NY Working Families Party’s 2026 General Election Strategy

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Jasmine Gripper, State Director, New York Working Families Party

DATE: November 2, 2026

RE: ICYMI: Winning Our Agenda: NYWFP’s 2026 General Election Strategy

Tomorrow, voters across the country will have their final opportunity to cast their ballots in one of the most consequential elections of our time. In New York, historic levels of early voting turnout have already demonstrated extraordinary voter engagement, with more than 1.8 million New Yorkers casting their ballots before Election Day. 

Everywhere we look, voters are demanding change. Everyday Americans are shaking the foundations of a two-party system dominated by the billionaire class and demanding a government that works for them. In New York, for over 25 years, the New York Working Families Party (NYWFP) has demonstrated that another way to fight, win, and govern is possible. This year, a new generation of champions for working families—including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Brad Lander—are voting for the top of the ticket on the Working Families Party ballot line, demonstrating the growing strength of our independent political movement.

This election cycle, NYWFP is uniquely positioned to execute a “Block & Build” strategy—blocking MAGA Republicans while building our largest progressive delegation in Albany and Washington, DC. Our 2026 general election program is focused on three interconnected priorities:

1. Demonstrate the Growing Strength of the Working Families Party on our ballot line through a robust statewide campaign to at least 250,000 New Yorkers to cast their vote for Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams on Row D. 
2. Flipping NY-17 and defending NY-19: Supporting Cait Conley’s campaign to defeat MAGA Republican incumbent Mike Lawler in NY-17, while strengthening the coalition behind Congressman Josh Riley in NY-19, whose 2024 victory was made possible by his decisive margin on the Working Families Party ballot line.
3. Expanding our governing coalition through a robust down-ballot electoral program: Investing in competitive State Senate and Assembly races, supporting Working Families champions, and deploying coordinated field organizing, direct mail, voter contact, and volunteer mobilization across New York State.

Earlier this year, WFP conducted a robust research project to understand how voters resonate with the Party’s brand. This question is particularly resonant – while the Republican Party brand is at an all-time low, the Democratic brand isn’t doing much better. The WFP brand, however, is thriving.

1. The WFP has a strong brand that resonates across the Democratic coalition. Nearly half (49%) of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters view the WFP favorably. Support is particularly strong among Black voters (61%) and voters under 50 (56%), with people who identify as “mainstream liberals” not far behind (47%).
2. The WFP brand is rooted in economic values, not ideological divisions. Voters associate the Party – and therefore the candidates the Party endorses – with standing up for working people, challenging billionaire and corporate influence, holding Democrats accountable to working people, and making life more affordable.
3. Voter education substantially increases stated support for the WFP ballot line among every demographic and in every region of New York State. Support for Kathy Hochul on the WFP line increased by 19 points when voters were informed about what voting WFP represents. Among New York voters who identify as “mainstream liberals,” support rose 27 points. 

In the midst of an anticipated Democratic wave – and in a moment where WFP champions are expected to deliver big wins in purple regions of the country, the Party’s brand, reputation and vision for the country is strong nationally – and in New York.

The Strength of the Working Families Ballot Line

The Working Families Party is one of four official political parties in New York. Under New York’s current election law, political parties must earn at least 130,000 votes or 2% of the total vote, whichever is greater, in gubernatorial elections to maintain their ballot status. The fusion voting system allows voters to support candidates on the Working Families Party line to demonstrate their values, without throwing away their vote.

The ballot line is fundamental to the Working Families Party’s political power. It allows us to organize voters around a shared governing agenda, elect champions who reflect our values, and hold elected leaders accountable to working people. In 2026, NYWFP is running a robust Vote WFP campaign designed to reach hundreds of thousands of voters and translate support for our values into votes on Row D, combining large-scale voter contact, direct mail, digital advertising, relational organizing, grassroots canvassing, volunteer mobilization, and partnerships with labor unions, community organizations, and progressive elected officials.

Women Making History in New York

The growing leadership of women, especially women of color, can be seen in every area shaping New York’s political landscape. Women are stepping up to run, winning elections and demonstrating how to govern while centering working families, not billionaires.

Hochul and Adams’ win will be historic — two women in Executive Leadership, joined by longtime WFP champion New York State Attorney General Letita James, is unprecedented in any state. New York’s Congressional delegation is poised to add three additional women to fight for our communities, Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez and Cait Conley.

Beyond meeting a minimum threshold, this effort is rooted in demonstrating the growing electoral power of the WFP movement and ensuring that our independent ballot line remains a meaningful vehicle for political change.

The Road to the House: Flipping NY-17, Protecting NY-19

Once again, the road to flipping the US House of Representatives runs through New York — and the Working Families Party could be the margin of success. We are making significant investments in two of New York’s most consequential congressional battlegrounds: flipping NY-17 by electing Cait Conley and defending NY-19 by reelecting Josh Riley.

