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Working Families Party Goes 'All-In' to Support El-Sayed in Michigan
"We’re excited to work with Abdul to win Medicare for All, create good union jobs, and end the influence of big money in politics," said the progressive party.
May 26, 2026
Following the victories of Working Families Party-endorsed progressive candidates like Rep. Analilia Mejia in New Jersey and Pennsylvania state lawmaker Chris Rabb, who won a Democratic US House primary last week, the organization announced Tuesday that it is "all in" on former public health official Abdul El-Sayed's primary campaign in the key state of Michigan.
“Abdul has dedicated his career to making government work for regular people and fighting to improve our broken healthcare system,” Maurice Mitchell, WFP’s national director, said in a statement. “He’s not afraid to stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or any of the greedy billionaires screwing over our communities."
El-Sayed's race for the August 4 primary has been contentious, with his two opponents—Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (8) elevating attacks on their opponent's decision to campaign with left-wing streamer and commentator Hasan Piker, an outspoken critic of Israel and US military support for the country.
Following those attacks, El-Sayed was shown to gain momentum in polls; he was 10 points ahead of Stevens and 11 points ahead of McMorrow in a survey by Mitchell Research and Communications earlier this month, and 80% ahead among voters under the age of 45.
El-Sayed is a strong supporter of Palestinian rights—differentiating him from Stevens, who has received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and McMorrow, who has criticized Israel's assault on Gaza but also reportedly wrote a position paper for the influential pro-Israel lobby group.
But the push for Medicare for All, which he published a book about, has been an even more central focus of his political career.
Stevens and McMorrow both reportedly support a public option, and the latter candidate asserted in a recent interview that "the support for a true single payer system isn't there yet"—despite the fact that Medicare for All had the support of 78% of Democrats and 65% of overall American voters in a Data for Progress poll late last year, and has been found to have broad support in other surveys in recent years.
"We’re excited to work with Abdul to win Medicare for All, create good union jobs, and end the influence of big money in politics," said Mitchell on Tuesday.
On social media, the group highlighted public health successes El-Sayed led while heading Detroit’s Health Department and the Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services in Wayne County, Michigan, which serves 1.8 million residents.
"He is the kind of candidate we need in office," said WFP.
Distill Social, a Michigan-based grassroots news organization, said the endorsement "says a lot" to voters weighing their options ahead of the August primary.
WFP's "lane is clear: workers, healthcare, clean water, corporate accountability, and a government that actually fights for people," said the group.
El-Sayed said the group "understands that finding and keeping a good job, guaranteed healthcare, being able to afford a home, and having the freedom to spend time with your family aren't radical ideas. They should be the baseline."
"I'm honored to earn their endorsement," said El-Sayed.
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Dem Establishment Accused of ‘Putting Thumb on the Scale’ Against Progressive Candidate
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee decided to boost conservative candidate Jasmeet Bains instead of progressive Randy Villegas.
May 04, 2026
The Democratic Party's congressional campaign arm faced backlash on Monday for boosting the more conservative US House candidate in California's 22nd District, where two Democrats are vying to unseat GOP Rep. David Valadao.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has added Jasmeet Bains, a California State Assembly member, to its "Red to Blue" program, which gives chosen candidates fundraising and organizational support as they seek to flip Republican seats. The DCCC's decision to elevate Bains over Randy Villegas, an educator and political newcomer endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and major unions such as the United Auto Workers, was seen as the latest example of Democratic leaders seeking to thwart a progressive candidate with genuine grassroots momentum.
"Just like they did in Maine and Michigan, the Democratic establishment is again putting its thumb on the scale—not to support the stronger candidate, but the candidate who will bend to party leadership and its corporate donors," said Ravi Mangla, national press secretary for the Working Families Party (WFP), which has backed Villegas.
“Randy Villegas is the top Democratic fundraiser in the race, despite not taking a penny from corporate interests," said Mangla. "He’s racked up more key endorsements than his opponent. And he’s the only candidate with the energy and momentum to beat David Valadao in November."
In a statement, Villegas called the DCCC's move "undemocratic" and said that "voters have the power to choose who represents our community, not DC elites and corporate interests."
