Today, the Working Families Party announced its endorsement for Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary for President.The announcement marks the first-ever national endorsement for the Working Families Party.

Working Families Party National Director Dan Cantor said: “We want to live in a nation that allows all people to live a decent life, no matter what is in their parents’ bank account or who is in their family tree. But the super-rich have used their economic muscle to buy political muscle, and unless you’re one of them, what you think government should do basically doesn’t count. That’s why we’re standing with Bernie Sanders to build the political revolution and make our nation into one where every family can thrive.”

Lindsay Farrell, Executive Director of Connecticut Working Families said: “Bernie Sanders is giving voice to a problem that Working Families has been fighting for more than 10 years: our economy is not working for too many families. While corporations and the wealthy elites get richer and more powerful, the rest of us are working longer and harder just to support our families. Bernie Sanders shares our commitment to building a fair economy and more representative government, and that is why we are standing with him.”

“I’m proud that Working Families is endorsing Bernie Sanders,” said Connecticut Working Families Board Member Ana María Rivera-Forastieri. “He is speaking about issues that are affecting millions of families across the United States. From economic inequality to the need to reform our racist and unjust immigration system, he is the candidate seeking a true political revolution.”

The announcement followed a Working Families Party membership vote. An overwhelming super-majority of 87.4% of Working Families Party members voted for Senator Sanders, compared to 11.5% for Secretary Hillary Clinton and 1.1% for former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. The final endorsement decision was dependent on both the membership vote and the votes of the WFP’s national advisory board, which includes representatives from all the WFP’s state organizations. The Working Families Party’s endorsement will bring Senator Sanders’ campaign the support of the party’s activist base and skilled operatives.

The Working Families Party is a progressive party that fights for the 99% — and wins. With chapters in ten states and a supporter-base that spans the nation, the Working Families Party has won public policies that make a difference in the lives of working families, from paid sick days laws and minimum wage increases to reforms to criminal justice laws and policing practices to wins on student debt and environmental protection. The WFP’s progressive candidates pipeline is recruiting, training and electing the next generation of progressive leaders.

2015 has been a big year for the Working Families Party. In Chicago, United Working Families backed Jesus “Chuy” Garcia for Mayor and held Mayor Rahm Emanuel to a historic run-off election, and helped elect the largest-ever progressive city council caucus. Working Families Party members won special elections for state legislative seats. Connecticut State Senator Ed Gomes and New York State Assemblymember Diana Richardson became the first two state legislators elected only on the Working Families Party ballot line. In Ferguson, Missouri, WFP helped increase African American turnout in the city’s municipal elections following the killing of Michael Brown. Pennsylvania Working Families successfully backed Philadelphia Mayor-elect Jim Kenney in his competitive Democratic Primary. In November, Elizabeth, New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure guaranteeing paid sick days with 86% of the vote, making Elizabeth the tenth municipal paid sick days victory for New Jersey Working Families; Hartford elected three WFP members to the Hartford City Council and a record 71 out of 111 of the New York WFP’s progressive pipeline candidates were elected to local office around the state. Meanwhile, new Working Families chapters launched this year in Wisconsin and Rhode Island.