• Flipping Red to Blue: Defeating Mike Lawler: Since January 2025, the Party has worked to hold Republican Congressman Mike Lawler accountable and build the coalition necessary to flip NY-17 from red to blue. In 2026, we are putting that organizing infrastructure to work in support of Cait Conley and the effort to flip NY-17 from red to blue. NY-17 is among the consequential competitive congressional districts that will help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Its outcome carries significant implications for the ability of Congress to check the Trump administration and shape federal policy on healthcare, economic security, immigration, and democratic accountability.
• Protecting Incumbent Josh Riley: In NY-19, we are building on our decisive role in Josh Riley’s 2024 victory, when his margin of votes on the Working Families Party ballot line exceeded his overall margin of victory. The Party has boots on the ground across the expanse of the district along with WFP affiliates, leaders and organizers. 
• Across both districts, NYWFP is deploying a robust organizing and voter mobilization program, including dedicated field organizers, direct mail, phone banking, text messaging, volunteer engagement, and partnerships with labor and community organizations. Our investments also extend to competitive State Senate races in overlapping districts, leveraging our congressional organizing infrastructure to strengthen the broader Working Families governing coalition. 

Expanding Our Governing Coalition: A Robust Down-Ballot Electoral Program
NYWFP runs one of the most coherent and expansive legislative caucuses in Albany to organize members to advance our state priority — a Working Families Guarantee. The NYWFP is executing a coordinated down-ballot electoral program to defend Working Families champions, flip competitive legislative seats from red to blue, and strengthen the progressive governing coalition in Albany. Our program spans congressional, State Senate, and Assembly districts across New York, with an emphasis on leveraging overlapping electoral geographies to maximize the impact of our organizing investments.

The NYWFP is poised to send its largest cohort yet of WFP-endorsed leaders to Albany including:

• SD51 Michele Fraizer*
• SD13 Jessica González-Rojas
• SD12 Aber Kawas
• SD43 Devin Lander*
• SD27 Grace Lee
• SD39 Lisa Kaul*
• SD38 Joe Rand*
• SD61 Jon Rivera 
• SD44 Sarah Rogerson*

The New York Working Families Party endorsed State Assembly races include:

• AD73 Vanessa Aronson
• AD68 Diana Ayala
• AD149 Adam Bojak
• AD129 Maurice Brown
• AD 54 Christian Celeste Tate
• AD12 Craig Hershkowitz* 
• AD56 Eon Huntley
• AD37 Samantha Kattan
• AD119 Jon Lipe*
• AD46 Chris McCreight*
• AD69 Eli Northrup
• AD38 David Orkin
• AD126 Ian Philips
• AD107 Chloe Pierce
• AD34 Brian Romero
• AD66 David Siffert
• AD65 Illapa Sairitupac
• AD143 Ryan Taughrin

These races represent opportunities to expand the number of legislators aligned with the Working Families agenda while building stronger regional political infrastructure.

*Notes competitive general election race.

Fighting the Establishment – WFP ONLY Candidates
A few of our candidates are running exclusively on the Working Families ballot line against their local political machines. This includes Leslye Oquendo Thomas who is fighting to become the next County Legislator in Westchester’s 17th district. She lost the democratic primary by only 4 votes after a recount. She experienced retaliation from local political leaders for even daring to run to represent her community. This also includes 1199 leader Marvin Shaw who is running in Plattsburgh. Leslye and Marvin are running in the general election on the Working Families ballot line only to stand up for their communities.

Supporting a Faster NYC Government
The NYWFP is encouraging NYC voters to vote YES on all five ballot propositions this election. Our ballot campaign has been incorporated into all our materials and assets, mail program, social media and political organizing strategy, and we expect to mobilize hundreds of thousands of voters to vote YES on helping city government work faster and more efficiently.  

Election Working Families Champions Nationwide
New York’s 2026 electoral program is part of a much larger national Working Families Party effort to reshape American politics and demonstrate that candidates who stand unapologetically with working people can win—even in the toughest battlegrounds. Across the country, WFP is running a robust electoral program to elect a new generation of leaders – including Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Angie Nixon in Florida, Justin Pearson in Tennessee, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania, and countless other Working Families champions who are challenging MAGA extremists and corporate power, while offering voters a bold alternative to politics as usual.

From competitive congressional districts to state legislative races, WFP is demonstrating that a clear economic agenda, strong grassroots organizing, and a political identity that holds corporate Democrats to account can build winning coalitions and outperform the MAGA extremists and the establishment. All across the country, we are building the political infrastructure, electoral power, and governing coalitions necessary to deliver a Working Families Guarantee, and prove that another way to fight, win, and govern is possible.