United Front of WFP Maintains Harmony in New York City Mayoral Selection Process
The Working Families Party (WFP) entered the 2023 New York City Democratic mayoral primary with a fresh approach, aiming to build a united front of progressive candidates and leverage ranked choice voting to defeat powerful opponents.
In 2021, the WFP faced criticism for their lack of unity and coalescence, which weakened progressives and allowed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to remain in power. Learning from their mistakes, WFP co-directors Ana María Archila and Jasmine Gripper developed a new strategy for 2023.
This strategy centred on endorsing and courting a slate of four progressive candidates who shared common goals, rather than backing a single nominee. The WFP encouraged mutual cross-endorsements among these candidates to maximize votes transferred under ranked choice voting rules.
Behind the scenes, the WFP managed internal conflicts and egos to maintain the coalition, engaging in contentious negotiations on how to rank candidates on ballots. About a month before the primary, the WFP ranked rising star Zohran Mamdani first, helping to consolidate progressive voters.
The WFP's strategy relied heavily on ranked choice voting to allow voters to "rank the slate," reflecting their lesson from 2021 that fractured or competitive progressive candidacies could hand victory to establishment or less progressive candidates.
In the end, Mamdani gained nearly 60% ranking on ballots, while Cuomo carried only about 45%. This marked a significant victory for the WFP and progressive politics in New York City.
The WFP began organizing for the primary in December 2023, with a clear understanding of the challenges they faced. Their initial questionnaire for mayoral candidates emphasized the need for concrete solutions to the affordability crisis, a humane approach to public safety, and a willingness to stand up to Trump.
City & State conducted an interview with Gripper and Archila about the WFP's strategy and the challenges they faced in organizing their slate of candidates. The interview provides valuable insights into the mindset and tactics of one of the city's most influential political parties.
[1] City & State, "Working Families Party's 2023 NYC mayoral primary strategy: Build, hold and leverage a cooperative progressive slate under ranked choice voting," 12 January 2023, https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/working-families-party-2023-nyc-mayoral-primary-strategy-build-hold-and-leverage.html
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