Green Candidates to Watch on Election Day, November 7
Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org
Monday, November 6, 2006
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
List of promising and prominent candidates by state; list of essential statistics about Green
candidates and state Green Parties
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party has issued a list of Green candidates whose campaigns deserve
special attention on Election Day
Many Green campaigns help establish long-term party growth by achieving or maintaining ballot
status. Campaigns often determine the outcome of races, with Green urban campaigns challenging
Democrats, and rural Greens tending to place pressure on Republicans.
"We expect many Green candidates to pick up votes from more voters who agree with Greens on the
need for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops," said Byron De Lear, congressional candidate in
California's 28th District (San Fernando Valley) <http://www.DeLearforCongress.org>.
"The Iraq invasion was a bipartisan decision. The Democratic Party leadership and
mainstream have rejected all proposals, from Rep. Dennis Kucinich's [D-Oh.] 2003 plan to Rep. Jack
Murtha's [D-Pa.] 2006 bill, to end the occupation. The only choice for millions of
voters remains the Green Party's national Peace Slate of candidates."
Democratic and Republican politicians take for granted that they can run in their state
primaries, and, if they win, appear on the ballot on Election Day. But restrictive state ballot
access laws (enacted by Democrats and Republicans) mean that Greens and other parties
must play by different rules. Winning enough votes on November 7 translates to winning a
ballot line for the next election cycle.
ESSENTIAL STATISTICS: Green candidates, officeholders, ballot status
. Nationally, 330 Green Party candidates are running in the November 7 election. Green
candidates have already won 24 out of 62 races held so far in 2006 for a win rate of 39%.
Database of 2006 Green Party candidates. http://www.gp.org/patience.html
. On November 7, 20 Green candidates are on state ballots for governor, 59 Green candidates for
Congress, 44 Green candidates for state legislatures.
. There are 44 state Green Parties and the District of Columbia affiliated with the Green
Party of the United States. 31 of state Green Parties have ballot access.
http://www.gp.org/statelist.shtml
. There are 230 Greens elected to public office in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
. Green candidates are running more TV and radio ads than ever.
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_10_24.shtml
(with links to download ads)
GREEN CANDIDATES for statewide and congressional races to watch on November 7
For more information on local candidates and races:
Database of all 2006 Green candidates
http://www.gp.org/patience.html
Index of state Green Parties
http://www.gp.org/states.shtml
ALASKA
The Green Party needs 3% to secure its ballot line.
. Eva Ince for U.S. House (At-Large)
http://www.evaforcongress.us/
ARKANSAS
The Green Party needs 3% to secure its ballot
line.
. Jim Lendall for Governor
http://jimlendall2006.com
CALIFORNIA
The Green Party of California qualified forstatewide ballot status in January 1992, and has
retained it since. More Greens -- well over 150,000 -- are registered in California than in
any other state. Three of the Green Party's most promising U.S. House races are in California:
. Jeff Kravitz (5th District)
http://www.kravitzforcongress.org
. Bill Paparian (29th District)
http://www.paparian4congress.com
. Byron De Lear (28th District) is facing down
pro-war Democratic incumbent Howard Berman and
has a solid chance for victory on Tuesday winning
the first seat for the Green Party in the House
of Representatives.
http://www.DeLearforCongress.org
. Forrest Hill's campaign for California
Secretary of State has received a recent boost because of endorsements from prominent gay
community leaders in San Francisco
http://www.voteforrest.org
http://newsblaze.com/story/20060919234616nnnn.nb/newsblaze/POLITICS/Politics.html
. Peter Camejo, running for Governor, is running radio and TV ads telling Democrats the "race is
over" and urging them to vote their conscience by supporting him instead of Democrat challenger,
Phil Angelides, who is down 18 points to Gov. Schwarzenegger in polls.
http://www.votecamejo.com
. Todd Chretien, running for the U.S. Senate, is challenging Diane Feinstein with his 'Million
Votes for Peace' campaign. http://www.todd4senate.org
CONNECTICUT
The Green Party needs 1% in the gubernatorial for its ballot line. With the exception of the
Governor's race, each of the statewide races only establishes ballot access for that race.
