in media to reach millions more. 

If we win big on Tuesday, it will be a roadmap to defeating the authoritarian MAGA movement and its corporate allies and set the stage for a working-class revolution in the 2026 midterms. What’s more, it will be proof that with a populist message and strong platform of affordability, Working Families candidates can run and win in every region of the country. That means real momentum for a new brand of working-class politics as we head into the 2026 midterm elections. 

Working Class Champions in Our Cities

There’s a down-ballot revolution going on from big cities to small towns to rural communities, driven by the Working Families Party. We’re poised to elect a new class of mayors and county executives who will fight for working people and defending communities against the Trump Administration. 

Here are just a few examples: 

• New York, NY:  Zohran Mamdani shocked the political establishment and the pundit class when he emerged from a crowded field as the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York. After his stinging loss in the primary, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is running in hopes that billionaires will be able to buy the election on his behalf. The New York Working Families Party is running a robust campaign to get out the vote for Mamdani on the WFP ballot line, while the national Working Families Party’s independent expenditure arm made a seven-figure investment in the race, and was the biggest pro-Mamdani independent spender on broadcast, running one ad giving voice to why working class Black voters support Zohran and another reminding voters (once again) of Cuomo’s record of scandals and corruption, as well as digital ads targeting CUNY campuses to turn out young voters and much more. . 

• Seattle, Wash: Transit organizer and advocate Katie Wilson is mounting a formidable challenge to Mayor Bruce Harrell, driven by the same issues of affordability animating the Mamdani campaign. Wilson is the founder and general secretary of the Transit Riders Union. Her candidacy represents a direct challenge to Seattle’s corporate-backed status quo, and comes on the heels of last year’s landslide victory for a grassroots social housing initiative opposed by Harrell, Amazon, and the tech establishment. 

• Albuquerque, NM: For years, Albuquerque’s local Democratic establishment has been sliding away from representing working class interests. Alex Uballez’s uphill challenge to corporate-backed Democratic incumbent Mayor Tim Keller has a chance to reverse that trend. Uballez, a former US Attorney who started the campaign with single-digit support, is now a top-three contender and represents the growing demand for a city that puts working families before wealthy interests. We’re also fielding three city council candidates who could form a solid WFP bloc. 

• Buffalo, NY: State Senator Sean Ryan, with the WFP’s support, defeated acting Mayor Chris Scanlon in the Democratic primary. Now, Ryan—who has the support of labor and working-class organizations—looks to lead the City of Buffalo and usher in a new era of ethics and transparency, while investing in working-class communities in New York’s second-largest city.

• Syracuse, NY: Syracuse’s Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens beat back tens of thousands of dollars in Republican spending to win her primary. If elected, she plans to implement an ambitious affordable housing plan and make new investments in early childhood education. Owens would also be the first Black mayor in Syracuse’s history.

• Albany, NY: Dr. Dorcey Applyrs has led a career of public service, first serving on Albany Common Council before becoming the city’s Chief City Auditor. Her platform of safe, healthy, and affordable neighborhoods focuses on making investments in Albany’s working-class communities. Like Sharon Owens in Syracuse, Dr. Applyrs’ election would also make history, as she would be the first Black woman elected mayor.

• Jersey City, NJ: WFP-endorsed James Solomon is running strong in a six-way race that will send the top two vote-getters to a final vote in December. One of his adversaries is former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey who resigned from office in scandal. His platform puts working families first instead of politically connected contractors and developers.    

• Minneapolis, Minn: Mayor Jacob Frey has repeatedly stood in the way of the progressive city council’s efforts to address the city’s fiscal issues and the city’s skyrocketing cost of living. Now State Sen. Omar Fateh is challenging him directly and leading a slate of candidates backed by WFP, TakeAction MN, Twin Cities DSA, SEIU, and other unions and aligned groups. If we win, Minneapolis could have a new mayor and veto-proof majority on the council. 

• Pennsylvania: We’ve endorsed three county executive candidates in counties where Trump beat out Harris last year, including Christina Vogel in Erie County, Josh Siegel in Lehigh County, and Tara Zrinski in Northampton County. 

And it’s not just mayor’s races. Working Families Party candidates are poised to make serious gains on city and county councils, judicial seats, and school boards across the country, from Atlanta to suburban/rural Cheney, a city in east Washington state.

New York 

The NY WFP endorsed roughly 450+ candidates across the state in the general election. While much media attention has been paid to Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, and understandably so, the party also put its weight behind mayoral candidates Dorcey Applyrs in Albany, Sharon Owens in Syracuse, and Sean Ryan in Buffalo. The party is poised to elect a brand new generation of mayors and municipal leaders ready to fight for working-class New Yorkers. 

Meanwhile, NY WFP and our national criminal justice team backed Jackie Salvatore in Columbia County, who stands to make history as the first woman of color ever elected sheriff in New York State. 

