Contact: Marina Dimitrijevic
414-255-4009
Racine, Wisconsin – Wisconsin Working Families Party is celebrating Cory Mason’s election as Racine Mayor. One of Mason’s earliest endorsers, the WI WFP mobilized members for Cory in both the primary and general elections. Grassroots support from the Working Families Party, including door-knocking and spreading the word about Cory, was critical to tonight’s victory. This win shows that running on progressive issues like supporting public schools, pledging to raise the minimum wage, and fighting voter suppression wins elections.
“Working Families Party made the case for Cory Mason and won, right here in Paul Ryan’s backyard,” said Marina Dimitrijevic, executive director of Wisconsin Working Families Party. “In the next year, voters in Southeastern Wisconsin will decide whether to re-elect Paul Ryan or support insurgent candidate and WFP-endorsed Randy Bryce. Wisconsinites will also elect a new governor. Mason’s victory today can be seen as a signal for these races and the strength of progressive voters in this region.”
Mason’s victory is a testament to Wisconsin Working Families Party’s political pull after expanding from Milwaukee to southeastern Wisconsin to elect people-powered progressives. In addition to strategic political support, Working Families brought progressive politicians out to work for Mason, Randy Bryce — who is running a historic race against Paul Ryan for the First District congressional seat — and Milwaukee County Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson. Along with Wisconsin Working Families Party, Mason was endorsed by UAW Region 4, REA-REAA, AFT Local 212, CWA Local 4611, SEIU, WI Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, AFSCME, and others.
In Milwaukee, WI Working Families Party was instrumental in electing Supervisor Nicholson as well as creating a $15 minimum wage for public contractual workers. The organization also invested heavily in a spring 2017 campaign that resulted in a pro-public education majority Milwaukee Board of School Directors with the election of several Wisconsin Working Families Party-endorsed candidates.
“Thank you to the Working Families Party for their grassroots support and progressive advocacy during this campaign,” said Cory Mason. “As mayor, I look forward to working with them to rebuild Racine’s middle class, raise the wage for public employees, and implement policies that make a difference for working people in Racine.”
An avid supporter of public education, Mason is fighting against Republican state lawmakers’ attempt to segregate Racine’s schools, creating a system of separate and unequal education for area students. As mayor, Cory Mason is committed to creating a $15 minimum wage for all municipal employees and contractors doing business with the city.
The Working Families Party supported Cory Mason as part of its “Progressive Heroes” program, which seeks to elect the progressive leaders in municipal races across America in 2017. To date, the Working Families Party has endorsed nearly 1,000 local candidates nationwide — progressive organizers and leaders like Mason — who are already making a difference in their communities and stepped up to run for office this year.
The Working Families Party is a national political organization that is recruiting, training, and electing the next generation of progressive leaders to office. The Working Families Party’s record of down-ballot wins in 2017 includes the Democratic primary victory of Philadelphia’s next District Attorney Larry Krasner, helping elect Chokwe Lumumba mayor of Jackson, MS and Randall Woodfin mayor of Birmingham, AL, a sweep of school board races in Milwaukee, and special election victories for progressive leaders running for state legislature in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
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About The Working Families Party: The Working Families Party is a grassroots political organization. With chapters in Wisconsin and a dozen other states, as well as a membership that spans the nation, the Working Families Party works to advance public policies that make a difference in the lives of working people, like raising the minimum wage, stopping bad trade deals, taking on Wall Street, tackling climate change, and combating racial injustice. Working Families brings these issues to the ballot box and the halls of government at the federal, state and local levels.