. David Bue for State Treasurer
http://ctgreens.org/candidates/bue2006.html
. Nancy Burton for Attorney General
http://ctgreens.org/candidates/burton2006.html
. Mike DeRosa for Secretary of State
http://www.mikederosa.org/index.shtml
. Jean de Smet for Lt. Governor
http://www.votejean.com
. Ralph Ferrucci for U.S. Senate
http://www.ferrucciforsenate.org
. Clifford Thornton, Jr. for Governor
http://www.votethornton.com (Mr Thornton has
received several prominent endorsements and prominent press coverage during the final weeks
of the campaign.)
DELAWARE
. Michael Berg is running for the only U.S. House seat in Delaware against pro-war Republican
incumbent Mike Castle http://bergforcongress.us
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The DC Statehood Green Party needs 1% for at least one of the following candidates to maintain
its ballot line:
. Chris Otten for Mayor
http://www.mayorchrisdc.com
. Ann Wilcox for City Council At-Large
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/election2006/candidate.php?annc_id=151
. Joyce Robinson-Paul, candidate for D.C.'s 'Shadow' U.S. Senate, received 12% of the vote
when she ran for the same office in 2002. Ms. Robinson-Paul might receive the highest
percentage of any Green candidate for the U.S. Senate. http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/election2006/candidate.php?annc_id=150
.
In 2004 the DC Statehood Green Party won 6 out of 12 elections. In 2006, more Statehood Green
candidates than ever are running, with 17 on the November 7 ballot; six are running unopposed.
ILLINOIS
The Green Party need 5% to secure its ballot line; no nationally organized party has achieved
ballot status in Illinois since 1920. Gov. Rod Blagojevich spent $800,000 in taxpayers' money to
keep Greens off the Illinois ballot. Rich Whitney, candidate for governor, has drawn 9-14%
in recent polls. http://www.whitneyforgov.org
Other Illinois Green candidates:
. David Black for Attorney General
. Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff for State Treasurer
http://www.schlorff.com
. Julie Samuels for Lt. Governor
http://www.juliesamuels.com
. Alicia Snyder for State Comptroller
. Karen Young for Secretary of State
INDIANA
The Green Party needs 2% to secure its ballot line.
. Bill Stant for Secretary of State (write-in
campaign) http://www.citizensforstant.org
IOWA
The Green Party needs 2% to secure its ballot line.
. Wendy Barth for Governor
http://www.votewendy.org
MAINE
The Green Party needs 5% to maintain its ballot line. Pat LaMarche, running for Governor, has
drawn 6-9% in recent polls.
http://www.pat2006.org/
. John Eder is running for re-election to State House (District 118 in Portland). In prior
races, Mr. Eder survived sustained attempts to remove him, including a Democratic redistricting
plan that placed him outside his district. http://www.repjohneder.com
. Ben Meiklejohn is running for State House District 120 in the Portland area. Two
candidates running for the seat; the Democratic Party is so nervous about the race that they
brought in Bill Clinton and Howard Dean -- similar to the Democrats' last minute strategy
when Green candidate Matt Gonzalez competed for Mayor of San Francisco in 2003.
http://www.benmeiklejohn.com
MARYLAND
The Green Party needs 1% to maintain its ballot line.
. Ed Boyd, candidate for Governor, has drawn 2-3% in recent polls; Kevin Zeese, running for U.S.
Senate, has drawn 1-4%.
http://www.edboydforgovernor.org
http://www.kevinzeese.com
MASSACHUSETTS
The Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party needs 3% to secure its ballot line.
. Grace Ross for Governor
http://www.graceandwendy.org
. Jill Stein for Secretary of State
http://www.jillstein.org
MICHIGAN
The Green Party needs 0.6% to maintain its ballot line:
Douglas Campbell for Governor
http://www.votecampbell2006.org
. Kevin Anthony Carey for State Board of
Education
. Margaret Gutshall for Board of Governors
. Lynn Meadows for Secretary of State
http://www.lynnmeadows.net
. David Sole for U.S. Senate
http://www.stopthewarslate.org/davidsole.html
. Jacob Woods for State Board of Education
MINNESOTA
The Green Party needs 5% to secure its ballot line.
. Dave Berger for State Auditor
http://daveberger.org/
. Michael Cavlan for U.S. Senate
http://www/cavlan.org
. Ken Pentel http://www.kenpentel.org/
MISSOURI
The Green Party needs 2% to secure its ballot line
. Terry Bunker for State Auditor
http://www.bunkerforauditor.com
. Lydia Lewis for U.S. Senate
http://www.ppmo.org/lydialewis2006.html
NEBRASKA
The Green Party needs 5% for its ballot line (it already has partial ballot status).
