TL/DR –
The Working Families party, a progressive third party in the US, has seen increasingly successful election results and a growing interest from voters who are disillusioned with the two major political parties. The party, which is now active in 18 states and has over 600,000 members and 100 staff members, works to endorse and support candidates who prioritize working-class politics and seek to challenge political norms. In response to the rise of the Working Families Party, some Republican operatives have attempted to run candidates on the party’s line to siphon votes from Democratic candidates, a move that Maurice Mitchell, the party’s national director, has called “desperate.”
The Potential Rise of the Working Families Party
The Working Families party is gaining traction, its national director Maurice Mitchell asserted, following major victories and a growing voter demand for a third option beyond the main political parties. The party, founded in 1998, has recently helped elect Zohran Mamdani as NYC mayor, disrupted an electoral process in New Jersey favoring party insiders, and seen endorsed candidates win nationwide.
The party plans to escalate its involvement in the upcoming midterms, backing candidates promoting working-class politics and challenging the status quo. Democratic candidates are now focused on affordability, an issue long pushed by the Working Families party.
The Working Families party identifies itself as “a multiracial party fighting for workers over bosses and people over the powerful”. Its supported candidates often run in Democratic primaries as insurgents, advocating for affordability, improvements for workers, a stronger social safety net, and reforms in the democratic process.
The party’s success is partially due to the Democratic party’s declining appeal among some voters, viewed as too moderate or unassertive. The Working Families party has successfully appealed to these voters, Mitchell said, as he expressed optimism about the rise of a significant third party in the US.
The party has grown, now active in 18 states and on the ballot directly in three. The party’s expansion primarily occurred in the last five years. With over 600,000 members and more than 100 staff, the Working Families party continues to endorse candidates who run in Democratic primaries, with over 700 endorsements this past November.
Working Families Party’s Success Stories
In the NYC mayoral race, Working Families assembled and supported a slate of candidates to avoid vote splitting. They helped mobilize volunteers for canvassing and phone banking across the city and spent on ads against Andrew Cuomo, boosting Mamdani’s campaign.
The party’s increase in popularity has attracted some Republican tactics to divert votes from Democratic candidates, according to Politico. Despite this, multiple Working Families-backed candidates have achieved electoral success in New Jersey following the abolition of a system that favored party insiders.
The party anticipates 2026 will be a successful year for the left nationwide and plans to aggressively recruit candidates. It has already announced primary challengers for three congressional districts and recently initiated a recruitment effort for candidates opposing data centers.