Working Class Party

Last updated
Working Class Party
AbbreviationWCP
Founded2014;10 years ago (2014)
Ideology Progressivism
Socialism
Political position Left-wing
US House of Representatives
0 / 13
US Senate
0 / 2
Michigan House of Representatives
0 / 110
Michigan Senate
0 / 38
Michigan statewide offices
0 / 4
Website
workingclassfight.com

The Working Class Party (WCP) is a left-wing political party in the United States, based in Detroit, Michigan. WCP first gained ballot access in 2016. WCP supports progressive, pro-labor and socialist policies and candidates.

Contents

The party was created by Trotskyist newspaper The Spark and its supporters, [1] which continues to endorse the party. [2]

History

From 2011 to 2013, The Spark conducted a campaign to encourage the working class to organize independent of the Democratic Party.[ citation needed ] In 2014, five people active in that campaign ran for office as Independent candidates. [3] [4] Four candidates lost. David Roehrig won his campaign for Wayne County Community College Trustee, due to his only opponent (the Democratic incumbent) being disqualified before the election. [5]

In 2016, several dozen WCP volunteers turned in more than 50,000 signatures, above the required 31,566, which enabled WCP candidates to appear as party candidates on Michigan ballots. [6] [7]

Ideology

The WCP argues that no working class party exists, because both the Democrats and the Republicans are controlled by the bosses. [8] In the WCP's party program, it supports a living wage tied to inflation and full employment through reductions in working time. [9] The WCP holds that the working class "won't change our situation with an election", but can "use this election to say there are [...] tens of thousands of people[ ]who agree with this program for the crisis". [9]

Election results

The WCP has fielded electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. WCP candidates usually run as official WCP candidates on their own ballot line.

No WCP candidate has yet won a contested election, however one WCP candidate won an uncontested election for the Wayne County Community College Board in 2014.

As of November 2022, the party has ballot access in Illinois, Maryland and Michigan. [10] As of December 2020, 2,102 voters were affiliated with the WCP in Maryland. [11]

Congressional elections

YearCandidateChamberStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2024Ed Hershey House Illinois 4th [12]
2024 Simone R. Coleman House Michigan 13th13,367
4.2%
[12]
2024 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th9,401
2.6%
[12]
2024 Andrea L. Kirby House Michigan 10th11,162
2.6%
[12]
2024 Jim Walkowicz House Michigan 9th12,169
2.6%
[12]
2024 Kathy Goodwin House Michigan 8th8,492
2.0%
[12]
2024 Louis Palus House Michigan 3rd5,546
1.3%
[12]
2024 Liz Hakola House Michigan 1st8,497
1.8%
[12]
2024 Juan Rey House California 37th 8,910
10.3%
Advanced to general election Nonpartisan blanket primary [13]
2022 Simone R. Coleman House Michigan 13th 8,811
3.8%
Lost [14]
2022 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th 8,046
2.9%
Lost [14]
2022 Andrea L. Kirby House Michigan 10th 5,905
1.8%
Lost [14]
2022 Jim Walkowicz House Michigan 9th 6,570
1.8%
Lost [14]
2022 Kathy Goodwin House Michigan 8th 9,077
2.7%
Lost [14]
2022 Louis Palus House Michigan 3rd 4,192
1.3%
Lost [14]
2022 Liz Hakola House Michigan 1st 5,480
1.4%
Lost [14]
2022 Ed Hershey House Illinois 4th 4,503
3.4%
Lost [15] [16]
2020 Philip Kolody House Michigan 14th 2,534
0.7%
Lost [17]
2020 Sam Johnson House Michigan 13th 5,284
1.8%
Lost [17]
2020 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th 11,147
2.9%
Lost [17]
2020 Andrea Kirby House Michigan 9th 8,970
2.2%
Lost [17]
2020 Kathy Goodwin House Michigan 5th 8,180
2.3%
Lost [17]
2018 Philip Kolody House Michigan 14th 4,761
1.8%
Lost [18]
2018 Sam Johnson House Michigan 13th 22,186
11.3%
Lost [18]
2018 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th 6,712
2.3%
Lost [18]
2018 Andrea Kirby House Michigan 9th 6,797
2.2%
Lost [18]
2018 Kathy Goodwin House Michigan 5th 12,646
4.6%
Lost [18]
2018 Juan Rey House California 29th 944
1.4%
Lost Nonpartisan blanket primary [19] [20]
2016 Sam Johnson House Michigan 13th 8,835
3.4%
Lost [21]
2016 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th 9,183
2.8%
Lost [21]
2014 Gary Walkowicz House Michigan 12th 5,039
2.4%
Lost [22]
2014 Sam Johnson House Michigan 13th 3,466
2.1%
Lost [22]

