Sanders supporters cry foul over Working Families endorsement of Warren

Home / Sanders supporters cry foul over Working Families endorsement of Warren

Supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE’s (I) presidential campaign are crying foul over the Working Families Party’s (WFP) endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.).

Warren won the group’s endorsement on Monday after a vote by the WFP’s national committee, which includes representatives from state and local WFP chapters, and a separate vote of WFP members and grassroots supporters.

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WFP spokesman Rob Duffey told The Hill that Warren won 60.9 percent of the ranked-choice vote. The two votes by the national committee and the group’s members and grassroots supporters were weighted equally.

But the progressive, union-allied group declined to release the vote breakdown.

“The final result is the only number we ever planned to release,” Duffey said. “It represents the inputs from all the constituencies that make up the WFP.”

Duffey said a WFP member is anyone who pays dues of $10 per month or $120 in the past year, and that a WFP supporter is anyone who has previously engaged with the group and signed up for the WFP’s email or text list.

The New York Times reported that 56 people sit on the WFP national committee. According to Duffey, each vote is a delegate casting a vote on behalf of their state chapter or local branch.

The endorsement was notable in that Sanders won the group’s support in the 2016 primary against former Secretary of State Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE, who went on to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

Some prominent backers of Sanders have loudly protested the latest endorsement.

Two top editors of socialist magazine Jacobin wrote an article Tuesday titled “The Working Families Party Has Written Itself Out of History.”

“If the WFP views bottom-up organizing, of and by a multiracial working class, as a core necessity to win social change, why would the party endorse Warren, whose campaign has catalyzed neither — especially over Sanders, whose campaign has?” the magazine’s founder and managing editor wrote.

They also speculated that the organization has “something to hide,” writing that “members were likely divided between Warren and Sanders.”

The Sanders campaign, however, has not criticized the group or the result.

“We look forward to working with the Working Families Party and other allies to defeat Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE,” campaign manager Faiz Shakir told The Hill in a statement. “Together, we’ll build a movement across the country to transform our economy to finally work for the working class of this country.”

Duffey said WFP’s process “included both representative democracy and direct democracy, and we were clear about this from the start. We’re proud of it.”

Sanders and Warren are both battling with former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE and more than a dozen other candidates for the Democratic nomination.

Biden, Sanders and Warren are widely seen as the three leading candidates.

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Sanders and Warren have avoided direct criticism of one another for most of the campaign, even as they battle for progressive support in the Democratic Party.

Updated at 1:55 p.m.

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