'No Love Lost' Between Greens, WFP

A source with knowledge of the situation does not believe that the Working Families' Party will cross-endorse Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee for governor this year.

The source states that there is "no love lost" between the two parties.

Many on the left in New York, including the Greens, view the Working Families' Party as having 'sold out' progressives in years past for having endorsed Democratic Party candidates. The WFP ran Andrew Cuomo on their line for governor in 2010.

The source does say, however, that Hawkins himself, who was nominated in Troy on Saturday, expressed no "ill will" for the Working Families' Party.

Speculation has raged as to who the WFP would nominate since last month. In April, a Siena College poll showed an unnamed Working Families' Party candidate drawing 24% in a three-way race featuring Cuomo and Republican Party nominee Rob Astorino. Astorino also drew 24%, while Cuomo led with 39%. In addition to putting pressure on Cuomo from the left this year, the WFP has hopes of gaining 'Row B' on the ballot for future elections. This more prominent position could come if the WFP placed second in the election for governor.

Despite this apparent cause for optimism, the Working Families' Party is actually in a rather difficult predicament. Running their own candidate would likely split the vote on the left between the WFP and the Green Party. In addition, some unions have already stated that they may unilaterally endorse Cuomo even if the WFP (a labor-backed party) does not. An endorsement of Cuomo by the WFP would most definitely draw further ire from the left.