Thirty-three endorsed candidates for the Working Families Party in June won state legislative primaries across New York. 

The results come as the last of the races in Erie County were declared by the Board of Elections, with WFP-backed candidates Jonathana Rivera and William Conrad winning. 

What You Need To Know

  • 33 endorsed WFP candidates have won their state legislative primaries last month.

  • The progressive-backed party is facing a challenge to its ballot to retain its ballot status.

  • But this also comes amid a progressive upsurge among voters who are willing to unseat incumbents.

  • Thirteen challengers have won their primaries while backed by the party.
 

Rivera is in line to become the only Latino member of the state Assembly from western New York. Conrad, a former teacher and labor leader, defeated a former Republican for a local Democratic primary win. 

The victories come for the Working Families Party has it faces a challenge to its existence with higher thresholds for automatically remaining on the statewide ballot.

But that challenge also comes amid a progressive surge in a heavily Democratic state like New York, with voters more willing to oust longtime incumbents in favor of first-time candidates. 

All told, the WFP has backed three new challengers who defeated Democratic incumbents, 13 of their endorsed candidates won open Democratic primaries and 17 WFP-supported incumbents won their primaries against challengers. 

“New York's multiracial progressive movement is here to stay. From Brooklyn to Rochester to Ithaca, New Yorkers across our state demanded bold transformative change at the ballot box. Voters made clear: it is no longer enough to call yourself a Democrat. New Yorkers want leaders who will tax the rich, fully fund our public schools and hospitals, and lift up tenants, workers, immigrants and people of color,” said Sochie Nnaemeka, the WFP's state director.

“The New York Working Families Party is proud of our multiracial slate of progressive candidates, up and down the state, who built powerful grassroots momentum and activated thousands of volunteers. We look forward to working alongside the new class of Senators and Assemblymembers to translate this electoral power into legislative wins for working people and communities of color.”