This is nice: the WFP just endorsed Don Barber, who's running for Senate in the 51st District. The 51st is a tripod-shaped district covering roughly the center of the state and branching out from there a hundred miles or so north, west and south-east towards the City.

State Senate candidate Don Barber (D-Caroline) received a strong boost today when the Working Families Party threw its considerable resources behind Barber's campaign. "The Working Families Party fights every day to make sure government works for hardworking families," said Barber, who will appear on the Working Families ballot line. "I'm delighted to have their endorsement, and I look forward to their help getting out our message."

Noting that his opponent, Jim Seward, opposed raising the minimum wage above $5.15 an hour, Barber added, "Struggling New York families needed that raise. I supported increasing the minimum wage then, but more importantly, I support a real living wage now. I don't think the hard-working people in our district deserve any less."

In a separate release, the Working Families Party noted that their endorsement "could be a crucial element in finally ending Republican rule in the state senate. The WFP played a critical role in recent special elections in the North Country and on Long Island, helping to narrow the Republican Senate majority to just two."

There are a lot of those crucial elements coming together, it seems. Barber is a netroots-friendly candidate with an ActBlue page; show the man some love. We need upstate Democrats, too.