Sen. Schumer and Gillibrand urge New Yorkers to vote Biden/Harris on the Working Families Party line

[femmedem]

Working Families Party gets support from New Yorkers and U.S. Senators Schumer, Gillibrand

"ALBANY — Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are joining the call to cast votes on the Working Families Party line.
The pair of Democrats issued a public letter Monday encouraging all New Yorkers to select the WFP line on the ballot, instead of the traditional Democratic Party line, if they vote for former Vice President Joe Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris for President and Vice President.

“The WFP has spent over two decades fighting to elect champions for working people up and down the ballot in New York,” the lawmakers write. “But equally importantly, the Working Families Party helps build and expand our Democratic majority in Washington.”

Progressives and mainline Dems alike are rallying behind the left-leaning party thanks to a new state law requiring minority parties to obtain the higher of either 2% of total voter turnout or 130,000 votes. If the WFP fails to meet that threshold in the upcoming election, its ballot line will be eliminated."

More: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-working-families-party-schumer-gillibrand-voting-20201026-oz3rspbg2bhyzk4ps7zdhvhayi-story.html

Although the WFP occasionally runs its own candidates, it usually endorses progressive Democrats, bringing out tons of volunteers (mostly labor) and spending tons of money to get them elected. Gov. Cuomo has a rift with them because they supported Cynthia Nixon in her primary run against him (although they did endorse him in the general), which may be why there is a new law making it harder for them to maintain their ballot line. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2019/10/25/cuomo-quietly-presses-to-weaken-his-working-families-party-nemesis-1225974

[Me.]

1. Why Are THey Doing This?

And does it always endorse Dems?

[femmedem]

6. They almost always, but not 100% of the time, endorse Democrats.

And I can completely understand why someone would oppose them for that reason. I would not vote for anyone but a Democrat on their line.

But when they endorse a Democrat, they are true campaign workhorses. I've volunteered on quite a few local campaigns where WFP volunteers came from throughout the state to knock doors, make calls, and, on election day, hold signs. I believe they do more good than harm to Democratic candidates, and I believe that's why Schumer and Gillibrand are encouraging people to vote Biden/Harris on the WFP line. It still counts as votes for our ticket.

The chair of my local Democratic Town Committee is running for state senate, and I voted for her, as well as the Democratic nominee for state rep. on the WFP line. The secretary of my local Democratic Town Committee is employed by the WFP. The two parties usually partner to get progressive candidates elected.

[MineralMan]

2. That's a foreign concept to me.

Same names appearing on lines of different parties? What's that about.

I'm a Democrat, so I'd vote for Biden on the Democratic Party line, except we don't have such things here in Minnesota, and didn't have them in California, either. It's just a strange concept to me.

[femmedem]

13. It would be a strange concept if you don't have it in your state.

Here in CT, when the WFP endorses, it's a signal to lower information voters that local candidates support progressive causes, especially progressive labor issues. And out of all the political parties here, I'd say they have the highest percentage of members who are actively volunteering during election season.

Regardless of what line someone votes for them on, it counts towards the same total. But if the WFP gets enough votes on their line, they can spend their energy getting (almost always) Democrats elected instead of running around getting petition signatures for their ballot line year after year.

Not a fan of them on the rare occasion when they run their own candidate. Love 'em when they do what they usually do, which is GOTV for Democrats.

[MineralMan]

15. Cool. Thanks.

For Presidential elections does the WFP have its own list of electors? How does that work?

[femmedem]

20. I spent a little time googling but didn't find the answer.

I'm not a WFP member, just someone who has sat in a room with a lot of them in Democratic HQ, getting our assigned walking lists. (Not this year, though. I'm not door-knocking during the pandemic.)

[JHB]

14. Long-standing New York law and practice, used to be widespread nationwide.

See "electoral fusion" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_fusion).

A party can cross-endorse candidates from a different party. The practice used to be more widespread (including in Minnesota), but only 8 states still have it (including, apparently, California, but there only for presidential elections).

It's far more effective at advancing policy positions without being spoilers than spalling off into splinter parties like the Green Goobers. Of course, that can work both ways: the formation of New York's Conservative Party in 1962 provided a vehicle for pushing the state Republican Party rightward.

If Shumer and Gillibrand are advocating for people to vote for Democrats under the WFP line so that they can keep their automatic ballot line, then it's safe to consider them real allies.

[Salviati]

16. Though, to be fair if you're voting for Biden/Harris in Minnesota...

You're not really voting for them on the Democratic Party line are you. You've voting the Democratic Farmer Labor party line. This is in some sense not much different, other than at this time the two parties have not completely merged into a single entity just yet.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Farmer%E2%80%93Labor_Party

[MineralMan]

17. Well, we only have one party on that side, not two.

The Democratic Party and the Farmer Labor Party merged long before I came here. So, I'm a DFLer as a Minnesotan.

[Salviati]

18. True.

But it's another example of what used to be separate parties working together in common cause, rather than seeing each other as opponents.

[NBachers]

3. Nate Mcmurray is on the Dem & WFP ballot in Western N Y's 27th District.

It’s an egregiously red district, but he has built an amazing ground game, visiting every town village and hamlet in his district. Please support Nate McMurray and vote!

[edhopper]

4. I always do this

WTP is the true progressives, but they align with Democrats and not just a third Party spoiler like the Greens.

[femmedem]

8. Exactly! In fact, they tend to minimize the harm Greens do

because their endorsement is likely to sway potential Green voters towards the Democratic nominee.

[Mossfern]

5. Honestly

at this point, it can be confusing to some people and may have a bad effect.
Not a good idea IMHO.

[brush]

7. Keep it simple. We're Democrats. Vote straight Democratic.

The Democratic Party works to help working families. We don't need to divide our support. That only helps republicans.

[LuvLoogie]

9. Yeah they seem a bit detached from what's at stake here.

Help them after we get Joe in.

[femmedem]

10. I'm not sure what you mean about being detached from the stakes?

Whether someone votes for Biden/Harris on the Democratic line or the Working Families Party line, it all counts towards getting them elected.

The WFP brings tremendous volunteer energy to local and national campaigns. They knock doors and make calls like crazy, and Schumer and Gillibrand probably want their support in the future, and want to encourage them to keep volunteering for Biden/Harris and all the other NY Democratic candidates through election day.

[judeling]

11. Its a NY political thing.

Sort of a ding at Cuomo.

[Klaralven]

12. Are both lines for the same slate of electors?

[femmedem]

19. Good question! I have to admit, I don't know the answer.

[crickets]

21. My question too: how does this affect choosing electors? nt

[Crunchy Frog]

22. I just voted and dropped off my mom's absentee ballot.

We both decided NOT to vote on the Working Families line, even though we both always have in other elections, and my mom has been a long time supporter of them.

My mom is absolutely livid at them because they are running their own candidate for Katko's seat, and in opposition to Dana Balter who is the only chance to get rid of Katko.

We cannot support anyone who runs third party spoiler candidate's.

If anyone has a good explanation for this, I'd like to see it.

[femmedem]

25. That's certainly a good argument for not voting WFP.

I live in a different state so I wasn't aware of that.

[Statistical]

23. I don't see the need to water down the Democratic party.

Sure they are backing Biden this time but what about next time and the time after that. People who start feeling they are part of the WFP party are more likely to vote WFP in the future when their interest may not align with the Democratic party.

[Crunchy Frog]

26. They're already running their own separate candidate for the House, against the Dem nominee.

So their interests are already NOT aligning.

[Trumpocalypse]

24. AOC has been urging this too.