"This is why I will continue to knock on every door and meet voters where they’re at to ensure we take our working families to DC," Villegas added.
California primaries are nonpartisan, so the incumbent Valadao will face Bains and Villegas in the June 2 contest. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election.
The American Prospect's Emma Janssen reported last week that Bains and Villegas "represent two opposing approaches that Democrats across the country have articulated as the key to beating Republicans."
"Bains is running a more conservative campaign—what some, including Villegas, have called 'Republican Lite,'" Janssen noted. "Villegas, on the other hand, is running to the left and has been endorsed by progressive leaders."
Villegas has accused Bains of "flip-flopping on a variety of issues," including Medicare for All and whether Israel's assault on Gaza rises to the level of genocide. Villegas has joined human rights organizations, legal experts, and many others in answering the latter in the affirmative.
Bains, who is endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel, previously said she believes Israel has committed genocide in Gaza before reversing herself.
“It’s clear that Assemblymember Bains is willing to change her answers or sell her answers to the highest bidder and the highest donor, and that she doesn’t actually stand for anything but whatever her corporate donors tell her to do,” Villegas told the Prospect. “Her flip-flopping on all these issues is disappointing, but it’s also not surprising from somebody who has failed to actually stand up for our communities in Sacramento.”
In its endorsement of Villegas published on Sunday, McClatchy Media’s California editorial board wrote that "Bains and Valadao represent a status quo shaped by complacency," whereas Villegas "is the embodiment of the Central Valley’s values."
"At 30, Villegas reflects a growing generational divide within the Democratic Party. Like many young progressives, he is frustrated by the party’s lack of action on crucial issues such as universal healthcare and the war in Gaza," the editorial continued. "There is room for Villegas to deepen his expertise on certain policy issues, but he brings a fresh perspective. He believes in hard work and family. He has far more in common with his district than his opponents."
This story has been updated to include a statement from Randy Villegas.
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Move Over Spanberger... Summer Lee to Deliver Working Families Response to Trump State of the Union
"I’m going to say what too many politicians won’t: The system is rigged, the obscenely wealthy are profiting from it, and working people deserve more than scraps."
Feb 20, 2026
As Democrats plan boycotts and counterprogramming to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, progressives are readying their own response to resist not just the historically unpopular commander-in-chief, but the centrist faction of their own party.
For years, the State of the Union has served as a platform for rising stars in the opposition party. The Democrats are rolling out the newly minted Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a darling of the party establishment whose inaugural committee boasts an army of corporate backers—including Amazon and Capitol One, lobbying groups for the gambling industry and car dealerships, and multiple tobacco companies.
Seeking to push an alternative vision, the left-wing Working Families Party (WFP) has chosen Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), whom national director Maurice Mitchell described as "fearless, rooted in working-class communities, and unafraid to take on both MAGA extremism and corporate power."
Previous WFP speakers have included Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).
"I’m going to elevate the voices of the people in my district and across the country who are angry, scared, and fed up with an administration that’s done nothing to help and a lot to hurt everyday people,” Lee said. “I’m going to say what too many politicians won’t: The system is rigged, the obscenely wealthy are profiting from it, and working people deserve more than scraps.
"Now more than ever," she continued, "we need a political home for people who are ready to fight back against Trump’s corruption and cruelty, and the corporate politics that made him possible.”
Her address comes at a pivotal moment for the Democratic Party's future. Despite the sinking popularity of Trump and soaring expectations of a blue wave in this November's midterms, polls show that Democratic voters are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with their party's leadership, believing it has failed to forcefully take on corporate power and pursue policy priorities like universal healthcare and increased taxes on the rich.
Contrary to Spanberger, a former congresswoman who consistently voted to hike military spending and called on former President Joe Biden to avoid pursuing an ambitious FDR-style social spending agenda, Lee has championed Medicare for All, a wealth tax on the richest Americans, and Green New Deal legislation while being one of Congress' fiercest critics of the US's unconditional military support for Israel.
"Summer Lee is the kind of leader this moment demands," Mitchell said. “At a time when voters are losing faith in the two-party status quo, the Working Families Party is building a disciplined, independent political force that can defeat Trump and actually deliver on jobs, wages, healthcare, and more.”
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