Working Families Party

The Working Families Party (WFP) is a progressive minor political party in the United States. WFP was organized in 1998 as a successor to the New Party by a coalition of labor unions, advocacy groups including Citizen Action of New York, and community organizations including Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). WFP supports a progressive policy agenda, including raising the minimum wage, expanding public education, universal paid sick leave, Medicare For All, reducing student debt, increasing progressive taxation, and environmental reform. Founded in New York, WFP has active chapters in nearly two dozen states. WFP has statewide ballot access in Connecticut, New York, and Oregon. WFP's most successful chapters are the New York Working Families Party (NYWFP) and Connecticut Working Families Party (CTWFP). Some of the party's endorsed famous candidates include U . representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), US senators Chris Murphy (CT) and Jeff Merkley (OR), New York governor Andrew Cuomo, Connecticut governor Dan Malloy, New York attorney general Letitia James, Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson, and New York City mayors Bill de Blasio and Zohran Mamdani.

Infobox

Abbreviation

WFP

National director

Maurice Mitchell

Founders

Bertha Lewis Dan Cantor

Founded

1998 (1998)

Merger of

New Party Citizen Action Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Preceded by

New Party

Headquarters

New York City, New York, U .

Membership (December 2025)

69,622 - New York: 61,277 - Oregon: 8,345

Ideology

Progressivism Green politics Factions: Democratic socialism Social democracy

Political position

Center-left to left-wing

Colors

Blue and white (formerly) Purple and orange (current)

Seats in the Senate

0 / 100

Seats in the House

0 / 435

Governorships

0 / 50

State upper house seats

0 / 1,972

State lower house seats

0 / 5,411

Philadelphia City Council

2 / 17

Hartford City Council

2 / 9

Tables

· Elected officials › Current

Tamika Stewart

2026

2026–2029

Tamika Stewart

Name

Tamika Stewart

Office

Newburgh City Council

District

Term start

2026-01-01

Term end

2029-12-31

Notes

Stewart ran solely on WFP ballot line.

Nicole Watts

2026

2026–2027

Nicole Watts

Name

Nicole Watts

Office

Onondaga County Legislature

District

Term start

2026-01-01

Term end

2027-12-31

Notes

Watts ran solely on WFP ballot line.

Nicolas O'Rourke

2024

2024–2027

Nicolas O'Rourke

Name

Nicolas O'Rourke

Office

Philadelphia City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2024-01-01

Term end

2027-12-31

Notes

O'Rourke ran solely on WFP ballot line. The PCC reserves 2 seats for minor parties. After O'Rourke won, the WFP had 2 and the GOP had 0.

Alex Thomas

2024

2024–2027

Alex Thomas

Name

Alex Thomas

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2024-01-01

Term end

2027-12-31

Notes

Thomas ran solely on WFP ballot line.

Kendra Brooks

2020

2020–2027

Kendra Brooks

Name

Kendra Brooks

Office

Philadelphia City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2020-01-06

Term end

2027-12-31

Notes

Brooks ran solely on the WFP ballot line. The PCC reserves 2 seats for minor parties. After Brooks won, the WFP had 1 and the GOP had 1.

Joshua Michtom

2020

2020–2027

Joshua Michtom

Name

Joshua Michtom

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2020-01-01

Term end

2027-12-31

Notes

Michtom ran solely on the WFP ballot line.

Name	Office	District	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref.
Tamika Stewart	Newburgh City Council	3	2026-01-01	2029-12-31	Stewart ran solely on WFP ballot line.
Nicole Watts	Onondaga County Legislature	9	2026-01-01	2027-12-31	Watts ran solely on WFP ballot line.
Nicolas O'Rourke	Philadelphia City Council	At-Large	2024-01-01	2027-12-31	O'Rourke ran solely on WFP ballot line. The PCC reserves 2 seats for minor parties. After O'Rourke won, the WFP had 2 and the GOP had 0.
Alex Thomas	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2024-01-01	2027-12-31	Thomas ran solely on WFP ballot line.
Kendra Brooks	Philadelphia City Council	At-Large	2020-01-06	2027-12-31	Brooks ran solely on the WFP ballot line. The PCC reserves 2 seats for minor parties. After Brooks won, the WFP had 1 and the GOP had 1.
Joshua Michtom	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2020-01-01	2027-12-31	Michtom ran solely on the WFP ballot line.

