Working Class Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | WCP |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Ideology | Progressivism Socialism |
| Political position | Left |
| 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.
The party was created by Trotskyist newspaper The Spark and its supporters,[1] which continues to support the party.[2]
History[edit]
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]
Michigan has harsh ballot access laws. 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[edit]
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[edit]
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. One WCP candidate won an uncontested election.
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[edit]
| Year | Candidate | Chamber | State | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Juan Rey | House | California | 37th | 8,910 | 10.3% |
Advanced to general election | Nonpartisan blanket primary | [12] |
| 2022 | Simone R. Coleman | House | Michigan | 13th | 8,811 | 3.8% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Gary Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 12th | 8,046 | 2.9% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Andrea L. Kirby | House | Michigan | 10th | 5,905 | 1.8% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Jim Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 9th | 6,570 | 1.8% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Kathy Goodwin | House | Michigan | 8th | 9,077 | 2.7% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Louis Palus | House | Michigan | 3rd | 4,192 | 1.3% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Liz Hakola | House | Michigan | 1st | 5,480 | 1.4% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Ed Hershey | House | Illinois | 4th | 4,503 | 3.4% |
Lost | [14][15] | |
| 2020 | Philip Kolody | House | Michigan | 14th | 2,534 | 0.7% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Sam Johnson | House | Michigan | 13th | 5,284 | 1.8% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Gary Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 12th | 11,147 | 2.9% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Andrea Kirby | House | Michigan | 9th | 8,970 | 2.2% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Kathy Goodwin | House | Michigan | 5th | 8,180 | 2.3% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2018 | Philip Kolody | House | Michigan | 14th | 4,761 | 1.8% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Sam Johnson | House | Michigan | 13th | 22,186 | 11.3% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Gary Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 12th | 6,712 | 2.3% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Andrea Kirby | House | Michigan | 9th | 6,797 | 2.2% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Kathy Goodwin | House | Michigan | 5th | 12,646 | 4.6% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Juan Rey | House | California | 29th | 944 | 1.4% |
Lost | Nonpartisan blanket primary | [18][19] |
| 2016 | Sam Johnson | House | Michigan | 13th | 8,835 | 3.4% |
Lost | [20] | |
| 2016 | Gary Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 12th | 9,183 | 2.8% |
Lost | [20] | |
| 2014 | Gary Walkowicz | House | Michigan | 12th | 5,039 | 2.4% |
Lost | [21] | |
| 2014 | Sam Johnson | House | Michigan | 13th | 3,466 | 2.1% |
Lost | [21] |
State elections[edit]
| Year | Candidate | Office | State | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mary Anne Hering | State Board of Education | Michigan | 135,442 | At-Large | 1.6% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Kimberly Givens | State Senate | Michigan | 6th district | 3,396 | 3.1% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Linda Rayburn | State Senate | Michigan | 3rd district | 10,214 | 14.3% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | Larry Darnell Betts | State Senate | Michigan | 2nd district | 1,636 | 2.6% |
Lost | [13] | |
| 2022 | David Harding | Governor of Maryland | Maryland | At-Large | 17,154 | 0.86% |
Lost | [22] | |
| 2020 | Louis Palus | State House of Representatives | Michigan | 75th district | 1,234 | 3.0% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Larry Darnell Betts | State House of Representatives | Michigan | 15th district | 970 | 2.4% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Simone R. Coleman | State House of Representatives | Michigan | 14th district | 1,937 | 4.7% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Kimberly Givens | State House of Representatives | Michigan | 7th district | 1,224 | 3.5% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Linda Rayburn | State House of Representatives | Michigan | 4th district | 1,023 | 3.3% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Mary Anne Hering | State Board of Education | Michigan | 147,345 | At-Large | 1.4% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2020 | Hali McEachern | State Board of Education | Michigan | At-Large | 82,700 | 0.8% |
Lost | [16] | |
| 2018 | Louis Palus | State Senate | Michigan | 29th district | 1,445 | 1.2% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Thomas Repasky | State Senate | Michigan | 18th district | 2,954 | 2.3% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Larry Betts | State Senate | Michigan | 5th district | 3,944 | 4.4% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Hali McEachern | State Senate | Michigan | 3rd district | 2,095 | 2.9% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Mary Anne Hering | State Board of Education | Michigan | At-Large | 125,693 | 1.7% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2018 | Logan Smith | State Board of Education | Michigan | At-Large | 91,077 | 1.3% |
Lost | [17] | |
| 2016 | Mary Anne Hering | State Board of Education | Michigan | At-Large | 224,392 | 2.66% |
Lost | enough votes for WCP to keep ballot access in 2018 elections[23][24] | [20] |
Local elections[edit]
| Year | Candidate | Office | Area | District | Votes | % | Result | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | David Harding | Mayor | Baltimore, MD | At-Large | 3,973 | 1.7% |
Lost | [25] | |
| 2016 | David Harding | Baltimore City Council | Baltimore | 14th district | 1,426 | 8.3% |
Lost | [26][27] | |
| 2015 | Ed Hershey | City Council | Chicago | 25th ward | 614 | 8.2% |
Lost | [28] | |
| 2014 | Mary Anne Hering | School Board | Dearborn, MI | At-Large | 5,153 | 9.93% |
Lost | 3 seats to be filled | [29] |
| 2014 | Kenneth Jannot | School Board | Dearborn, MI | At-Large | 2,431 | 4.69% |
Lost | 3 seats to be filled | [29] |
| 2014 | David A. Roehrig | Community College Board | Wayne County, MI | 2nd | 15,661 | 96.5% |
Won | ran unopposed | [29] |
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.[30][31][32]
See also[edit]
- The Spark (US Trotskyist group with ties to Lutte Ouvrière)
References[edit]
- ^ Taylor, Tristan (9 November 2022). "What Is the Michigan Working Class Party?". Left Voice.
- ^ "Working People Need Our Own Party, Our Own Candidates, Organizers, Agitators, and Fighters — The Spark #1116". The Spark. Archived from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
- ^ Dupuis, Mary (31 October 2022). "What's the WC on the Ballot? Mary Anne Hering Explains the Working Class Party". Oakland County Times.
- ^ "Who are Gary Walkowicz and the Working Class Party?". World Socialist Web Site. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
- ^ "2014 Election Results, Michigan | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
- ^ "Working Class Party Petition in Michigan Has Enough Valid Signatures | Ballot Access News". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "A Working Class Program To Combat the Crisis of Capitalism". Working Class Party. 2022. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022.
- ^ "Working Class Party on the Ballot in Illinois, Maryland & Michigan | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Juan Rey: A Worker on the Ballot! | Working Class Fight". www.workingclassfight.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "2022 Michigan Unofficial General Election Results - 11/08/2022". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago". chicagoelections.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "2020 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/03/2020". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "2018 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/06/2018". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "Statement of Vote JUNE 5, 2018 STATEWIDE DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION" (PDF).
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b c "2016 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/08/2016". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ a b "2014 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/04/2014". mielections.us. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "Official 2022 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Political_Party_Status_482649_7.pdf" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
- ^ "2020 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "2016 Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago". chicagoelections.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ a b c "November 4, 2014 General Election Results | Clerk". www.waynecounty.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "David Harding, Working Class Candidate". Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
- ^ "Juan Rey: A Worker for Congress". Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
