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Update 2008: What's up with the Massachusetts Working Families Party?
The Massachusetts Working Families Party has not endorsed a candidate for President in the February 5th primary. Read on to find out why...
In November 2006, sixty-five labor unions, community organizations, and good government groups tried to accomplish something radical in Massachusetts. Via ballot initiative, a broad coalition of progressives attempted to get a whole state's worth of voters to think outside of the two-party box, to break down some of the protections that the Democrats and the Republicans have built for themselves over the last hundred years, and to give independent political parties a more meaningful role in state politics.
Even as Question 2 went down to defeat, the coalition succeeded in establishing the Working Families Party in Massachusetts through the campaign of IUE-CWA Local 201 organizer Rand Wilson, who garnered an impressive 19% of the vote for State Auditor in his first run for political office.
As a party, our strategy is not to run symbolic yet hopeless nominees for office (thus our lack of an independent candidate in the Presidential race). So this is what we are doing instead: in one of this year's special elections, we are seeking to place a Democratic candidate for state legislative office on the ballot as a Working Families nominee, as well. Because Question 2 failed to pass, current state statute does not allow for such a cross-nomination, but we plan to use our chosen legislative election as an opportunity to challenge the Constitutionality of that statute.
We believe that under the state constitution's free speech and assembly protections, we can mount a credible challenge to the Massachusetts ban on "fusion" voting before the Supreme Judicial Court. Citing its progressiveness on other matters – gay rights, education funding, clean elections, etc. – prominent democracy activist John Bonifaz of Voter Action believes that such a challenge before the SJC has as good as a 50-50 chance of success.
Until we've brought that challenge, the Bay State WFP does not plan to run any stand-alone candidates, either for state or federal office.
But stay tuned…progressive strategic independent party politics may yet have a hope in Massachusetts!
In November 2006, sixty-five labor unions, community organizations, and good government groups tried to accomplish something radical in Massachusetts. Via ballot initiative, a broad coalition of progressives attempted to get a whole state's worth of voters to think outside of the two-party box, to break down some of the protections that the Democrats and the Republicans have built for themselves over the last hundred years, and to give independent political parties a more meaningful role in state politics.
Even as Question 2 went down to defeat, the coalition succeeded in establishing the Working Families Party in Massachusetts through the campaign of IUE-CWA Local 201 organizer Rand Wilson, who garnered an impressive 19% of the vote for State Auditor in his first run for political office.
As a party, our strategy is not to run symbolic yet hopeless nominees for office (thus our lack of an independent candidate in the Presidential race). So this is what we are doing instead: in one of this year's special elections, we are seeking to place a Democratic candidate for state legislative office on the ballot as a Working Families nominee, as well. Because Question 2 failed to pass, current state statute does not allow for such a cross-nomination, but we plan to use our chosen legislative election as an opportunity to challenge the Constitutionality of that statute.
We believe that under the state constitution's free speech and assembly protections, we can mount a credible challenge to the Massachusetts ban on "fusion" voting before the Supreme Judicial Court. Citing its progressiveness on other matters – gay rights, education funding, clean elections, etc. – prominent democracy activist John Bonifaz of Voter Action believes that such a challenge before the SJC has as good as a 50-50 chance of success.
Until we've brought that challenge, the Bay State WFP does not plan to run any stand-alone candidates, either for state or federal office.
But stay tuned…progressive strategic independent party politics may yet have a hope in Massachusetts!