. Steve Larrick for State Auditor
http://www.nebraskagreens.org
. Doug Paterson for Secretary of State
NEVADA
The Green Party needs 1% to secure its ballot line.
. Craig Bergland for Governor
http://www.bergland4governor.org
NEW MEXICO
The Green Party needs 5% to maintain its ballot line.
. David Bacon for Public Regulation Commission
http://www.davidbacon2006.org
NEW YORK
The Green Party needs 50,000 votes for the Green gubernatorial candidate to regain its ballot
line.
. Malachy McCourt for Governor
http://votemalachymccourt.org
(Mr. McCourt is a popular author and talk show host, and is brother of author Frank McCourt)
. Alison Duncan for Lieutenant Governor
http://www.alisonduncan.org
. Howie Hawkins for U.S. Senate (challenging Sen.Hillary Clinton) http://www.hawkinsforsenate.org
. Julia Willebrand, Comptroller candidate is facing incumbent, Alan Hevesi, who was recently
caught using a state worker as his wife's chauffeur. http://juliaforcomptroller.org
. Rachel Treichler, Attorney General candidate was approved for inclusion in debates by the the
League of Women Voters which the local PBS station then refused to air.
http://www.voterachel.org
OREGON
The Green Party's ballot line is secure, due to the number of registrations.
. Joe Keating for Governor http://www.keatingforgovernor.org
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania requires over 67,000 signatures to place a third party or independent candidate on
the state ballot. Democratic and Republican candidates need only file 2,000 signatures.
Marakay Rogers and Christina Valente, running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, withdrew their
petitions after Democrats threatened a line-by-line challenge to their signatures
that would have required tens of thousands of dollars to defend. U.S. Senate candidate Carl Romanelli
attempted to defend his petitions, for which he collected about 100,000 signatures, more than any
candidate in state history. A Pennsylvania court invalidated enough signatures to keep Mr.
Romanelli off the ballot and charged him nearly $90,000 in court costs; he
may also have to pay the Democratic Party's legal fees, amounting to nearly $ one million. Pennsylvania's prohibitive
ballot access laws and severe penalties threaten third party candidates with personal financial
ruin for attempting to run. See http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_10_09.shtml
. Mike Rosenberg for State Assembly District 108 http://www.rosenberg4rep.org
RHODE ISLAND
. Jeff Toste is a likely win for State Senate District 5. Mr. Toste succeeded in having the
incumbent removed from the ballot because of elections violations. http://www.votetoste.com/
TENNESSEE
State law provides two options for a party to gain ballot status: (1) petition signatures equal
to 2.5% of most recent gubernatorial race vote total (about 43,000 signatures), or (2) 5% of the
vote in any statewide race (governor, senator, president). However, the state Supreme Court has
ruled that a new party must file the petitions, and the 5% is only for
retaining official status.
. Howard Switzer for Governor http://www.h4gov.com
. Christopher Lugo for U.S. Senate http://www.chris4senate.com
UTAH
Desert Greens need 2% for their ballot line.
. Julian Hatch for U.S. Senate
http://www.hatchforsenate.org
WASHINGTON
The Green Party needs 5% to win its ballot line.
. Aaron Dixon for U.S. Senate
http://www.aarondixon.org
WISCONSIN
The Green Party needs 1% to maintain its ballot line.
. Nelson Eisman for Governor
http://wisconsingreenparty.org/pages/elections/candidates/eisman
. Mike LaForest for Secretary of State
http://geocities.com/laforestfire/green.html
. Winston Sephus Jr. for State Treasurer
http://www.sephusfortreasure.org/
. Rae Vogeler, running for U.S. Senate, recently received an endorsement from antiwar activist
Cindy Sheehan; Ms. Vogeler, a working mother, has toured the state campaigning for a series of
ballot measures calling for the return of U.S. troops from Iraq. http://www.VoteRae.org
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green campaign listings, news, photos, and web
sites http://www.gp.org/2006elections
Database of 2006 Green candidates
http://www.gp.org/patience.html
Video clips of Green candidates
http://www.gp.org/2006elections/media.shtml
Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml