New York's left-leaning Working Families Party is working to broaden its reach with a new emphasis on local races around the state.
The labor-backed party is best known for its involvement in statewide races and political campaigns in New York City but in this month's election it backed 111 candidates in local races. Seventy-one of them won.
Working Families Party State Director Bill Lipton says the party actively recruited many local candidates, part of an effort to identify and help political newcomers who may one day run for higher office.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.