Statewide elections

YearCandidateOfficeStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2024Suzanne Roehrig Wayne State University Board of Governors Michigan At-Large [12]
2024Mary Ann Hering Board of Education Michigan At-Large [12]
2022Mary Anne Hering Board of Education Michigan At-Large135,442
1.6%
Lost [14]
2022 David Harding Governor Maryland At-Large17,154
0.86%
Lost [23]
2020 Mary Anne Hering Board of Education Michigan At-Large147,345
1.4%
Lost [17]
2020 Hali McEachern Board of Education Michigan At-Large82,700
0.8%
Lost [17]
2018Mary Anne Hering Board of Education Michigan At-Large125,693
1.7%
Lost [18]
2018Logan Smith Board of Education Michigan At-Large91,077
1.3%
Lost [18]
2016Mary Anne Hering Board of Education Michigan At-Large224,392
2.66%
Lostenough votes for WCP to keep ballot access in 2018 elections [24] [25] [21]

State legislature elections

YearCandidateOfficeStateDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2024Linda Green Harris House Michigan 16th district [12]
2024Hashim Malik Bakari House Michigan 13th district [12]
2024Logan Ausherman House Michigan 8th district [12]
2024Linda Rayburn House Michigan 7th district [12]
2024Larry Darnell Betts House Michigan 3rd district [12]
2024Mark DaSacco House Michigan 2nd district [12]
2022 Kimberly Givens Senate Michigan 6th district 3,396
3.1%
Lost [14]
2022 Linda Rayburn Senate Michigan 3rd district 10,214
14.3%
Lost [14]
2022 Larry Darnell Betts Senate Michigan 2nd district 1,636
2.6%
Lost [14]
2020 Louis Palus House Michigan 75th district 1,234
3.0%
Lost [17]
2020 Larry Darnell Betts House Michigan 15th district 970
2.4%
Lost [17]
2020 Simone R. Coleman House Michigan 14th district 1,937
4.7%
Lost [17]
2020 Kimberly Givens House Michigan 7th district 1,224
3.5%
Lost [17]
2020 Linda Rayburn House Michigan 4th district 1,023
3.3%
Lost [17]
2018 Louis Palus Senate Michigan 29th district 1,445
1.2%
Lost [18]
2018 Thomas Repasky Senate Michigan 18th district 2,954
2.3%
Lost [18]
2018 Larry Betts Senate Michigan 5th district 3,944
4.4%
Lost [18]
2018 Hali McEachern Senate Michigan 3rd district 2,095
2.9%
Lost [18]

Local elections

YearCandidateOfficeAreaDistrictVotes %ResultNotesRef
2020 David Harding Mayor Baltimore, MD At-Large3,973
1.7%
Lost [26]
2016David Harding Baltimore City Council Baltimore 14th district1,426
8.3%
Lost [27] [28]
2015 Ed Hershey City Council Chicago 25th ward614
8.2%
Lost [29]
2014Mary Anne Hering School Board Dearborn, MI At-Large5,153
9.93%
Lost3 seats to be filled [30]
2014Kenneth Jannot School Board Dearborn, MI At-Large2,431
4.69%
Lost3 seats to be filled [30]
2014David A. Roehrig Community College Board Wayne County, MI 2nd15,661
96.5%
Wonran unopposed [30]

Other candidates who shared many of the same ideas as the Working Class Party appeared as "non-partisan" (independent) candidates on the ballot in Chicago in 2015; in Baltimore in 2016 and 2020; and in Los Angeles in 2018. [31] [32] [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socialist Party USA</span> Socialist political party in the United States

The Socialist Party of the United States of America is a socialist political party in the United States. SPUSA formed in 1973, one year after the Socialist Party of America splintered into three: Social Democrats, USA, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (split), and SPUSA.

Vote counting is the process of counting votes in an election. It can be done manually or by machines. In the United States, the compilation of election returns and validation of the outcome that forms the basis of the official results is called canvassing.

James E. Harris is an American communist politician, perennial candidate, meatpacker, trade unionist, and member of the National Committee of the Socialist Workers Party. He was the party's candidate for President of the United States in 1996, 2000, and 2012. Harris also served as an alternate candidate for Róger Calero in 2004 and 2008 in states where Calero could not qualify for the ballot due to being born in Nicaragua. He served for a time as the national organization secretary of the SWP and was a staff writer for the party's newspaper, The Militant, in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria La Riva</span> American activist and perennial candidate (born 1954)

Gloria Estela La Riva is an American perennial political candidate and communist activist with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and the Peace and Freedom Party. She was the PSL's nominee and the Peace and Freedom's nominee in the 2020 presidential election, her tenth consecutive run as either a presidential or vice presidential candidate. She was previously a member of the Workers World Party. She ran as the PSL's and the Peace and Freedom Party's presidential candidate in the 2016 presidential election, with Eugene Puryear and Dennis J. Banks as her running mates respectively. She was the PSL's presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential election. For the 2020 election, Sunil Freeman was her running mate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libertarian Party of Connecticut</span> State affiliate of the Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party of Connecticut is a statewide affiliate of the U.S. Libertarian Party. The Connecticut Libertarian Party has the basic aims of furthering individual freedom and opposing the initiation of force against individuals, among other things. It does this by engaging in political, educational, and social activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libertarian Party of Michigan</span> State affiliate of the Libertarian Party

The Libertarian Party of Michigan is the state affiliate of the Libertarian Party of the United States (LP) for Michigan. Like the national LP, the Libertarian Party of Michigan advocates for libertarian political goals. The party gained primary ballot access status in 2016 due to the vote total of presidential nominee Gary Johnson, but lost it after 2018 gubernatorial nominee Bill Gelineau failed to reach the required threshold in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries</span> Selection of the Democratic Party nominee

From January 3 to June 5, 2012, voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for president in the 2012 United States presidential election. President Barack Obama won the Democratic Party nomination by securing more than the required 2,383 delegates on April 3, 2012, after a series of primary elections and caucuses. He was formally nominated by the 2012 Democratic National Convention on September 5, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This article contains lists of official and potential third-party and independent candidates associated with the 2016 United States presidential election.

Winnie Brinks is an American politician who has served as a member of the Michigan Senate since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Brinks assumed office as Majority Leader of the Senate on January 1, 2023; she is the first woman to ever hold the office, and the first Democrat to do so since William Faust left office in 1984. Brinks previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018, worked as an executive at a non-profit before seeking office. In the House, she served on the Workforce and Talent Development, Education, Health Policy, and Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committees. She also serves as chair of the Progressive Women's Caucus, a non-profit organization that addresses concerns about women's health, pay equity, economic security and gender violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Solidarity Party</span> American political party

The American Solidarity Party (ASP) is a Christian democratic political party in the United States. It was founded in 2011 and officially incorporated in 2016. The party has a Solidarity National Committee (SNC) and has numerous active state and local chapters. Peter Sonski was the party's nominee in the 2024 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Liberati</span> American politician from Michigan

Frank A. Liberati is a Democratic politician from Michigan who formerly represented the 13th District – which comprised the cities of Allen Park and Southgate, and part of Dearborn Heights – in the Michigan House of Representatives after being elected in November 2014.

