FORT COLLINS — One of the state’s most extreme left-wing political organizations is back on the campaign trail, endorsing candidates for public office in various local races during this off-year election, including a significant focus on northern Colorado
The Colorado chapter of the Working Families Party (WFP), which touts itself as a “multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over powerful,” has endorsed multiple candidates in non-partisan school board and city council races across Greeley, Fort Collins and Longmont.
In the past, WFP has endorsed such controversial officials as former Denver School Board Member Tay Anderson, who was accused of sexual misconduct with students; Rochelle Galindo, the former House District 50 representative who stepped down amid allegations of sexual assault on two of her underage campaign workers, just to name a few.
This time around they have put their name behind two Fort Collins candidates, Emily Francis for mayor and Zoelle Lane in the District 5 city council race, as well as Poudre School Board candidates in Districts C and D; Karla Baise and Coronda Ziegler, respectively, looking to strengthen the progressive hold on that board.
In Longmont, WFP has endorsed two at-large city council candidates in Jake Marsing and Crystal Prieto, while in Thornton, the group is backing John Alge in the Ward 2 city council race. In Greeley they have endorsed Democrat Tiffany Simmons for mayor.
“Across Colorado, working people are ready for bold leaders who will fight for them — not corporate interests or the wealthiest few,” Wynn Howell, the state director of WFP said in a news release. “These candidates share our vision for communities where every family has access to safe housing, strong neighborhood public schools, and a government that works for all of us. We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to win this November.”
The endorsements in northern Colorado are especially unique in timing and location. In Greeley, for example, where the city council has been controlled by a conservative majority historically, this election could flip enough seats to make it one of the last communities to lose that hold — and in Weld County of all places, where there are no Democrats holding any office county-level or above.
Additionally, the group has endorsed the passage of multiple tax increases, one in Adams County where the school district is asking for a $40 million mill levy override. And two in Larimer County where taxpayers are being asked for a $650 million increase for road improvements and a one-quarter of one percent sales tax increase to support early childhood education programs.
The other two are state wide measures, Proposition LL and MM, which are both connected to the financially flailing “Healthy School Meals for All Program,” and which seek a TABOR override to keep and spend over collected revenue that would otherwise be refunded back to taxpayers, as well as additional tax revenue only from among top wage earners in the state.
All of the Colorado Working Families Party endorsements are available here.
