Is the Working Families Party an alternative to Democrats? This leader says voters don’t have to choose.
Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party (WFP) is calling on Black Democratic voters to learn more about what his party has to offer. The WFP has endorsed and supported prominent Democrats like Jasmine Crockett, Summer Lee, and Tish James.
For many Black voters, the political landscape can often feel like a frustrating binary: Democrats or Republicans. But what if there’s another way? Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party (WFP), believes there is—and that voters don’t necessarily have to choose between supporting Democrats and embracing a progressive third-party movement.
In an exclusive interview with TheGrio’s Natasha S. Alford, Mitchell broke down the role of the WFP, its relationship with the Democratic Party, and why more voters are looking for political alternatives while still leveraging the existing system to build power.
What Is the Working Families Party?
For those unfamiliar, the Working Families Party doesn’t see itself as another third party seeking to siphon votes from Democrats. It’s a movement aimed at reshaping what political power looks like from the ground up.
“We’re a non-delusional, grassroots, bottom-up third-party movement,” Mitchell explained. “We recruit everyday people—educators, union organizers, public defenders—and we help them get elected, especially at the local level, because so much of governing happens there.”
The WFP operates differently depending on the state. In places like New York and Connecticut, where fusion voting is allowed, voters can cast ballots for Democratic candidates under the Working Families Party line, making it clear they support a more progressive agenda without ‘throwing away’ their vote. In other states, the WFP strategically runs candidates in Democratic primaries or, in some cases, elects independent WFP candidates outright.
One of the biggest concerns for voters considering third-party options is whether they might inadvertently help elect Republicans. But Mitchell pushed back against the idea that WFP is a spoiler.
“In New York, for example, we cross-endorsed Kamala Harris and Joe Biden on the Working Families Party line,” Mitchell tells theGrio. “Hundreds of thousands of people voted for them through WFP, and that allows us to go back to those elected officials and say, ‘Look at all these votes that came from progressives who want you to govern with these values.’”
Mitchell also pointed out that the WFP has successfully removed Republicans from power by running its own candidates. “We kicked those two Republicans off the city council and replaced them with working families party people,” Mitchell explained. “Kendra Brooks and Nicholas ORourke, who are now the minority leader and the minority whip of the Philly City Council.”
What if voters didn’t have to choose?
Many Black voters have felt taken for granted by the Democratic Party, an issue Mitchell openly acknowledges. “If you ask most people in Black communities if they think the Democratic Party takes them for granted, they’ll say yes,” he noted. “So there’s a desire for something else.”
But rather than presenting WFP as an all-or-nothing alternative, Mitchell suggests a more nuanced approach: building power both inside and outside of the Democratic Party.
“We recruit people like educators, like Jamaal Bowman, who just left Congress but was a Working Families Party congressperson or, you know, a number of Congress people all around the country who exude these values, and we run them in Democratic primaries against centrist Democrats or establishment Democrats or corporate Democrats in order to advance those working families issues every single day.“
Mitchell also cited Attorney General Letitia James as a prime example. “She started off as an outsider. You know, she, she was a lawyer for the people and the political establishment didn’t know what to do with her. And the WFP did and believed in her. And she actually beat the Democrat and the Republican, and became an independent Working Families Party city council person. She played that role so well that eventually the Democrats came along and she’s had a career in politics that took her all the way to the top.”
Looking ahead toward the future
As the 2026 midterm election cycle approaches and whispers of 2028 begin, many voters will be grappling with their political options. For Mitchell, the answer isn’t just about choosing between parties—it’s about choosing a movement.
“It’s a choice between the bosses like Elon Musk and Zuckerberg and all the billionaires or the workers we want, we want to know we’re electing people who are on the side of the workers working Families Party candidates are going to do that whether or not they’re running in Democratic primaries.”
For those disillusioned with the state of politics, Mitchell says perspective is key and there’s no better time to tap in than now.
“Millions and millions of people across race, across region, across gender all understood the assignment and attempted to prevent what’s happening,” Mitchell tells theGrio. “Unfortunately, we didn’t make it, but it was a close election. When you look at the numbers. I want to remind people that because sometimes people can feel like all is lost.”
“Acting alone is not going to cut it. So finding an organization is so critical. And if you’re looking for if you’re organization shopping, I encourage everybody listening to join the Working Families Party. If for whatever reason, if our values or our mission or whatever doesn’t exactly land with you, find another organization. Just find an organization.”
Watch more from our interview with Maurice Mitchell above.
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