the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Nov 8, 2024
We’ve reprinted this report on Working Class Party’s results in the 2024 election from a posting on workingclassfight.com.
Several hundred thousand people voted for candidates who want to see the working class build its own party, breaking with the two parties that represent big business. That’s not a lot. But at least in three states this perspective was raised.
Those of us who campaigned in Michigan, Illinois and California often talked to people fed up with the two old parties. Quite a few of them liked the idea that the working class would build its own party—but many wondered if it could happen in this country.Why not? Working people need our own party.
The votes in these three states for a working class party were somewhat higher this year. In a few districts, particular situations explained the increase. But overall, votes were up. So whether any of them doubted it can happen, a few more of them, with their vote, said, “we want a working class party.”
The following are the scores, as of November 15. Results from California are still incomplete.
Working Class Party has been on the ballot five times in Michigan since 2016, and once again had enough votes to qualify for next time.
Voters throughout the whole state could vote for the first two candidates who ran for statewide education positions. Mary Ann’s votes were about 98,000 higher than last time.
The next seven candidates ran in congressional districts that together reach half of Michigan’s population. With one exception, they were all higher, with the increase running from about one thousand to over five thousand more, and five had a higher percent of the vote.
Seven others ran for State Representative in districts around Detroit. Even if districts and/or candidates were different, overall, the vote of our candidates for these positions was higher.
The Working Class Party of Illinois has been on the ballot in one congressional district touching parts of Chicago and its near suburbs since 2022. The higher score ran up this year means Working Class Party for the first time qualified to remain on the ballot for the next campaign. And that opens the door to run an additional one or two candidates.
In California, the law is so restrictive that putting a new party on the ballot is nearly impossible. So the people who want to see the working class build its own party collected signatures to put up an independent candidate. Legally, he may be considered “non-partisan,” but his whole campaign made it clear that his goal is to see the working class party build its own party. With not even 60% of the vote processed, the following was his score:
A society so terribly destructive like this one won’t be overhauled through an election. A new society must be built. The working class has the forces to wrench control from the capitalist class and their two big parties. It has the capacity to organize itself to control the economy and make decisions that serve the population. But the working class will need its own party to do that.
A working class party will not be built by an election. But this election let those candidates who ran, and all their supporters, send a message to the rest of their class, “We need our own party.” These results show that some tens of thousands of people agree.