Michael A. Maturen is an American political activist best known for his candidacy for president of the United States as the nominee of the American Solidarity Party in the 2016 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Green Party presidential primaries</span>

The Green Party of the United States held primaries in several states in 2008. Cynthia McKinney won most of the primaries and was formally nominated as the party's nominee during the 2008 Green National Convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chicago elections</span>

The 2019 Chicago elections took place in two rounds on February 26, 2019, and April 2, 2019. Elections were held for Mayor of Chicago, City Clerk of Chicago, City Treasurer of Chicago, and all 50 members of the Chicago City Council. The candidates who won in these elections were inaugurated on May 20, 2019. Four ballot referendums were also voted on in certain precincts. The elections were administered by the Chicago Board of Elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Cook County, Illinois, elections</span>

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 6, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Cook County, Illinois, elections</span>

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 6, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Cook County, Illinois, elections</span>

The Cook County, Illinois, general election was held on November 4, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Michigan Proposal 2</span>

Michigan Proposal 18-2 was a ballot initiative approved by voters in Michigan as part of the 2018 United States elections. The proposal was created in preparation of the 2020 United States Census, to move control of redistricting from the state legislature to an independent commission. The commission consists of thirteen members selected randomly by the secretary of state: four affiliated with Democrats, four affiliated with Republicans, and five independents. Any Michigan voter can apply to be a commissioner, as long as they have not been, in the last six years, a politician or lobbyist. Proponents argued that Michigan's current districts are gerrymandered, giving an unfair advantage to the Republican Party. Opponents argued that the process would give the secretary of state too much power over redistricting, and that the people on the commission would be unlikely to understand principles of redistricting. The proposal was approved with 61.28% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral history of Gretchen Whitmer</span> List of elections featuring Gretchen Whitmer as a candidate

The electoral history of Gretchen Whitmer, spans two decades, from 2000 to the present. Whitmer currently serves as the Governor of Michigan, a position she had held since 2018 and was reelected to in 2022.

References

  1. Taylor, Tristan (9 November 2022). "What Is the Michigan Working Class Party?". Left Voice.
  2. Spark, The. "To Cast a Useful Vote November 5 — The Spark #1207". The Spark. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  3. Dupuis, Mary (31 October 2022). "What's the WC on the Ballot? Mary Anne Hering Explains the Working Class Party". Oakland County Times.
  4. "Who are Gary Walkowicz and the Working Class Party?". World Socialist Web Site. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  5. "2014 Election Results, Michigan | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  6. "Working Class Party Petition in Michigan Has Enough Valid Signatures | Ballot Access News". 18 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
  7. Staff, Stateside (22 August 2016). "Michigan's newest political party gets certified today". www.michiganradio.org. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  8. "Gary Walkowicz: Main Speech of the WCP Convention | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  9. 1 2 "A Working Class Program To Combat the Crisis of Capitalism". Working Class Party. 2022. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022.
  10. "Working Class Party on the Ballot in Illinois, Maryland & Michigan | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  11. "Maryland State Board of Elections Summary of Voter Registration Activity Report December 2020" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-01-27.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Working Class Party on the Ballot in Michigan, Illinois, California, 2024 | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  13. "Juan Rey: A Worker on the Ballot! | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "2022 Michigan Unofficial General Election Results - 11/08/2022". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  15. "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  16. "Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago". chicagoelections.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "2020 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/03/2020". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "2018 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/06/2018".
  19. "Statement of Vote JUNE 5, 2018 STATEWIDE DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION" (PDF).
  20. "California Secretary of State, Statewide Direct Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 5, 2018 - United States Representative in Congress by District, see page 10 in the 82-congress.pdf file" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 "2016 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/08/2016". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  22. 1 2 "2014 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/04/2014". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  23. "Official 2022 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  24. "STATE OF MICHIGAN POLITICAL PARTY STATUS AUGUST 4, 2020 PRIMARY NOVEMBER 3, 2020 GENERAL ELECTION" (PDF). Michigan State Bureau of Elections. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  25. "Political_Party_Status_482649_7.pdf" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  26. "2020 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  27. "2016 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  28. "Baltimore City Board of Elections, 2016 General Election Results - Election Summary Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  29. "Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago". chicagoelections.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  30. 1 2 3 "November 4, 2014 General Election Results | Clerk". www.waynecounty.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  31. "I Stand for a Working Class Fight | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  32. "David Harding, Working Class Candidate". Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  33. "Juan Rey: A Worker for Congress". Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2018-06-19.