· Elected officials › Former

Tiana Hercules

2022

2022–2023

Tiana Hercules

Name

Tiana Hercules

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2022-01-01

Term end

2023-12-31

Notes

Hercules ran solely on the WFP line. After Bermúdez resigned, Hercules won their seat.

Wildaliz Bermudez

2016

2016–2021

Wildaliz Bermudez

Name

Wildaliz Bermudez

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2016-01-01

Term end

2021-12-31

Notes

Bermúdez ran solely on the WFP line. resigned and helped Hercules to win their seat.

Ed Gomes

2015

2015–2016

Ed Gomes

Name

Ed Gomes

Office

Connecticut State Senate

District

Term start

2015-02-27

Term end

2016-01-04

Notes

Gomes won a special election on the WFP ballot line, for a Democratic seat they had held until 2012, when they lost the Democratic primary. Gomes ran as a Democrat in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Luis Cotto

2008

2008–2012

Luis Cotto

Name

Luis Cotto

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2008-01-01

Term end

2012-07-31

Notes

Cotto ran solely on the WFP line. Cotto resigned in mid-2012. Cotto pointed to Joel Cruz, a WFP member who had finished 10th in the 9-seat election, to serve out Cotto's term, from 2012-08-01 to 2015-12-31.

Larry Deutsch

2008

2008–2020

Larry Deutsch

Name

Larry Deutsch

Office

Hartford City Council

District

At-Large

Term start

2008-01-01

Term end

2020-12-31

Notes

Deutsch ran solely on the WFP line. When Deutsch left, Michtom took the seat. The HCC has 9 seats, but prohibits any party from running more than 6. When Deutsch and Cotto won, the Dems had 6, WFP 2, Reps 1.

Letitia James

2004

2004–2009

Letitia James

Name

Letitia James

Office

New York City Council

District

Term start

January 1, 2004

Term end

December 31, 2009

Notes

James had previously run as a Democrat for New York City's 35th City Council district. James won a 2003 special election running solely on the WFP ballot line. James ran on the Democratic and WFP lines in 2005. James ran solely on the Democratic line in 2009 and later elections.

Name	Office	District	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref.
Tiana Hercules	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2022-01-01	2023-12-31	Hercules ran solely on the WFP line. After Bermúdez resigned, Hercules won their seat.
Wildaliz Bermudez	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2016-01-01	2021-12-31	Bermúdez ran solely on the WFP line. resigned and helped Hercules to win their seat.
Joshua M. Hall	Connecticut House of Representatives	7	2017-04-28	2019-09-01	Hall won a special election on the WFP ballot line. Hall ran as a Democrat-WFP in 2018, then as a Democrat in 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Ed Gomes	Connecticut State Senate	23	2015-02-27	2016-01-04	Gomes won a special election on the WFP ballot line, for a Democratic seat they had held until 2012, when they lost the Democratic primary. Gomes ran as a Democrat in 2016, 2018, and 2020.
Luis Cotto	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2008-01-01	2012-07-31	Cotto ran solely on the WFP line. Cotto resigned in mid-2012. Cotto pointed to Joel Cruz, a WFP member who had finished 10th in the 9-seat election, to serve out Cotto's term, from 2012-08-01 to 2015-12-31.
Larry Deutsch	Hartford City Council	At-Large	2008-01-01	2020-12-31	Deutsch ran solely on the WFP line. When Deutsch left, Michtom took the seat. The HCC has 9 seats, but prohibits any party from running more than 6. When Deutsch and Cotto won, the Dems had 6, WFP 2, Reps 1.
Letitia James	New York City Council	35	January 1, 2004	December 31, 2009	James had previously run as a Democrat for New York City's 35th City Council district. James won a 2003 special election running solely on the WFP ballot line. James ran on the Democratic and WFP lines in 2005. James ran solely on the Democratic line in 2009 and later elections.