Something to watch: At a time when trust in the two major parties is at an all-time low, several candidates are running vigorous campaigns on the Working Families Party line alone. Running WFP-only is often an uphill battle, but these are races to watch. Tamika Stewart is running for Newburgh City Council as a WFP-only candidate after losing the Democratic primary by one vote after her opponent faced credible accusations of targeting the homes of seniors and trading food for votes. Nicole Watts is running for Onondaga County Legislature District 9 after the Democratic/Working Families candidate was removed from the ballot earlier this year and the Democratic line was disqualified. The Democratic Party is running their own candidate on an independent line, and the Republicans also have a candidate and have been spending on explicit anti-WFP mailers. Marion Porterfield and Damonni Farley are two popular incumbent Schenectady council members who are running as WFP-only candidates after being targeted by the Democratic Party for their independence. Kamal Johnson is the first Black and youngest mayor elected in Hudson’s history, running WFP-only after losing a closely contested Democratic primary to a well-funded transplant. 

Connecticut

CTWFP endorsed 53 candidates in 14 municipalities across the state, with a number of standout WFP-only candidates on the ballot. WFP champion and Hartford Board of Education chair Shontá Browdy is locked in a fight to renovate aging school buildings and avoid community school closures. In New London, Shineika Fareus is running for city council to ensure that the city’s budget puts working people first. And with several endorsements in Danbury and Meriden, WFP is building a bench of working families leaders.

Georgia: Atlanta

GA WFP is running our biggest Atlanta operation ever to elect seven WFP-aligned candidates (out of the 15 seats) as well as electing WFP champion Rohit Malhotra to be City Council President. Together, they can hold the corporate Democratic mayor accountable and deliver on measures to close the income gap between Black and white residents. 

Massachusetts: Worcester and Lawrence

The brand new MA WFP is supporting candidates in Worcester and Lawrence, working-class, majority-minority, and politically dynamic areas of the state. MA WFP is supporting Worcester mayoral candidate Khrystian King, along with four city council candidates to form a working people’s city government. These local races are building a bench of WFP champions, setting the stage for statewide work in 2026, including a rent control ballot measure. 

Oregon

In spring elections, OR WFP-endorsed candidates flipped the school board in Redmond, made significant gains in establishing solid progressive blocs on the Portland and Salem-Keizer school boards, and won a long-shot school board race in Medford. These results are a stunning affirmation of voter support for public schools. 

Washington State

In Seattle, challenger Dionne Foster took on incumbent City Council President Sara Nelson in the primary, garnering 58 percent of the vote. Despite corporate money pouring into Nelson’s race, Foster is looking good as she faces Nelson again in the general election. 

Working Families Party is supporting Giramy Zahilay for King County Executive. Currently Chair of the King County Council, Zahilay has passed higher wages, launched a pilot Guaranteed Basic Income program, and is focused on creating affordable housing. WFP is also building power on the Spokane City Council, supporting Sarah Dixit, Kate Telis, and incumbent Zack Zappone. In Whatcom County, people’s champion Maya Morales, a longtime racial justice organizer, is running for county council. And support for Rebecca Long in her race for Cheney City Council is the beginning of building progressive municipal power in smaller cities in Eastern Washington. In Mt. Vernon, north of Seattle, WFP candidates Hannah Oliver and Stefanie LeJeunesse could change the majority on its city council. Finally, a wave of corporate money is flooding over Burien City Council races, where incumbent Hugo Garcia hopes to be joined by Sarah Moore and Rocco DeVito to build a working families bloc. In Seattle, Erika Evans, brings prosecutorial experience and a reformer’s vision to take on an incumbent in her run for City Attorney. 

Detroit, Michigan

WFP’s Denzel McCampbell, the top primary vote-getter in his district, will once again face state Rep. Karen Whitsett for a Detroit City Council seat. A frequently absent state legislator, Whitsett’s tenure has been marked by her votes against paid family leave, increasing the minimum wage, and public school funding. WFP brought together a mutiracial coalition to support McCampbell and WFP champion incumbent Detroit City Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero.

Arizona

The newly chartered Arizona chapter of the Working Families Party notched significant victories in Tucson City Council primaries. Our candidates Selina Barajas in Ward 5 and Miranda Shubert in Ward 6 both won open seat primaries, doubling the vote of their opponents. If Shubert prevails, the Tucson City Council will have a three member (of six) WFP majority, along with WFP champ Mayor Regina Romero. 

Colorado 

From defending proven Boulder City Council champions who are being outspent to Denver and Pueblo business-backed ballot initiatives and school board races outside Denver where a coordinated Christian right-wing movement is seeking to gain seats, WFP is fighting against the influence of corporate money. Emily Francis, WFP candidate for mayor in Fort Collins, may finally break the cycle of corporate Democrats passing the baton. In Greeley, support for WFP-aligned mayoral candidate Tiffany Simmons is laying the groundwork for long-term organizing power. 

New Jersey

WFP is backing a slate of progressive challengers for ward seats on the Jersey City Council. The slate includes Joel Brooks, a 20-year labor organizer, Jake Ephros, a tenant organizer and teacher, Eleana Little, an environmental engineer, and climate justice advocate, and Frank Gilmore, an incumbent councilman who has been one of the most independent voices on the Jersey City City Council, creating a possibility of a majority backed by WFP.

Pennsylvania

Larry Krasner will win a third term showing Philly’s commitment to criminal justice reform. We’re also hard at work on three  statewide judicial retention elections to ensure PA voters won’t be fooled by billionaires’ attempts to buy the election and rig the rules for their own benefit.

Ohio

During this cycle, we advanced a slate of five candidates to the runoff for Cleveland City Council, showing growing strength in the region. Jesse Vogel, a tenant’s rights attorney, is a  strong candidate for Columbus City Council. Dr. Antoinette Miranda and Mounir Lynch are are poised to win seats on the Columbus City School Board.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, Cecile Crawford, who participated in WFP’s “Bet on Us” campaign training, is running for the District 2 seat on the Greensboro City Council. If elected, CC would be the first WFP-aligned candidate to serve in that body. 

Building Working Class Power in State Houses 

Virginia 

If elected, WFP-endorsed Virginia Lieutenant Governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi would be the state’s first immigrant LG as well as the first Muslim and South Asian American to hold the office. Meanwhile, WFP candidates are building on Democrats’ two-seat majority in the state House of Delegates by endorsing eight candidates In critical Northern Virginia comeback elections, we’re powering WFP-champion Elizabeth Guzmán (HD-22), a Latina immigrant and social worker, who is in a dead-heat race to reclaim her seat from a Republican. We’re also supporting Kim Pope Adams (HD-82) to flip a Republican seat after she came in 53 votes shy of victory in 2023. Coordinated efforts have helped solidify commanding leads for incumbent champions who flipped seats in previous elections like Pastor Josh Cole (HD-65) and 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Feggans (HD-97). Along with incumbent Nadarius Clark (HD-84), these men have centered their campaigns on lowering costs for families. Other candidates are fighting tough races in red districts.

Beyond the Virginia State House, WFP is building a network of reformist Commonwealth’s Attorneys In Southeastern Virginia, First elected in 2015, Stephanie Morales, the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney, has transformed the approach to justice by emphasizing transparency, accountability, and community empowerment in one of the earliest and strongest models of reformist prosecution in the South. Shannon Jones made history during the primary by defeating a 30-year incumbent in her race to be Newport News (VA) Commonwealth’s Attorney. Along with Ramin Fatehi, the current Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, there is a regional shift toward justice rooted in community, not punishment. 

New Jersey 

In New Jersey, voters have the opportunity to send working people champions to the state legislature for the first time in a century. Because of the work of WFP and partners to eradicate the county line, the candidates on the general election ballot were selected by the voters, who rejected corporate Democrats in the primary. Carolyn Rush, Alixon Collazos-Gill, Chigozie Onyema, Katie Brennan, Ravi Bhalla, Al Abdelaziz, and Kenyatta Stewart won real competitive primaries and will be a WFP bloc in the New Jersey legislature. 

Mississippi

WFP is helping Justin Crosby flip a state House of Representatives seat from red to blue with an eye towards building more power in the state in 2026. 

Georgia

The ever-rising cost of utilities is on the ballot In Georgia Public Service Commission races, where Dr. Alicia M. Johnson is fighting for a seat on the all-Republican six-member commission.

Next Up: 2026 and the Fight for the House

The fight for control of the House of Representatives has already begun, and WFP is deep in it. California’s Proposition 50 would affirm the state legislature’s bill to redraw Congressional districts to add five Democratic seats to the state’s delegation, a major win in the fight to take back the House of Representatives. In an off-year with no statewide elections, Prop 50 is drawing considerable attention from voters eager to challenge the Trump Administration. The WFP is in the field with phone banking, door knocking, Spanish language literature, posters, and digital ads. 

Earlier this year, WFP endorsed US Rep. Adelita Grijalva in Arizona, a working families champion who overwhelmingly won in the primary and general election. Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican majority has so far declined to seat her, breaking a national record for the longest delay in history. 

What this tells me is that Republicans see the same on-the-ground energy I do. And they know that, especially if we win big on Tuesday, there’s going to be a revolution on the doorstep that could end Mike Johnson’s speakership and put a serious check on Donald Trump in 2026. 

A People Powered Movement

I want to give a final shout out to our WFP Wolf Packs. No election is won without hardworking volunteers, and WFP’s Wolf Pack members have played pivotal roles in key campaigns in Seattle, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. 

• The Seattle Solidarity Wolf Pack now has 20 member leaders supporting WFP-endorsed candidates by driving calls, holding events, helping write scripts, creating literature, flyering, building partnerships, and canvassing. They staged eight canvasses between the primary and general elections, averaging 15 to 30 canvassers at each event, canvassing more than 2,500 doors. They also applied pressure on candidates to move them to commit to social housing measures.  

• The WFPeaches Wolf Pack of Atlanta are organizing members for Atlanta City Council President candidate Rohit Malhotra and are owning a weekly canvass and have staged several phonebanks, turning out over 130 volunteers. 

The Minnesota Wolf Pack now numbers more than 300 with five Wolf Pack Leaders. They knocked over 1,500 doors for Omar Fateh in his race for Minneapolis mayor, more than 450 doors for Katie Cashman for the city council, and another 400 doors for Aurin Chowdhury, another city council candidate. They fully owned a phonebank for Katie Cashman and have made 2,500 dials.