Hire comes as WFP posts historic primary wins and faces unprecedented outside spending from Big Tech, AIPAC, and corporate Super PACs

The Working Families Party (WFP) today announced the hire of Anna Lefer as Chief Development Officer, tapping a 25-year donor organizer to lead the party’s finance strategy heading into 2028 and beyond. Lefer takes the role amid a historic run for WFP, which has racked up primary victories across the country, from Randy Villegas (CA-22) and Will Lawrence (MI-7) to Bob Brooks (PA-7) and Analilia Mejia (NJ-11). 

She steps into the CDO role with a career built on a simple premise: economic power is political power, and it should be organized with the same rigor as any other form of political power. She joins WFP after 15 years at the Arca Foundation, where she moved philanthropic dollars toward grassroots organizing and corporate accountability campaigns. Most recently she consulted with the AFL-CIO.

Lefer will lead WFP’s development team as the party scales its fundraising infrastructure to match its organizing ambitions, building toward a donor base, and a brand, capable of sustaining a decade-long fight for working-class political power.

“Over the last twenty-five years, Anna Lefer has organized donors around a big, bold vision for working-class power,” said Braeden Lentz, Chief of Staff for the Working Families Party. “Now, she’s going to help us build the infrastructure we need to turn this year’s populist wave into a political sea change that lasts. We’re thrilled to have her on board.” 

While opposition to Trump and MAGA has opened the door to major Democratic gains in 2026 and 2028, the Working Families Party is preparing for a long fight to tackle the economic insecurity, concentrated corporate power, weakened labor movement, and political alienation that fueled the authoritarian right in the first place. 

That work has already started with a banner year for 2026, where 19 WFP candidates won competitive Congressional primaries and more than 50 WFP champions won their state legislative primaries. All of this comes as Big Tech, AIPAC, and corporate Super PACs pour tens of millions of dollars into single races to stop the WFP’s momentum.

Lefer will organize donors to scale and resource the WFP’s transformative ten-year-plan: greater governing power in its strongest states, permanent infrastructure in key battlegrounds, a growing cohort of WFP champions in Congress and the U.S. Senate, stronger neighborhood organizing and candidate pipelines, and a powerful media arm. 

“The Working Families Party has long been my political home, and I’m thrilled to take this new role and help them build a finance strategy that meets this pivotal political moment,” said Lefer. “We need to engage millions of donors at every giving level, build deeper partnerships with labor and community organizations at the state and national level, and show how economic power, organized well, can be leveraged into political power for working class people of all races.” 

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren

“Anna has worked tirelessly to protect working-class Americans and rein in corporate power, including when we worked together with grassroots organizations, unions and consumer groups to help establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,” said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. “She’s an organizer at heart, and we need more organizers in positions of influence and building a party that fights for working people in Washington.”

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers

“Anna has been a long-time, trusted philanthropic and grassroots community partner in AFT’s work to build worker power, protect our communities and fight for our democracy, nationally and locally in DC, “ said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).  “Anna has the organizing experience, deep networks in labor, community and philanthropy and the political acumen to help grow WFP at this pivotal moment.”

Christina Livingston, WFP California Co-Chair and Executive Director of ACCE Action

“I’ve seen first-hand how Anna organizes donors to build the power and movement infrastructure to secure big wins for working people at every level of government,” said Christina Livingston, WFP California Co-Chair and Executive Director of ACCE Action. “I look forward to working with Anna to build governing power for working-class people of all races in our neighborhoods, states, and nationwide.

Anu Khosla, WFP dues-paying member, writer, and strategist

“Most groups ask donors for money, but WFP asks them to actually get active in the work,” said Anu Khosla, WFP dues-paying member, writer, and strategist. “Hiring Anna Lefer, an organizer who has worked with donors to engage in collective, political action, signals that WFP is committed to building political infrastructure where donors are working within communities in the movement for driving long-term change.”